Commercial truck leasing through companies like Penske or Ryder is built for business flexibility—but that flexibility comes at a price if you exit early. Whether you’re downsizing your fleet, facing a cash crunch, or pivoting your business model, turning in a leased tractor before the end of the agreement doesn’t mean you just hand over […]
A fatal crash in Florida involving a non–English-speaking CDL holder set off a political firestorm—and it didn’t take long for Washington to respond. With headlines stacking up and safety advocates calling for accountability, newly appointed Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy issued a hardline directive: states must begin strict enforcement of English proficiency rules for commercial […]
If you’re running trucks and not pulling oil samples, you’re missing a critical opportunity to catch something before it becomes a bigger issue. Oil samples are one of the cheapest, most reliable ways to see inside your engine without tearing it apart. Too many small fleet owners and operators look at oil changes as a […]
This article is contributed content. It does not reflect the views or opinions of FreightWaves or any of its subsidiaries. In April 2024, federal prosecutors in the Southern District of New York took down what they called a “beer theft enterprise.” A crew slipped into railyards across four states, loading thousands of cases of Corona […]
Scaling With Sanity: Financial Management for Multi-Truck Fleets wasn’t about spreadsheets and theory. It was about what actually happens when your business outgrows your personal bank account. And if you’re pushing past three to five trucks without a real financial structure in place, you’re not scaling — you’re gambling. “More Trucks Should Mean More Profit […]
On paper, a 35,000-pound load and a 45,000-pound load might not seem that far apart. But in the real world, that 10,000-pound difference could be the reason your bank account feels thinner at the end of the month. The heavier the freight, the harder your engine works, the more fuel you burn — and the […]
A transmission doesn’t just wake up one day and blow itself out. It wears down in silence. It warns you in whispers—until the whisper becomes a breakdown. Slipping gears. Delayed shifts. Rattles, vibrations, burnt fluid, rising temps—these are all clues. And if you catch them early enough, you save thousands. But if you wait until […]
The benchmark diesel price used for most fuel surcharges declined for the fifth straight week.
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has extended its temporary waiver allowing commercial drivers and motor carriers to use paper medical examiner certificates for up to 60 days after issuance, up from the previous 15-day allowance, as state licensing agencies continue transitioning to electronic medical certification systems. The modified waiver addresses ongoing implementation challenges with the National Registry II electronic transmission requirements that took effect June 23, with only 38 states and the District of Columbia currently compliant while 12 states including California, Florida, and New York have yet to implement the new system.
If you’ve been watching the headlines lately, you know immigration is once again front and center — not just in politics, but now on the asphalt. According to reports first published by the New York Post and echoed across Fox News and other major outlets, Florida has officially turned all 27 of its commercial truck […]
Tires are one of the biggest operating expenses for any trucking company, but some carriers don’t treat them like the diagnostic tool they are. They see tread loss as the cost of doing business, when in reality, tires are trying to tell you what’s wrong with your truck. Every wear pattern—feathering, cupping, shoulder wear—has a […]
Brake problems don’t start at the roadside—they start in the yard with poor maintenance. One of the most overlooked pieces of a truck’s braking system is the slack adjuster. Many small fleets and drivers either ignore it completely or, worse, adjust it at the wrong time. The result is uneven braking, premature wear, out-of-service violations, […]
Every truck you purchase comes with an OEM maintenance schedule. Most ELDs you install has the ability to track miles, engine hours, and time. Yet some small fleets never connect those two together. Instead, they leave maintenance up to memory, paperwork, or worse—driver recall. That’s how critical service intervals get skipped, warranties get voided, and […]
For years, the American Trucking Associations (ATA) has pushed one of the most recycled headlines in transportation: “We’re facing a historic driver shortage.” If you follow industry media, you’ve seen it. If you’re an owner-operator or small carrier, you’ve probably posted a comment on X or Facebook in debate of someone who recycles this message. […]
Why This Class Matters in a Down Market Rates are tight, volumes are shifting, and fuel isn’t doing anyone any favors. A lot of carriers are hanging on by a thread, and in a down market, it’s natural to think adding a second truck might help you grow your way out of it. But here’s […]
Some small carriers treat the rate confirmation like just another attachment—something to forward and forget. But the smartest ones know better. They use it as a control point. Because the rate con doesn’t just say where a load goes—it outlines how your money moves. It’s the one document that touches your driver, your dispatch, your […]
No warning light. No catastrophic failure. Just a slow, consistent leak in your fuel economy and regen performance until you’re wondering where all your margin went. Let’s talk real. If you’re running a DPF-equipped truck, that 7th injector could be costing you 5–10% in fuel efficiency, accelerating ash buildup in your aftertreatment system, and setting […]
Every two weeks, another headline drops about a new pilot project or infrastructure upgrade—but this one’s worth a closer look. This month, Caltrans and the Solano Transportation Authority officially broke ground on a long-overdue modernization of the westbound truck scales facility on I-80 in Northern California. The project isn’t just about repaving or re-striping lanes. […]
We’ve seen owner-operators burn thousands chasing software that promised to “run their whole fleet” and then just sat there unused. The truth? Google Sheets can do some of what those systems do—without taking a bite out of your cash flow. The catch? You’ve got to build it right and stick to a routine. This isn’t […]
Direct freight isn’t posted on a load board, and you won’t stumble into it at a truck stop. It’s earned. Earned through professionalism, consistency, and running your operation like a real business—not a hustle. Shippers aren’t looking for someone with just a truck and authority. They’re looking for partners. Carriers they can count on. The […]
