We're already making headway though. Surprisingly good industrial output in last year's fourth quarter along with a decline in inventory levels have given many analysts reason to predict the coming months will reflect slow but steadily improving freight volumes.

This is already starting to play out before us. The American Trucking Associations' for-hire truck tonnage index increased significantly in November 2009, in part because of higher retail sales and growth in consumer spending all part of a promising trend that gives us even more hope for strong tonnage levels this year.

What else will the start of a new decade bring? Keep an eye on changes to hours-of-service, safety and compliance, and emissions standard regulations all big issues in 2010. So is the federal fuel tax and the Highway Trust Fund, as legislators try to figure out how to pay for much-needed road improvements in the near term. In 2009, we talked about the proposed driving-and-texting ban and rest stop closure situation in many states; these are issues we'll hear more about in twenty-ten.

In the meantime, remember that truckers are the backbone of the U.S. economy, and a resilient lot. As the numbers show, we're already bouncing back, leading the way to economic recovery, even though we'll be tackling some tough challenges this year. Yet if we're prepared to learn from the past, while growing and evolving without compromising our values, we can expect to be in a better position in 2010 and beyond.