Dear Editor,

It seems in the last 10 years that the majority of workers throughout the country have enjoyed yearly increases in their wages, through the efforts of negotiations and the addition of cost-of-living allowances.

But the owner/operator and most drivers have received nothing since deregulation. And their expenses go up.

It used to be a well-known fact that trucking was a hard lonely life. But truckers knew that if they worked hard they would make an honest living.

The hard work isn’t enough nowadays. Owner/operators stay home longer and fall further into debt. They used to enjoy what they did and were proud to be truckers. People used to respect them. Now trucking is a dirty word.

The culture is dying.

The government helps farmers, subsidize manufacturers, give a helping hand to seasonal businesses (such as ski resorts and marinas). Why can’t they help an industry that keeps this country running?

Maybe the public and politicians only see the hard-headed trucker on the news rather than the family man. I think the government should realize that behind every truck there are dependents.

Maybe we should all send them photographs of everyone effected by their stupidity. n

Wally Hutchinson

By E-mail