The Playbook

Most owner-operators know how to figure out what it costs to run their truck — that’s your breakeven point. But there’s another number that rarely gets enough attention in this industry. It’s the one that lenders care about, the one that successful fleets track religiously, and the one that separates guesswork from control: Your Operating […]

Some drivers roll right past flashing lights, not considering those lights belong to someone’s son or daughter, wrenching under the weight of a steer axle in a live lane of traffic. Others pull over in the breakdown lane, unaware that on the other side of that phone call to roadside is a technician rushing into […]

The diesel price used for most fuel surcharges rose for a second consecutive week.

You want your stuff unloaded? Pay somebody to do it. Small carriers should not have to worry about having to pay someone to unload at a receiver.

AI is only as good as what you ask it to do.

Starting January 16, 2026, freight brokers will face stricter financial standards that could thin the herd—and for small carriers, that shift might finally level the playing field.

The weekly diesel price used for most fuel surcharges rose the most it has increased since June.

When you disrespect the skill it takes to drive a truck, you’re not just wrong — you’re dangerously uninformed.

There comes a time when legacy institutions must step aside — not out of disrespect, but because they’ve simply lost touch. And in the case of the American Trucking Associations (ATA), that time is now.

Let’s keep this simple: lumber and steel are two of the biggest drivers of flatbed freight in this country. If people are building houses, warehouses, retail centers, data centers, transmission lines, and factories, you’re hauling the stuff — framing lumber, coils, plate, beams, structural steel, rebar. When that demand is hot, you feel it right […]

When used the right way, AI can handle all of the processes that you wished you had, but you just couldn’t find the bandwidth to build them out.

The latest generation of steer tires, like the Firestone FS592, isn’t just rubber and tread—it’s engineered safety, longer life, and better ROI for small fleet owners who can’t afford guesswork.

California just wrapped up a record 1.5 billion pound pistachio harvest, but cargo theft hit record highs in 2024 and nuts remain prime targets. We’ve documented sophisticated nut theft since 2006, $10 million stolen between 2013 and 2017 alone. Will it continue in 2025?

If you’re an owner-operator or small fleet owner staring down the barrel of an engine problem, you already know the feeling—an uneasy mix of fear, frustration, and that sinking question in your gut:

What happens when brokers start choosing capacity not by safety, but by who’s $500 cheaper? Welcome to the underbelly of the non-domiciled CDL crisis.

Inspectors pulled 2,296 commercial vehicles off the road during the 2025 Brake Safety Week, a 15.1% out-of-service rate virtually identical to 2024’s 15% failure rate. With next year’s enforcement already scheduled for Aug. 23-29, 2026, the question isn’t whether we’ll see similar results

It should’ve just been another Tuesday. But in the early hours on I-10 in California, three lives were lost — violently, unnecessarily — when a big rig, reportedly driven by an unauthorized immigrant under the influence, plowed into traffic. The impact was immediate. So was the outrage. This wasn’t just a crash. It was another […]

In today’s market, a check engine light can be more than an inconvenience — it can be a trap. Here’s why code clearing without real diagnosis is one of the most dangerous shortcuts a shop can take on your equipment.

When the Department of Transportation (DOT) finalized its rule on non-domiciled commercial drivers, it likely knew pushback was coming — but maybe not this quick. A coalition of immigrants and advocacy groups has now filed a formal legal challenge against FMCSA, arguing that the federal government’s move to deauthorize nearly 200,000 lawfully present drivers is […]

In a market defined by high fuel prices, flat freight rates, and relentless pressure, simply staying alive as a small carrier is a mark of discipline—not defeat.