Successful expediters focus on profitability, maintenance, and long-term growth, recognizing that not every load is worth accepting....

Run Away Recently we found ourselves in Florida after having made a delivery. We decided that we would go to our camper for the weekend. We wanted to make sure that everything was in order as well as enjoy one or both pools that the property owns. We were tired and just wanted a weekend to relax. Dave got the semi parked. He stepped outside the semi to make sure it was parked as he wanted. Before he could even close the driver’s side door our little boy Barkley jumped out o...

Fuel prices are declining for the moment, but it is not a signal to stop shopping for the best price. Always, I mean always, compare pre-taxed gallons when shopping across state lines. You want to find the lowest cost per gallon without the IFTA tax included. This will give you the real cost per gallon....

Are We Too Old? When Dave lost his job, I suggested he go back to school and earn his CDL so he could drive a semi-truck. His immediate response was, “I’m too old.” Later, he admitted that he was nervous about returning to school. Today, as I consider starting another business, I find myself asking a similar question: Am I too old to begin something new? Many of the drivers we know did not start their careers behind the wheel of a truck. We have met former engineers, te...

How Far Will You Go? Deciding how far to deadhead for the next load is never an easy choice. Recently, we delivered to an area that left us with little exit strategies. Once the delivery was complete, we debated which direction we should go next? I wanted to head one way, while my husband preferred another route. After talking it over, we decided to go the direction he suggested because it also gave us an opportunity to take care of a maintenance concern. Once the repair was ...

Where Do You Park? Finding safe and reliable parking is one of the biggest ongoing challenges in the trucking industry. Every driver understands that semi-truck parking is limited, especially during peak evening hours when drivers are trying to comply with Hours of Service regulations. The struggle to find a place to stop for a mandatory 30-minute break or an overnight rest period is something nearly every truck driver experiences on a regular basis. It is common to see drive...

Some ‘easy’ loads create hidden setbacks through poor positioning, reload delays, and lost momentum that quietly reduce overall profitability....

New or Used? There has been the discussion of buying new equipment or keeping the older truck that has been in your business for many years. Dave and I have bought both new and used trucks. When we first got into trucking we bought a used one-ton dually to transport campers from manufacturers to dealerships throughout the country. The truck we bought had about 30,000 miles on the odometer. Over the course of two years Dave put on over 300,000 miles. We still own this truck an...

Choosing loads based only on rate can hurt long-term performance; positioning determines future opportunities, downtime, and overall revenue consistency in expedited freight....

Taking certain loads in risky conditions can lead to hidden costs, downtime, and challenges recovering losses when fault and liability are unclear...