WASHINGTON, May 30 (Reuters) - Truckers who haul most new cars and other vehicles in the United States prepared for a possible strike this weekend as contract talks were progressing slowly, the Teamsters union said on Friday.
An estimated 9,000 drivers and other car haul workers at more than a dozen companies could walk off the job as early as midnight EDT on Saturday when the current four-year contract expires.
Leaders at more than 70 Teamsters local affiliates have been told in recent days to prepare for a possible strike, union officials said.
"We've got a long way to go but we've made some limited progress," said Teamsters spokesman Bret Caldwell. "We're not stalled."
Sticking points in the negotiations that began in March include job security, health care and pension benefits, Caldwell said.
The contract would cover drivers, mechanics and other workers who support operations to haul more than 80 percent of new cars and other vehicles trucked on U.S. roads.
The largest firm in the talks is Allied Holdings Inc. of Decatur, Georgia.