Straight talk for carriers
Short, practical guides written for owner-operators and small fleets.
Start a trucking company
Business, authority, compliance, first loads.
Read guide →Flatbed cargo securement
WLL, tiedown count, edge protection.
Read guide →Start a cargo van business
Authority, insurance, loads, gear.
Read guide →Owner-operator vs. company driver
Pay, costs, taxes, control.
Read guide →Winter driving and chain laws
Slow down, carry chains, know the state.
Read guide →Truck maintenance schedule
Daily checks, scheduled service, annual inspection, records.
Read guide →How to file IFTA
License, records, deadlines, math.
Read guide →How to file Form 2290
Who files, when, how much.
Read guide →CSA scores explained
BASICs, percentiles, thresholds.
Read guide →Disputing a violation in DataQs
File, prove, track, appeal.
Read guide →Reefer trucking basics
Unit, temperature, airflow, records.
Read guide →What does a truck dispatcher do?
The job, and how to pick a good one.
Read guide →What does dispatch cost?
Typical fees, examples and red flags.
Read guide →Dispatcher vs broker
Who each works for and how they're paid.
Read guide →Getting loads with a new MC
Your first 90 days, step by step.
Read guide →Negotiating rates
Know your floor, ask, counter, confirm.
Read guide →Double brokering and fraud
Red flags, checks, reporting.
Read guide →Box truck loads
Requirements, sources, equipment.
Read guide →Start hotshot trucking
Truck, CDL rules, authority, loads.
Read guide →Freight factoring explained
How it works, costs and alternatives.
Read guide →How to calculate cost per mile
Fixed, variable and your break-even.
Read guide →Reading a rate confirmation
What to check before you sign.
Read guide →Hours of service basics
11, 14, 30 minutes, 60/70 and 34.
Read guide →Power only explained
Haul without owning a trailer.
Read guide →Choose a truck dispatcher
Rules, contract, fees, red flags.
Read guide →Spot vs. contract freight
Definitions, pros and cons, getting lanes.
Read guide →Find direct shippers
Shipper lists, packets, insurance, payment.
Read guide →Getting detention paid
Terms, proof, notice, invoice.
Read guide →Trucking insurance explained
Minimums, filings, coverage types.
Read guide →Hazmat endorsement
ELDT, TSA check, test, renewal.
Read guide →TWIC and port drayage
TWIC, UIIA, chassis, ports.
Read guide →Team driving
HOS, sleeper, ELD, pay.
Read guide →Fuel-saving tips
Speed, idling, tires, aero, deadhead, records.
Read guide →Grow from 1 to 5 trucks
Numbers, drivers, insurance, registrations.
Read guide →Load boards compared
Plans, prices, credit data, rate tools, free options.
Read guide →ELD comparison
ELD rules, exemptions, revoked devices and five registered ELDs side by side.
Read guide →Factoring companies compared
Published terms side by side, plus what to ask before you sign.
Read guide →Fuel cards compared
Discounts, networks, fees, credit, IFTA, controls.
Read guide →Trucking apps
Parking, bypass, scales, fuel, GPS, scanning, FMCSA tools.
Read guide →Trucking tax basics
SE tax, quarterly payments, deductions, per diem, 1099s.
Read guide →How to finance a truck
Loan types, SBA limits, quotes, lease-purchase, used truck checks.
Read guide →Cargo claims
Carmack, deadlines, Part 370, prevention, delivery.
Read guide →Truck parking and HOS
Parking shortage, HOS limits, day planning, PC.
Read guide →Crossing into Canada and Mexico
Carrier code, eManifest, driver papers, HOS, cabotage, Mexico.
Read guide →Buying a used semi
Frame, engine, aftertreatment, tires, brakes, title, CARB, 2290.
Read guide →Leasing vs. buying a truck
Lease types, truth-in-leasing, lease-purchase risks, comparison.
Read guide →Hiring your first driver
DQ file, MVRs, drug test, Clearinghouse, classification.
Read guide →Oversize and overweight permits
Federal limits, state permits, escorts, travel times.
Read guide →DOT roadside inspections
Levels, OOS criteria, documents, the report.
Read guide →Dry van vs reefer vs flatbed
What each hauls, the rules, costs and dispatch.
Read guide →Box truck vs cargo van
GVWR, authority, CDL, insurance and loads.
Read guide →Freight market calendar
Produce, holidays, inspections, weather by month.
Read guide →Planning a profitable round trip
Headhaul, backhaul, deadhead, hours.
Read guide →Getting TONU, layover and lumper paid
Terms first, proof always, approval before paying.
Read guide →Keep your MC active
Biennial update, insurance, BOC-3, UCR, status and reinstatement.
Read guide →ELD malfunction rules
Paper logs, the 8-day window and extension requests.
Read guide →Weigh stations and bypass
Scales, signs, bypass, weight limits and overweight fines.
Read guide →Sleeper berth split
7/3 and 8/2 splits, with timelines.
Read guide →Personal conveyance and yard moves
What's allowed, what isn't, and how to log it.
Read guide →Trucking KPIs to track weekly
Formulas, a worked week and a review routine.
Read guide →Working with a factoring company
NOA, paperwork, chargebacks, switching factors.
Read guide →Final-mile delivery business
Service levels, rules, pay models, claims, helpers.
Read guide →Trucking LLC and bookkeeping
Setup order, LLC taxes, monthly routine.
Read guide →Out-of-service criteria
Driver, vehicle and hazmat OOS, penalties, what to do next.
Read guide →Reefer loads in summer heat
FDA rule, pre-cooling, airflow, rejections, heat safety.
Read guide →Load-to-truck ratio
What the ratio counts, what it misses, how to use it.
Read guide →Trucking business plan template
Fill-in plan: lanes, compliance, cost per mile, funding.
Read guide →Expedited freight
What it is, rules by weight, team hours, loads.
Read guide →Holiday peak season
Retail data, holiday closures, HOS, permits, weather.
Read guide →Non-domiciled CDL rule
Who qualifies, documents, existing CDLs, English rules.
Read guide →Electronic medical certificate
How the e-medical card works, paper rules, DQ file.
Read guide →ELDT basics
Who needs it, what it covers, picking a school.
Read guide →How to vet a broker
Authority, bond, age, contacts, credit, rate con.
Read guide →PHMSA hazmat registration
Who registers, fees, what to carry, HMSP.
Read guide →