Up Front

Surviving the Perfect Storm

It’s the first week in April as we’re writing this, spring has arrived, and all seems right with the world, which is somewhat surprising considering the flood of bad news we keep hearing about the economy lately. Less than a week ago, we were in Louisville along with 76,563 other trucking professionals for the Mid-America Trucking Show.
     The battered economy, slowing freight and soaring fuel prices weighed heavy on everyone’s mind at MATS. We heard horror stories from carriers, small fleet owners and independent contractors struggling to survive the “Perfect Storm,” and, unfortunately, not all of them are going to make it.
     So why the sunny outlook? Because for every tale of doom-and-gloom, we heard at least two stories of drivers and owner-operators tightening the reins, cutting expenses and battening down the hatches in a determined effort to do whatever it takes to ride out the storm. When it’s over—and this storm, too, shall pass— the trucking industry will emerge stronger than ever, just as it always has.
     We were inspired by the thousands of drivers who stopped by our booth at MATS to chat and to check their blood pressure at one of our Healthy Trucking blood pressure (BP) kiosks. I’m neither a doctor nor an economist, but I’m confident that the collective health of our nation’s drivers and the financial health of the trucking industry will soon be on the road to recovery.