I wonder...

True, and I'll stand corrected. I was thinking back to '94, '95, when owner operators were replacing Union drivers at a milk plant. I started peddling with a '45-12'6" in '94 those trailers were replaced in '97 with '48-102" which then went to '53 a few years later so everything got bigger at that time.

There's no doubt in mind that less consolidation makes the industry much better since there were more open roads and more local industry. So there's no question that de-regulation made giant warehousing possible, which also put and end to the Union's strength, now it's one big unregulated mess all over the nation.

 

I remember around 16 years fuel was @ $1.00 a gallon, tolls were much lower as was insurance and registration. And since that time there has been a large increase in freight to match our growing mega-city, mega-suburbs. So more freight, more trucks, more competition, all = less profits for drivers.

Years ago no one paid for their 'benefits' that's why they were called 'benefits' now company's are charging $250.00 a week for a family! So go back to de-regulation, no limits, no laws, = unrestricted greed + a transient public and that is one recipe for a disaster.