The Brotherhood (Autoduel)

The Brotherhood (sometimes written long as The Truckers' Brotherhood) is a society of professional truckers. With the collapse of large swaths of society and a lack of air transport, are even more important than they were before the Collapse. Even trains — oft targeted by bandits — can't compete with this fearsome organization.
== History ==
The Brotherhood began around 2010, when the National Guard was riding side by side with truckers to keep the logistics lines running. This lasted until about 2017, when Michael "Mongo" McGuire and the truckers (backed by the National Guard themselves) called for a general strike due to the obscene dangers of the deliveries. This lead to the legendary 2017 Battle of Pittsburgh. While the gains and losses of the battle were inconclusive, it cemented Mongo McGuire's proposal — a Brotherhood of Truckers, dedicated to mutual support, courtesy, and protection.
=== Effects ===
The Brotherhood is the number one reason why highwaymen are afraid of taking on truckers. Even if they get away with the goods, a bandit who's killed a Brotherhood member risks being hunted by truckers 'til the end of their days. As such Brotherhood members (and truckers in general) appreciate some level of protection, at least psychologically.
== Rates ==
See Trucking Economics
== Relationships ==
=== The General Public ===
People generally appreciate Brotherhood truckers to some degree, giving a flat +1 Reputation to most Brotherhood truckers. Even criminals react more "positively", in that they're less willing to fight a member of the Brotherhood.GURPS: Autoduel, p.20
=== The American Autoduel Association (AADA) ===
Truckers have little interaction with the AADA, as trucks tend to run rather expensive and inefficient for duelling purposes—even a stock Bruiser longnose truck exceeds $124,000. The Brotherhood generally prefers AADA duelling to unregulated duels, if only because it keeps the bullets in the battle-pits and not flying around near highways—those hull repairs don't come cheap. 
=== Bandits and Cycle Gangs ===
Truckers have been at odds with cycle gangs since time immemorial, but they occasionally cross paths on neutral ground when passing through tiny towns like Black Lake. 
=== The Paladins ===
The Paladins have a decent enough positive reputation that Brotherhood truckers (and most folks) don't want to fight them, but there is a subtle tension between the Brotherhood's "outlaw country" spirit and the Paladin's bounty hunting habits. It's only a matter of time before a band of Paladins come to bring a Trucker into court, and the Brotherhood isn't a fan of compelling a member to "feed the bears".
=== Themselves ===
As the Brotherhood is dedicated to helping truckers out, it should go without saying that any member should feel obliged to assist any other member when out on the road. Even if you're truly unlucky, helping out another trucker is always an adventure.
==== The Knights ====
The elders and leaders of Brotherhood are called Knights, although the title lacks officiality. They are said to be the only members who can declare someone an Enemy of the Brotherhood — effectively a death warrant.
=== The Eastern Driving Safety Enforcement League (EDSEL) ===
The relationship between Brotherhood truckers and EDSEL enforcers was shaky at best, but the latter's insistence on limiting truck armament was a constant trouble. When EDSEL moved into Ohio, their trucks were unarmed, which put a lot of truckers (including Brotherhood members) in danger on the roads, and things only got worse over fights on what weapons, if any, a truck could have. When an EDSEL commander ordered the destruction of a truck after it used a minedropper to discourage a wolfpack of cycle bandits, the Brotherhood responded with a declaration: EDSEL was officially an Enemy of the Brotherhood.
Since this affront, EDSEL has learned to some degree that they'd rather deal with just autoduellers and bandits, instead of both plus the Brotherhood. After a several tense years and a few close calls, the Brotherhood has lowered its Enemy of the Brotherhood death warrant from EDSEL... and EDSEL leaves the armed truckers alone.
== Awards ==
The Truckers' Brotherhood has an award called the C.W. McCall Medal (named for the artist and activist of the same name) presumably given to truckers of great courage. This award was given to Morris "Spitball" Tucker sometime around 2025, after sending forty tons of quarry blocks down the highway at a team of would-be hijackers who had barricaded the highway outside Stone City. 
Sacrificing his payload let the rest of the convoy through, representing cleverness and courage in the face of highway peril. This maneuver was called the "Tucker Torpedo" or "Cosmic Spitball", and has since been immortalized by aging rocker and Stone City native, John Cougar.Autoduel Quarterly 1-3, p.7
== Vehicles ==
As one may expect, semi-trucks (or "tractors") are the vehicle of choice for the Brotherhood of Truckers, and represent their livelihood. As truckers may not always find a good place to sleep on the long roads across the States, sleeper cabins are common, and should be chosen whenever possible. The aptly-named Long HaulerAADA Vehicle Guide vol. 1, p.44 is one of the more common tractors of the Brotherhood, but more expensive models are always possible.
== Additional Information ==
* "Trucking Economics", from Autoduel Quarterly 1-4, p.6-10
== See Also ==
* GURPS Autoduel
== References ==
* GURPS: Autoduel, p.79
Category:Organisations in GURPS