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This is not our first fuel crisis. In 1973, right after my husband Harold and I bought our first truck, diesel jumped from around 30 cents per gallon to 50 cents! We were floored, as were many in the country's trucking community. And it has gone up ever since. And we have all adjusted.

Of course it has always felt like the majority of the cost has come right out of the owner-operators' pockets. But the struggle to survive has continued, with some managing and others not making it.

During that first time, President Nixon proposed a 50 mph speed limit to save fuel. Truckers lobbied for 60 mph and a compromise was reached at 55 mph. Although I could see the need for saving fuel, driving at that speed limit may have been the most boring thing I ever had to do.

Money Magazine reports that for every 10 mph over 60 we drive, that it is the equivalent to the price of gas going up another 55 cents a gallon!
According to Transport Tropics April 7 issue, Truck Stops of America posted a $68.9 million loss in the fourth quarter of 2007 compared to a profit of $5.9 million in the same period of 2006. Their president, Thomas O'Brian said in a conference call with investment analysts April 1 that a "lower demand for trucking has led to a decline in our business." He also said that an index of truck miles compiled by American Tucking Association has shown year over year decline each month during the final quarter of 2007 and is off 2.6 percent in January.

In addition, he said, truck drivers are cutting back on fuel purchases by slowing down truck speed, switching to more fuel-efficient tires, and increasing the use of auxiliary power units to minimize idling. In response to all that, they have laid off 190 managers and trimmed back their budget for 2008 by $100 million.

This is more than just a truck driver's problem! This is a problem for the country whether we are in the trucking industry or not. We are all frustrated, as well as financially affected by this. Most of us are left feeling powerless to do more than just complain, but there are small practical things that will make an impact if we all do them.

Some of them take the help of our companies as mentioned above, but owner-operators can do them too. Company drivers can also undo them by not utilizing them. And as hard as that is to believe there are drivers idling their trucks when they have APUs!

• Don't run your AC on "frigid." If no one is in the sleeper you can keep the curtains closed and only cool the cab, which should be more energy-efficient. Use fresh air when the weather is pleasant, there are window covers with screens that you can use. Even rolling down your windows at stop lights or traffic jams and turning off the AC helps. Don't run your engine just for white noise, buy a white noise machine! Turn on a CD of your favorite music instead.
• Do your preventive maintenance. Keep filters clean. Tires with the proper air pressure is a must. A preventable flat can eat up slim profits, and only the tire guy is making money while it is being fixed! Heaven forbid someone should hit you while you are on the side of the road, but we all know that happens way to often.
• And the best thing we can do is: Drive better! If we drive better, we all benefit. Start by looking farther ahead so that your speed does not have to be constantly adjusted. If 62 mph is the safe speed for the conditions, then you want to maintain that speed, as long as it is safe to do so. Look far enough ahead so you can change lanes well in advance if the vehicle in your lane is going slower than you so you can go around them without changing your speed. Use your cruise control where it is safe to do so. T his will save fuel by maintaining a more constant speed. Running up behind someone and then applying the brakes, wastes the brakes and fuel. Don't race up to a stop sign or a traffic light either, the same thing applies, plus you have just bet your life, or at least your driving record, on the brakes working properly. And when I look around at all the brake shops, it becomes pretty apparent just how often brakes have to be fixed. Start off gradually, shifting in the proper RPM range. If you use the gears for the speeds they are designed to handle, they will be more fuel efficient. High RPMs burn fuel. Don't try to be the fastest one out there. Besides wasting fuel, you will also be the one ticketed. Even if you are paid by the load or the mile, paying for more fuel or stopping more often for fuel, eats up the profits not to mention what paying for tickets will do to your bottom line!
• Companies can help themselves by training drivers to anticipate traffic changes, see more of the road ahead and adjust their speed to go with the flow, and not fight the traffic. Don't try and save money by cutting back on driver training. Drivers should take advantage of all the training they can get. Never stop learning or sharpening your skills.

I still think trucking is as close as you can get to a recession-proof job but there are things you need to do to help yourself. Keep your driving record spotless, get along with the customers, do your paperwork correctly. Remember, you represent the company by the way you drive, look, and act. Even the way you keep your truck and do your log is a representation of the kind of person you are. If something happens to your company then you will have an excellent chance of procuring another job. And once you get into the trucking industry, you will realize there are many different types of jobs within it, keep your mind and your options open.

Remember thoughts become things, have good ones...