If the state of trucking in South Carolina is any indication, truckers could be in for the long haul before the economy turns around.

"I would tell you now is the toughest time I've seen in the last 15 years," said Clifton Parker, a 30-year veteran of the trucking business and president of Gaston-based G&P Trucking Co.

Heading into 2008, trucking already was struggling as the econo...