In January I wrote on the abundance of bare shelves in the United States and what might be causing that. During my interviews and research, I realized just how many problems there are in the nation's shipping industry. At the root of it is government over-regulation, which is causing many people to leave the trucking profession because they can make a more steady income and be at home working even a simple fast food job. It seems that most any trucker I talked to had seen a reduction in wages and were having to work harder under trying conditions.

As a result, some truckers have decided to shut down their rigs on April 12 in protest and to raise awareness of the issues they are facing.

The upcoming truckers' strike could have widespread effects.

A one-day strike is not going to cause disruption to a lot of people.

The concern is if the strike goes on longer. It would also be foolhardy to ignore the major issues our country's shipping industry is experiencing. That is not going to go away without some serious work and people being able to meet each other halfway.

A strike on April 12 could turn into a bigger movement that means the next strike hits harder and causes supply issues that everyone might feel. Let's look back on a previous shut down for a lesson on how out of hand things can get.

Here's what happened during a trucker strike in 1973.

This is not the first time truckers have felt the need to protest.

The Independent Trucker Shutdown during the 1973 oil crisis was a large protest and should serve as a cautionary tale.