The future’s so bright, you gotta wear shades.” If you’re old enough to know the Timbuk3 song or video, and if you’re still trucking, you’re probably enjoying the nice career that you’ve made for yourself. The question—one I hear routinely from long-time owner-operators—is whether or not you’re a dinosaur, a species on the verge of extinction.Many true pros are understandably frustrated: regulation, high fuel costs, expensive equipment and, most critically, stagnant rates.And a lot of folks have quit, and who could blame ’em? Of course, more than a few have come back to trucking because, well, that’s what they do.There’s going to be even more opportunity for those owner-ops and small fleets who are still rolling, who have managed to pay the bills, who have done things better than most, and who have grown to understand this great business. As the new editor of American Trucker, my goal isn’t to tell you how to do things right—I’m not out there every day hauling freight. But I am looking at the world—at equipment, the economy, government policy, technology—from the perspective of truckers.So drop me a line anytime or, even better, introduce yourself if you see me wandering around a truck stop with a notebook. That’s how I learn what’s truly important.“Things are going great, and they’re only getting better!”
