During the pandemic, many truck drivers experienced situations where they were unable to exit highways or were turned back because their travel code carried a star. Over the three years of the pandemic, the trucking community has faced not only persistent freight rate declines, rising fuel prices, and increasing tolls, but also the psychological feeling of “being disrespected.” Several truck drivers told China Newsweek that their income has dropped significantly compared with before the pandemic, and that due to epidemic prevention risks, they also carry the stigma of being “like rats crossing the street, scorned by everyone.”