Business is about making adjustments. We make adjustments to meet market changes. For some it may involve reducing payroll or eliminating some owner operators. Small carriers may let their authority go to lease on to larger carriers to reduce costs. Large carriers may lay off company drivers and either hire owner operators or keep those they have. Some company divers may become owner operators while other owner operators may elect to get their authority and go out on their own. Each of us does what we feel is right for our business. Regardless of which position we are in we are all in for a bumpy ride. Things will get better but are likely to get a bit rough before things change.

Malaki...regarding the 1903 comment and mules:
I seem to remember you posted some pictured that your company had from back in that time frame when they were using horse or mule trains to pull large drayage wagons. They were pretty cool pics!!

Not to mention their original phone number: 5

I'm starting to feel the pinch myself at the local level. We are now on a govt. schedule for working. If the govt. is off, we are off from now on. Been told we may need a miracle to survive, of the 70 or so workers, all but 15 of us have been laid off. The company is better off than they were in '91 when they had tons of money they still owed when things went south in construction but we aren't safe this time either. We don't owe all that money but we also don't have any work going on...........

This economy effects everyone. Large company or small, rich or poor we are all in this together. Some will survive and others will not. Those who do survive will make changes that are necessary to insure that they can keep the lights on while things crumble around them. For some it may necessitate cutting employee pay or laying off workers. It the money or business is not there then you must cut expenses if you are to survive.

Yes, Cat did lay-off bigtime. My family (sister and her husband) do a lot of work (utility construction) with them and it has messed up a few things.