The three finalists have been selected. So...who will be the next Expediter of the Year? The winner will be announced at Expedite Expo, the only trade show in the world geared exclusively to the expedite trucking industry, which runs July 19 and 20 at the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum in Ft. Wayne, Indiana. (Registration is free. Go to https://www.expediteexpo.com/2019/.) The purpose of the Expediter of the Year award is to recognize those hard-working, professional, an...

Cargo vans have been a staple of the expedited trucking industry for decades. They offer a much lower cost of entry for aspiring owner-operators than straight trucks and tractors. And with newer high-capacity Euro-style vans-like the Mercedes Sprinter, Ford Transit, and RAM Promaster-today's vans can haul larger, more profitable loads than previous generation vans while staying below 10,000-lbs gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) to avoid regulatory constraints. But when freig...

Ever wonder why there hasn't been as much talk lately about how self-driving trucks are "right around the corner," poised to eliminate four-million trucker jobs in the U.S.? I was wondering the same thing. So, I tested my hypothesis. If you ever want to put your finger on the pulse of specific trends, go to Google News. Then search the topic you're interested in, and there you have it: the latest headlines on that topic. My search: "self-driving trucks eliminate trucking jobs...

During his keynote at the ACT Expo in Long Beach, Calif., Roger Nielsen, president and CEO of Daimler Trucks North America (DTNA)-which owns Freightliner-declared that the future of commercial vehicles would be battery electric. "The road to emissions-free transportation is going to be driven with battery-electric vehicles. I believe the future is electric," says Neilson. DTNA says that near-zero-emissions natural gas medium- and heavy-duty vehicles are currently available an...

If your goal is to become an expedite owner-operator, most wise folks in the industry will advise you to first drive for a fleet owner for at least six months or so. This way, you can test the waters and learn the business without taking a significant risk. And that's the advice mentors had shared with David Manley, a former maintenance technician for two decades with Frito Lay. Says Manley, "I'm like, 'Nah. I've had a boss my entire life. I want to do this on my terms. How h...

Meet Susan Medlin. Susan is a former back office software developer for Pilot Flying J Truck Centers, who got into the expedited trucking business as a driver in 1998. She bought her first truck in 2008 and became a fleet owner about 18 months later in 2009. Today, Susan operates a fleet of 16 vehicles-15 expediter straight trucks and one cargo van-all leased to either Tri-State Expedited Service or Premium Transportation Logistics (PTL). So, what led Susan to expedited truck...

If you do it right, expediting can be a lucrative and rewarding career where you can be your own boss, set your own schedule, and see the country on someone else's dime. But if you're looking at expediting as just another job or a get-rich-quick business opportunity, watch out! You could be setting yourself up for failure before you even get started. How can you determine whether you and expedited trucking could be a perfect match? Use this 7-point checklist. #1. Does the exp...

Meet George Mullan. George ran his own insurance and investment advisory firm for over three decades before he became an expedite fleet owner in 2008. Today, he runs Mullan Transportation based in Maumee, Ohio, operating a fleet of 14 trucks-three tractors and 11 straight trucks-all leased to XPO Logistics Expedite. So, what led George to expedited trucking? How did he get started as a fleet owner? And what advice does he have for others who may be considering becoming an ex...

Love them or hate them. But if there's one thing that has kept the NFL's New England Patriots at the top of the professional football world for two decades, it's this: They're smart about replacing star players when the value is still high and before performance declines. Perhaps successful expedite owner-operators follow a similar formula for timing their truck replacements-when the truck's value is still high and before you have to throw a lot of money at it to keep it on t...

While there has been a lot of media hype in recent years that robots will rule the roads, putting millions of truckers out of business, the reality is that Level 5, fully driverless trucks are still a long way out, according to most industry experts. But significant developments are happening right now that directly impact the expedite business. And instead of a story of impending doom, these technologies offer the potential to improve safety, increase fuel efficiency, and ma...