As fleet owners take on a more prominent role in expedited trucking, there's been a growing interest among owner-operators and contract drivers to learn how they, too, can make the jump to fleet ownership. And that interest was evident by a packed classroom at the 8 a.m. session that kicked off Expedite Expo 2018 in Lexington, Ky. on July 20. The session titled "Fleet Ownership: Getting Started" featured fleet owners John Kelsh with Cyclone Expediting, Eric Escobar with Fudp...

Expedite Expo 2018, which runs July 20 and 21 at the Lexington Center in Lexington, Ky., is the only trade show in the world geared exclusively to the expedited trucking industry. And this year's show will feature the announcement of the winner of the Expediter of the Year award, which will be presented to one of these three finalists: Tim Paxton, Nancy Hudson, and Eric Escobar. The purpose of this award is to recognize those hard-working, professional and safety-conscious e...

So much has happened in autonomous vehicle development since Google put its first self-driving Prius on the roads in 2008. And industry consensus is that we'll start seeing highly automated vehicles hit the market legally in 2021-which is only three years from now. But there are still many questions-beyond the technology's capabilities-that government, industry, and citizens must answer before robots will rule the roads. Those questions can be boiled down into these three "h...

With the rollout of any new rule, you can expect some unintended consequences. And that appears to be the case with the electronic logging device (ELD) mandate that went into full effect on April 1, after about a three-month grace period. The regulation was finalized in 2015 with the best of intentions: "to help create a safer work environment for drivers, and make it easier and faster to accurately track, manage, and share records of duty status (RODS) data. An ELD synchroni...

A family member passes away unexpectedly. Your partner gets sick or injured. Your truck breaks down. When there's an emergency, what's your next move? The time to think about that is now-before something happens. That's because when you're in the moment, you're emotionally distraught, unable to think clearly and act decisively. What should you think about as you put together your emergency plan-to minimize the impact that crisis could have on your business? Here are three ti...

As an expedite owner-operator, you want the freedom to be your own boss, earn a good living, and provide for your family. But with that freedom comes responsibility. That's because it can be easy-especially if you're new to expedited trucking-to fall into the trap of spending money as quickly as you take it in, driving your business toward a financial cliff. How can you avoid that trap and put your business on a smoother road to long-term success? Here are three factors to k...

Earn more income. Spend more quality time with your partner. Travel the country on someone else's dime. These are just a few reasons why you and your spouse might have gotten interested in driving together in the expedited trucking business. But then, within days--or perhaps hours--of getting on the road together, reality hits. "We went from a large, three-bedroom ranch-style house on seven acres to an OEM sleeper, and we were bosses in our previous jobs," says Linda Caffee,...

If you're new to expedited trucking or a fleet owner looking to expand, a used expediter straight truck can save you money upfront. But it also brings big risks that could sink your business if you're not careful. So, how can you improve your odds of making a smart purchase decision-and protect your financial future? Avoid these six mistakes when shopping for a used truck. Mistake #1. Choosing an undersized engine. The engine size is crucial to determining whether the truck ...

Talk with fleet owners and most of them will tell you that their biggest challenge is finding-and keeping-good, dependable drivers. That makes senses. There's a major driver shortage with a lot at stake for fleet owners. Just one truck that sits because there isn't a driver can be a significant cash drain for an owner. So what can fleet owners do to buck the trend and keep all their trucks on the road making money? EO recently spoke with Susan Medlin, an expedite fleet owner...

Meet Tom and Tina Evans who bought their first truck to become expedite owner-operators in early 2002. At the time, the retail industry was experiencing a steep market downturn, and the couple saw the writing on the wall when it came to their job security. So they decided to make a career change together. Tina stepped down from her management position at a shoe retailer; Tom left his job at a family-owned furniture store. For the next 11 years, Tom and Tina built their exped...