Driving changes Few industry sectors have been hit harder than the trucking industry during the recent economic downturn. And if recession wasnÔÇÖt enough, the rising cost of fuel combined with waves of new regulations make 2010 a tough time for road haulers. But Andrew Pelis tells one tale of continued growth, courtesy of Southern Cal Transport out of Birmingham, Alabama. ÔÇ£The industry on the whole has seen a downturn in volume since late 2006 that only began to pick up in the last quarter of 2009.