In 1973, Jimmy Hoffa and the Teamsters went on strike. Only this time they had a lot of support throughout the Industry. Trucking, as a whole, actually stopped for about a day and a half before the Government backed down. But the Government also decided that it should never happen again.
In 1977 Hoffa took a bullet to the back of his head in a private residence in Detroit.
In 1978 Ted Kennedy Introduced 'DeRegulation', which was passed into Law.
Nowadays the Trucking Industry is so divided, you can't get two truckers to agree on anything, let alone enough to make any changes. Freight Rates have changed very little (although Fuel Surplus charges have) in thirty years. Liability
insurance just went from $100,000 to $400,000 last year, putting most Owner Operators either out of work or looking for Company Driving jobs. More and more, Mexicans are coming across the Border and getting into Big Rigs with limited English skills (comforting, isn't it?). It doesn't look quite as promising these days.
If I were still in my thirties, I'd seriously be thinking Career Move.