Low freight rates are crushing drivers… but here’s the part nobody wants to admit

by TRUCKERS VA
(UNITED STATES)

The real reason trucking pay feels broken right now

Introduction – “Trucking still pays six figures…”

You’ve heard that line before.

Some YouTube ad. Some CDL school commercial. Some guy at the truck stop who “knows a guy” making crazy money.

But let’s be honest.

For a lot of drivers right now?

It doesn’t feel like six figures.

It feels like six headaches.

Fuel is up.
Insurance is up.
Parts are up.
Groceries are up.

But freight rates?

They’re doing push-ups in the basement.

So what’s really going on?

Key point #1: Rates dropped, but expenses didn’t

During the freight boom, too many trucks hit the road.

New authority.
New drivers.
New equipment.

Everybody wanted a piece.

Then freight slowed down.

Now we’ve got too many trucks chasing too few loads.

Basic supply and demand.

More trucks + fewer loads = lower rates.

The problem?

Your cost per mile didn’t magically drop.

• Fuel still burns the same
• Tires still cost the same
• Repairs still hurt the same

So when rates fall 20% but expenses stay high, your profit doesn’t shrink…

It disappears.

Key point #2: Owner-operators are feeling the squeeze hardest

Company drivers feel it slowly.

Smaller raises.
Fewer bonuses.
Tighter lanes.

Owner-operators?

They feel it immediately.

• $4–$5 diesel
• $20,000–$30,000 engine rebuilds
• Insurance premiums climbing every renewal
• Brokers negotiating like it’s a flea market

And here’s the trap:

When rates drop, fear kicks in.

Drivers start thinking,
“I can’t sit. I’ve got to move.”

So they take cheaper loads just to keep rolling.

But running cheap freight doesn’t solve the problem.

It teaches the market that cheap freight works.

That’s a hard pill to swallow.

Key point #3: It’s not just brokers (even if they’re easy to blame)

Let’s be fair.

Some brokers absolutely squeeze every penny.

But they’re operating in the same supply-and-demand system.

When there are ten trucks fighting for one load, guess who wins?

Not the truck.

The uncomfortable truth?

Low rates aren’t just a villain story.

They’re a cycle.

And trucking has always been cyclical.

Boom.
Bust.
Recovery.
Repeat.

The drivers who survive long-term understand that.

The ones who don’t?

They burn out.

Multiple perspectives the media won’t highlight

Perspective 1: “Trucking is dead.”

It’s not dead.

Freight still moves. America still consumes. Stores still need shelves stocked.

But easy money trucking?
Yeah… that version is gone for now.

Perspective 2: “Just park the truck.”

Sounds simple.

But if you’ve got:

• A truck note
• Family bills
• Insurance due
• No savings

Parking isn’t strategy. It’s panic.

Perspective 3: The deeper issue

Most drivers never build margin.

No emergency fund.
No side income.
No plan B.

So when the cycle dips, stress goes through the roof.

And stress makes bad decisions look reasonable.

Industry response: survival mode

Big carriers?
They survive cycles. They have contracts and volume.

Small fleets?
Cutting costs, renegotiating, tightening operations.

Independent owner-operators?
Some are adapting.
Some are exiting.
Some are hoping things magically bounce back.

Hope is not a strategy.

Bottom line – trucking pay isn’t broken… but the strategy might be

Trucking can still pay well.

But only if you treat it like a business.

Know your numbers.
Know your cost per mile.
Know when to say no.
Build reserves during good times.

And here’s the real conversation nobody wants to have:

Most truckers don’t get wealthy from trucking alone.

They survive.
They grind.
They trade time for miles.

And when their body gets tired or the market dips…

They feel trapped.

That’s the bigger problem.

Not low rates.

Lack of leverage.

The smart move most drivers ignore

You don’t quit trucking in a down cycle.

You prepare during one.

Learn skills that make money when the truck isn’t moving.

Build income streams off duty.

Use technology instead of fearing it.

Because here’s the truth:

If your income only works when your wheels are turning,
you’re always one breakdown away from stress.

Call to action

If this market downturn has you rethinking things, that’s not weakness — that’s awareness.

Start building income skills now while you’re still trucking.

Create options before you need them.

👉 Go to offdutymoney.com to learn how truckers are building income off duty using AI and online tools.

And if you’re just getting started in trucking or want real insight before jumping in, check out:

👉 lifeasatrucker.com

The goal isn’t to escape trucking tomorrow.

It’s to make sure trucking is a choice… not a cage.