A common conversation topic among professional truck drivers is the notion of no longer driving for someone else, but rather following their dream of becoming an independent contractor and thus one’s own boss. So, how does one go from career steering wheel jockey to being their own head honcho? Well, let’s consider the ways. How It Typically Starts Most folks begin their working lives in a low-level type of job. Maybe it’s as a server in a sit-down restaurant, or as an ...

  Making the decision to lease your truck on with a company that will help provide the freight needed to turn a profit can be quite a harrowing undertaking. How do you know you’re making the right choice when deciding who provides you with the best freight opportunities? Perhaps the most important question you should be asking yourself is, what is best for me and my situation? The following considerations should be made as your process of choosing a carrier unfolds. Who’...

Career truck drivers tend to prefer the solitude of the open road. Who wouldn’t? You get to take your work with you and make money wherever you go. No one to answer to (other than perhaps dispatch and the Department of Transportation), and you’re touring the countryside while getting paid to do it. What’s not to like about that? However, as gratifying as driving solo can be, it’s often accompanied by the risk of losing out on extra cash by limiting oneself in earning ...

Have you ever been turned away from a driving opportunity because of a questionable work or driving history? Maybe your PSP (Pre-Employment Screening Program) possesses more cons than pros, or your DAC (Drive-a-Check) employment history displays a less-than stellar work record with your previous carrier. Over the years, I’ve endured the misfortune of having to discuss a trucker’s inability to land a driving position with a company. And, more often than not, the reasons fo...

Expedite freight has seemingly always been unapologetically classified as time sensitive material, which is certainly true from a purely logistical standpoint. However, to think of it in terms a lifelong long hauler might need to have it explained is a little more complicated than that. With this in mind, let’s get a grip on what it actually means to be an expediter! From the Driver’s Perspective Hurry up and wait. This phrase is perhaps the best way to describe the natur...

Using your downtime effectively is an important key to both managing and maximizing your ability to stay ready when that next load offer comes your way. Like most of us, it’s probably very easy to slip into old habits or routines that can be time-killing and counterproductive. So, here are some suggestions of what you can do with your time as you prepare for your next trip. Meal Prep In today’s society, especially in a greater health-conscious setting, more and more peopl...

In today’s employment economy, it’s not completely unfounded that we all have experienced similar plights and pitfalls to what our nation’s drivers are frequently facing day-in and day-out. Driver treatment is something that we should all be more aware of, especially when you consider there are increasingly less drivers to pluck from the trucking pool. Driver Recruitment When launching into initial discussions with drivers or individual owner operators, it should never ...

As of press time, the national average price of gasoline is $3.14 a gallon, which is down from $3.50 a year ago, according to the AAA, as the United States continues to exhaust multiple efforts to stabilize the constant flux in pricing ever since the covid pandemic in 2020. Diesel is $3.93, which is considerably down from the $4.68 average of this time last year. Gas prices are seemingly in a constant state of volatility, thanks in-part to the continuing war in Ukraine. Cali...

“I will do today what others won’t so I can do tomorrow what others can’t.” This quote by the all-time great, Pro Football Hall of Fame wide receiver, Jerry Rice captures the essence of just what it takes to become successful as an expediter. How? Well, just think about it for a moment. Whether you’re an owner-operator or a 1099 contract driver, you are a business owner. YOU are the boss. Sure, you may have clear instructions from the carrier, broker, or shipper, on...

In transportation, honesty is a door that swings both ways. Not only are drivers seeking employment expecting a straight-up recruiter to give them the scoop on what to anticipate with a potential company. But to be fair, there is a certain level of honesty that recruiters require out of potential driving candidates as well. And as long as we’re being honest here, both sides could certainly learn a thing or two from the other. Don’t Tell Me What I Want To Hear A recruiter ...