The Logbook

Notes for people who run trucks.

No press releases. Settlement math, inspection checklists, and the business of owner-operating — organized into three working guides, written to be useful at a truck stop, not at a conference.

Guide 01

Hotshot Trucking

The 30–40 ft gooseneck world — our specialty, from first rig to full lanes.

The hotshot division ↗Trailer program ↗Cost-per-mile calculator ↗

HotshotJul 8, 2026

Hotshot Trucking: The Beginner's Guide

Hotshot trucking is the lowest-cost serious entry into owning a trucking business: a heavy-duty pickup, a 30–40 ft gooseneck flatbed, and freight that can't wait for a semi. Here's the whole model — equipment, licensing, economics, and the honest trade-offs — in one sitting.

Guide 02

The Lease-On Guide

MC leasing from every angle: the agreement, the settlement, the chargebacks, the law.

Lease-On 101 ↗The settlement, explained ↗Truth-in-Leasing, cited ↗

The BusinessJun 2, 2026

Leasing On vs. Getting Your Own Authority: The Real Math

Every owner-operator runs this math eventually, usually at 2 a.m. in a truck stop parking lot. Here's the honest version of both columns — because the right answer depends on your savings, your risk tolerance, and how much unpaid office work you want.

MoneyMay 18, 2026

How to Read a Weekly Settlement (and Catch Problems Early)

A settlement statement is the most important document in your business, and most drivers skim it. Ten minutes a week reading it properly is the cheapest insurance you can buy.

MoneyApr 27, 2026

Fuel Cards, Surcharges, and Advances: Where Fuel Money Actually Goes

Fuel is the biggest line in your cost book after the truck itself. Three mechanisms decide whether it eats your margin or behaves: the card, the surcharge, and the advance.

ComplianceFeb 23, 2026

Truth in Leasing: The Federal Rules Every Owner-Operator Should Know

In 1979, after years of owner-operators getting burned by handshake lease terms, federal regulators wrote 49 CFR Part 376. It is short, blunt, and worth reading before you sign anything — here's the working summary.

Guide 03

Owner-Operator Business

Running the truck like a company: freight, home time, dispatch, fuel, compliance.

Success Academy ↗Regional lane planning ↗Cost-per-mile calculator ↗

FreightJun 20, 2026

Why Many Experienced Owner-Operators Stay Out 2–3 Weeks

Ask ten veteran owner-operators how long they stay out and you'll hear 'two to three weeks' more than any other answer. That's not a rule — regional operators build profitable businesses on three-day trips. But the 2–3 week pattern exists for economic reasons worth understanding before you pick your own.

FreightJun 12, 2026

Planning Home Time Without Giving Back Your Profit

The most expensive home time is the unplanned kind: a dead Saturday arrival, a Monday spent hunting a reload, and a week that grossed half of normal without feeling like a break. Veterans treat home time as a load to be planned — not a gap between loads.

FreightMay 30, 2026

Choosing Profitable Freight: It's Never Just the Rate Per Mile

Two loads pay $2.50 a mile. One is profitable, one costs you money — and the rate sheet won't tell you which. Load selection is where owner-operators quietly win or lose the month.

FreightMay 8, 2026

Working With Dispatch: How Top Drivers Turn It Into an Edge

The same dispatcher produces different results for different drivers — and the difference is rarely favoritism. Dispatch is a working relationship with inputs, and the drivers who feed it well get measurably better freight.

ComplianceApr 6, 2026

Surviving a DOT Roadside Inspection: A Working Checklist

A Level I inspection takes about an hour and touches everything: you, the truck, the trailer, the logs. The difference between a clean sheet and a violation is almost always preparation, not luck.

FreightMar 16, 2026

Deadhead Miles Are a Tax. Here's How Good Dispatch Fights It

Every empty mile costs you fuel, hours, and wear — and pays you nothing. You can't get deadhead to zero, but the difference between 8% and 18% deadhead is a mortgage payment every month.