Up Front

New year brings new hopes, dreams

As a new year stretches out before us, we find ourselves pulling a truckload of hopes and dreams for the trucking industry and the people who keep it rolling: the drivers.

In 2005, over-the-road professionals dodged a potentially devastating blow from Hurricane Katrina, swerved around the DOT’s revolving door on hours-of-service rules, and outran a diesel fuel crisis that saw prices hit an all-time high. Every time truckers thought the worst was behind them, someone dug a new pothole in the middle of the road. Truck drivers, however, are resourceful. They figured out a way to get around one obstacle after another in 2005, and we suspect they’ll do the same in 2006. Wouldn’t it be great if the entire trucking industry got together and started solving problems instead of creating new ones?

While we’re at it, let’s resolve to make 2006 the best year ever. Keep those resolutions. Lose some weight. Stop smoking. Earn more money.

Speaking of hopes and dreams, the newest addition to the extended Over the Road and Pro Trucker family, Aaron Jordan Shefsky, was born Dec. 14 to my son and associate publisher, Andy, and his wife, Jessica. My wife, Penny, and this proud first-time grandpa can’t think of a better way to start a happy new year.