WASHINGTON — In the midst of the Covid pandemic, with consumers buying up goods for their lockdown lifestyles and supply chains snarled, Arnesha Barron saw a moment to make her dream of starting her own trucking company come true.
But like thousands of other truck drivers across the country, Barron’s fortunes didn’t last long. Over the past year, shipping rates have tumbled, leaving her and other drivers who bet big on the trucking boom struggling to make a living. “Basically, the good times have come and gone,” said Spencer. “There’s a shakeout in the works right now, and it’s more than likely going to continue throughout this year.”
With the prospect of quickly making six-figure salaries, a wave of workers shifted into trucking careers during the pandemic, either as employees for a trucking company or by purchasing a truck and starting their own operation, said Rico Muhammad, who has been in the trucking industry for 20 years and hosts aThey were spurred on by TikTok and YouTube videos touting the ease of starting a trucking company and the big profits that could follow.