Since the end of last year we in the Trucking Industry have seen a steady decline in the amount of available freight loads. We also have seen the freight rates plummet from an average of $3 or more a mile to some loads as low as $1.25 a mile. And with the news just saying two days ago that truckers will not see relief until early 2024, this creates enormous stress on families.
As team truckers, Larry and I have found ourselves in an unfamiliar place. Having all of our endorsements and clearances and yet still finding ourselves sitting for days at a time trying to book a load. We find ourselves only getting a paycheck maybe 3 times a month, and the checks we are getting are half of what we were making last year.
Things have gotten so bad for us, that we have currently turned off water and electric to our home so we do not have added monthly expenses. Just this year alone we have only been home for a total of 8 days, because we simply can’t afford to go home. We have had several individuals reach out to us when they knew we were struggling offering to do GoFund Me’s for us. But being who Larry and I are, we are the givers not the receivers, so we just keep praying things get better.
So not only are we facing horrible financial strains. But when you compile working with your partner and being in a relationship it brings on a whole new level of stressors. This year has been the hardest for us personally. We have found ourselves, pulling away from each other, lashing out at each other, and being short fused. It is not because we are mad at each other, but because we are stressing over being scared on a weekly basis in whether we will be getting paid. Can we pay our monthly bills? Or are we going to have to rob Peter to pay Paul. Something we have not done in over seven years.
We are not the only trucking families in this same horrible position. Truckers all over America are retiring, selling their personal semi trucks, or just going into a new line of work and leaving the industry they love. We have spoken with so many families that are suffering from anxiety, depression, and more.
Not to mention several trucking families that we know have either gotten divorced, or are in the process of getting a divorce. People often don’t realize the stressors that a slow economy can have not only on your professional but also your personal lives.
