Perhaps you've been an over-the-road (OTR) driver for a few years now, and you're curious about whether expedited trucking could give you the career growth opportunity you've been looking for. Or, maybe you're new to trucking altogether and trying to decide which segment of the business is best for you. But as you think through your options, you may be wondering: What exactly makes the expedited trucking different from OTR? And what should you expect from the expedite life? ...

Why do owner-operators leave a trucking carrier? If you ask carrier executives, the vast majority will tell you that the top reason is because of pay, says Tim Hindes, chief executive officer of Stay Metrics, a South Bend, Ind. firm that helps motor carriers capture insightful data to boost their driver engagement and retention rates. And that explains why you see a lot of trucking recruiters tout their sign-on bonuses, compensation plans and benefits. But surveys of drivers ...

Meet Heather Hutchens from Waco, Texas. You might recognize Heather and her husband Jason from their "Our Life on the Road" video blog on ExpeditersOnline.com. Before they got into expedited trucking as team drivers for a fleet owner in January 2013, Heather had just left her 22-year career as an optician. This past spring, they took the plunge, making the transition from drivers to owner-operators leased on to Landstar. What led Heather and Jason to become expediters? Why d...

Fleet owners are taking on a more prominent role in the expedited trucking sector, and that was reflected in the attendance at Expedite Expo held July 14 and 15 at the Lexington Center in Lexington, Ky., according to Lawrence McCord, chief executive officer of On Time Media, the producers of the industry trade show. "For the past five years, fleet owners are the fastest growing group at our Expo. And this year, we had the most fleet owners register in all our history," said ...

Shelly Feidt is a veteran of nearly 10 years in the expedite trucking industry. She and her husband Mitch log upwards of 140,000 miles a year driving a straight truck for FedEx Custom Critical. When Shelly was asked if she would encourage other women to pursue careers in trucking, the answer was an enthusiastic yes. "I would say go for it," she said. "It's a whole new direction." Shelly had several previous jobs. She was working in an auto factory when she met Mitch, who was ...

There IS a Much Better Alternative to Financing a Truck For anyone looking to a finance a new or used truck, you've probably noticed there's a lot of information in the media and online about preparing for a loan, truck pricing, down payment and even lifestyle advice leading up to and becoming an owner. Unfortunately, much of this information is narrow in scope at its best, and grossly inaccurate at its worst. It truly doesn't tell the whole story or give the entire picture w...

Meet Irene Riley. When she and her husband Vern began driving expedite together seven years ago, Irene had just left her 30 year career in the print industry, where she served in a variety of roles, such as desktop publishing, customer service and sales. Today, they drive a 2012 Freightliner Cascadia for Jordan Transportation and are enjoying the expedite life. What led Irene and Vern to become expediters? What advice does Irene have for other women who may be considering a c...

The Expedite Expo has always been a driver-friendly event but never more so than this year's event, which will include the presentation of the first annual Expediter of the Year award. The finalists for this year's award have been announced, and they certainly represent the very best of an industry filled with outstanding drivers. The winner will be announced at the end of Expedite Expo, which will be held Friday and Saturday, July 14-15, at the Lexington Center in Lexington,...

The lease you sign as an owner-operator with a trucking carrier sets the guidelines for your income--how your pay will be calculated, when you'll get paid, and what fees and expenses you'll be required to cover. But it's your responsibility to understand all that's in the lease agreement before you sign it. Otherwise there could be unpleasant surprises that put your business--and financial future--at risk. So, here are five important terms to evaluate before signing on with a...

Meet Sandy Goche. She's a cancer survivor and now an expedite owner-operator leased to V3 Transportation. Before Sandy became a full-time expediter in November 2015, she had worked for a Department of Defense contractor for about 28 years, starting as a computer programmer and working her way up to systems administrator. Sandy and her significant other Stephen Halsted bought their first truck in 2012--"I was the owner. He was the operator"--while she continued working as a sy...