Road Thoughts and Mindless Wanderings

I am beginning to see real signs of the economic troubles we are in. I'm in Ohio where it has for many years been a hub of trucking activity. The area is full of industry. I am seeing MANY empty manufacturing plants, machine shops, office buildings and warehouses. Not to mention only a third of the truck traffic on the road. It's not even a problem finding parking in a truck stop in Ohio these days. Living in Texas, where the economy is still rolling along fairly well, we don't see the drastic changes the rest of the country is experiencing. My company has frozen hiring, laid off many, stopped the company match on the 401k and I fear that more cuts are on the way. We have shifted to shorter hauls. The CEO says that this is more profitable. I don't see how. With each delivery we have to sit and wait for a new load assignment. Short hauls mean more deliveries, more often and more time wasted sitting. Factor in the usual delays at shipper and delivery and that's even MORE time wasted. What happened to the old adage that if the truck is not rolling, it is not making money? I am still waiting for the other shoe to drop. Recent gains in the markets are false. We cannot sustain the spending our Government is doing. Where does it all go from here?