When I was a teenager working at a Subway in Sumter, South Carolina, I used to get corrected for something that seemed small at the time. I would build a sandwich, stack it high, and make it look generous. My boss would walk by and say, “That’s too many tomato slices.” I didn’t understand it then. I thought I was doing a better job by giving the customer more. But he would calmly remind me, “Those extra slices add up.”
At that age, I thought he was being overly tight. Years later, I realized he was teaching me one of the most important business principles I have ever learned: efficiency protects the margin.
That lesson came back to me during an episode of The Long Haul podcast with Jamie Hagan of Hell Bent Express. We talked about efficiency in trucking and what it really means to “get the last dime out of every mile.” The conversation was not theoretical. It was grounded in hard lessons, setbacks, and disciplined rebuilding. For small carriers and owner-operators, the message was clear: survival and growth depend on efficiency, not just revenue.
It Is Not What You Make, It Is What You Keep
Early in the discussion, I said something I firmly believe: “It’s not about what you make, it’s about what you keep.” In trucking, margins are thin. Markets tighten. Rates fluctuate. Freight cycles shift. Gross revenue can look impressive on paper, but net profit tells the real story.
Jamie learned this the hard way. He went out on his own at a young age, purchased a truck, and failed. He admitted, “It just takes a really bad month when you haven’t saved to put you out of business.” That statement should resonate with every small carrier. In trucking, one slow stretch, one breakdown, or one unexpected expense can erase months of progress if there is no cushion.
This is not a revenue problem. It is an efficiency problem.
Fuel Efficiency as Capital
One of the most powerful insights from our conversation was how Jamie financed growth. He explained, “I started that second truck literally… with my fuel efficiency. That money I literally just put aside.” He did not rely on a sudden windfall or a lucky contract. He built his next asset through disciplined savings generated from operational efficiency.
Fuel efficiency may seem incremental—one tenth of a mile per gallon here, another there—but those gains compound. Reduced idle time, smarter routing, disciplined speed management, and strategic fueling decisions create real financial impact over time. Small advantages, consistently applied, become capital.
This principle mirrors the tomato slices at Subway. One extra slice may seem insignificant. Hundreds per day over months erode profitability. In trucking, small inefficiencies accumulate in the same way.
The Two Controllable Levers
We broke fuel efficiency down into two controllable levers: station selection and fuel consumption.
Fuel consumption is influenced by driving behavior. Station selection involves where and when fuel is purchased. Jamie described forecasting fuel stops and monitoring price fluctuations. “I can fuel forecast my stops… it might jump 15 cents overnight,” he explained. That level of planning transforms fuel from a routine purchase into a strategic decision.
Consumption control includes managing speed. Jamie shared, “There’s times I’ll drive 55 to really get it in the double digits.” This is not about driving slowly without purpose; it is about planning routes, understanding log availability, anticipating congestion, and reducing unnecessary acceleration and braking.
Efficiency is deliberate. It requires foresight.
Efficiency and Mental Clarity
An often-overlooked benefit of disciplined driving is reduced stress. Jamie noted, “Your day is so calm when everybody’s passing you on the left instead of you passing everybody.” Constantly racing traffic increases fatigue and risk. Driving at a controlled pace lowers stress and improves focus, which can reduce costly errors.
Efficiency, therefore, is not solely mechanical. It influences decision-making, safety, and overall operational stability.
Reducing Mechanical Resistance
The discussion also addressed mechanical optimization. Jamie described improvements such as precise wheel bearing adjustments, specialized axle lubricants for cold climates, aerodynamic enhancements, and fuel preparation upgrades. Individually, these adjustments may produce modest gains. Collectively, they significantly improve miles per gallon.
He compared improperly adjusted wheel bearings to unnecessary resistance that most operators never notice. When optimized, components move more freely, reducing drag and conserving fuel. Every system in a truck creates either efficiency or resistance.
Operators must decide whether to accept factory-level settings or pursue optimization.
Scaling with Discipline
Growth in trucking introduces complexity. Jamie emphasized, “The hardest leap really is the second truck.” Transitioning from one truck to two introduces payroll responsibilities, increased maintenance exposure, and greater cash flow variability. Without efficiency embedded in the first truck’s operation, scaling magnifies financial strain.
If one truck experiences downtime in a small fleet, the impact is significant. If two experience downtime simultaneously, survival becomes difficult. Efficiency at the single-truck level provides resilience during scaling.
Relationships as Operational Efficiency
Efficiency also extends to business relationships. Jamie built consistent broker partnerships by delivering reliably and communicating clearly. Over time, freight shifted from competitive load boards to direct relationships. This reduced empty miles, stabilized rates, and lowered administrative friction.
Reputation functions as an efficiency multiplier. Consistency reduces negotiation time and increases predictability. Operational stability grows from disciplined performance.
Starting Over with Efficiency
When asked how he would approach starting over, Jamie’s response was structured and practical: establish the business entity correctly, maintain savings, purchase reliable used equipment, and prioritize preventive maintenance. He summarized the risk succinctly: “Trucking will give you enough rope to hang yourself.”
The industry rewards productivity but punishes inefficiency. Hard work alone cannot compensate for structural weaknesses in operations.
The Cumulative Effect
The Subway lesson was never about tomatoes. It was about understanding cumulative impact. In trucking, inefficiencies may appear minor:
- Driving five miles per hour faster than necessary.
- Idling beyond operational need.
- Ignoring optimal fueling strategies.
- Delaying preventive maintenance.
- Overlooking rolling resistance adjustments.
Individually, none may be catastrophic. Collectively, they erode profitability.
Conversely, disciplined improvements—consistent fuel planning, optimized maintenance, measured driving habits, and strategic relationships—build resilience.
Extracting the Last Dime
Getting the last dime out of every mile is not about withholding value from customers. It is about managing operations intentionally. Trucking is both mechanical and mathematical. Understanding cost per mile, tracking fuel burn, forecasting maintenance cycles, and protecting margins create a stable foundation.
Every tenth of a mile per gallon matters. Every avoided idle hour matters. Every maintenance interval honored matters. Every trusted relationship matters.
Those small efficiencies accumulate.
The lesson I learned as a teenager in Sumter, South Carolina, continues to apply decades later in transportation. Small operational details, consistently managed, determine long-term outcomes. The tomato slices add up.
In trucking, so do the miles.
