Get the full show notes at haulinassetsllc.com Check out MotorcarrierHQ.com Find our courses at haulinassetsacademy.com It's Halloween, which is a fun time of year. I love driving down the road and seeing how drivers deck out their trucks. It's fun to see their personalities come through. What To Expect From Episode 166 We are still slugging throug…

Get the full show notes at haulinassetsllc.com Check out MotorcarrierHQ.com Find our courses at haulinassetsacademy.com In this episode we are going to step out of the truck and away from the business and focus on you and your health. This can be a sensitive topic and it's something I have struggled with most of my adult life. I have found somethin…

Get the full show notes at haulinassetsllc.com Check out MotorcarrierHQ.com Find our courses at haulinassetsacademy.com Holy cow, Hurricane Helene has caused some serious problems. It seems like it has been a while since we have had a hurricane that was this bad. Ashville, NC received over 2 feet of rain and is a zone of devastation. It's not an ar…

In episode 160, we talked about CSA scores and how they work and some best practices. Managing the safety program for a trucking company is not an easy job, whether you are an O/O or have a fleet. There is a lot to know and do. So, what happens if you didn’t do a good job with those things and you are under the FMCSA’s microscope? In these two epis…

In the last episode on safety, we talked about CSA scores and how they work and some best practices. Managing the safety program for a trucking company is not an easy job, whether you are an O/O or have a fleet. There is a lot to know and do. So, what happens if you didn’t do a good job with those things and you are under the FMCSA’s microscope? In…

Haulin Assets Academy Full Show Notes Haulin Assets T-shirts and More This year has been better than last year, but we are still not where we want to be. Hopefully, things continue to gradually improve as the year goes on. Here is what July looked like. Total miles ran– 118,563 Deadhead miles– 9,649 Total revenue- $243,804.91 All-in rate-per-mile- …

What do peaches and the FMCSA Safety program have in common. You'll have to listen to find out, but I will tell you, understanding the low hanging fruit principle can help you stay out of hot water with the FMCSA. We cover a lot in this first episode of a two part series on the FMCSA Safety program. It can be tempting to neglect safety, especially …

Haulin Assets Academy: https://www.haulinassetsacademy.com/ Motor Carrier HQ: https://www.motorcarrierhq.com/ This is a topic I wish I did not have to cover, but fraud in the trucking industry is going crazy right now and it is affecting all of us. Being dishonest is very short sided and will catch up with you in the long run. There is no place for…

Haulin Assets Academy: https://www.haulinassetsacademy.com/ I start off this episode ranting a bit about a couple of challenges I faced recently. One involved being dropped from a load that I think was completely unwarranted. The second situation was because of a strong oder in a trailer that wouldn't go away, even after a washout. What To Expect F…

Haulin Assets Academy: https://www.haulinassetsacademy.com/ Throughout my military, business ownership and corporate careers I have held many different types of leadership positions. I have lead groups with just a few people to groups with hundreds of people. I am a much better leader today than I was 20 years ago. I hope this episode will give you…

This month is a really good indicator of what happens when you have a truck sitting for too long. We had a truck sit the entire month and the impact on the bottom line is pretty easy to calculate. Craig and I spend a few minutes of this episode showing the impact that a sitting truck has on your net income. It's a pretty interesting case study. Be …

We just completed our 2024 insurance renewal last month, so I thought this world be a good time to revisit the subject of insurance. It's been several years since we have taken a serious swing at the topic and high time we do it again. Especially since insurance is in the top 5 expenses for most trucking companies and a little savings on your insur…

We keep moving in the right direction, April 2024 Financials were better than March. If you remember I mentioned I would be happy if we can keep doubling our net income for 4-5 months. April is the third month in a row we have been able to do that. We start off the episode talking about the importance of being agile. If you aren't agile in this kin…

Independent Owner Operator verses Leased Owner Operator is a bit of a controversial topic because you get strong opinions on both sides of the argument. I think that is because being an independent Owner Operator is the right thing for some people, while leasing on to another company can be the right thing for someone else. In this Episode of Hauli…

Although we saw a slight improvement, the March 2024 financials turned out to be more like February than I would have liked. Considering the extra payroll, it really could have been worse. Hopefully we continue to see improvement as the year goes on. What To Expect From Episode 152 Our trucks ran harder in March than they ever have, setting a new r…

Who didn't like marshmallows when they were a kid and how do they relate to trucking? We'll try to answer that. Before we do, I want to rant a bit. I can't wait until I'm like Walmart and companies just have to do what I say, whether they like it or not. We talk about a new decision Walmart has made that affects us. To be honest, I can't argue with…

Sign up for information about Haulin Assets Academy here: https://haulinassetsllc.com/2024/01/23/finding-loads-the-process-episode-146/ Check out Fuelstream here: https://www.fuelstreamservices.com/ Traditionally, February is the low point of the year for the trucking industry. If that is the case this year, we have reason to celebrate. Although we…

Sign up for information about Haulin Assets Academy here: https://haulinassetsllc.com/2024/01/23/finding-loads-the-process-episode-146/ We start this episode off with a funny story about Cruella de Vil the truck, it makes for a good listen. Finding the right loads is one of the most important things to do well with your trucking company. It is also…

If you want to hear about the worst experiences I have had with a repair shop, listen to this episode. All I can say is never take your truck to the Freightliner Northwest in the Seattle area. As time goes on, I get more and more comfortable dispatching. One of the best parts of dispatching is the relationships I have been able to build. Relationsh…

January was a good month, it seems like it has been a while since I have said that. It's also been a while since I have told a good "Chris is stupid story" from my adventures on the road. This episode starts with a good one. The silver lining is that it was a good learning lesson that shouldn't cause any serious harm. What To Expect From Episode 14…

This episode is jam packed with tips to help you find loads for your trucking company. We hone in on the process of finding and booking loads. We also start off this episode by introducing a new project I am working on that is going to be a game changer for many of you. It's called Haulin Assets Academy. It is an online, video based learning system…

Happy New Year!! I am so happy to kick 2023 to the curb. I am optimistic that we will see some good things happen in 2024. Regardless of what happens with the economy, I think the changes we are making will help Haulin Assets continue to improve and become stronger as a company. One thing I know for sure is that this challenging year has taught us …

Finding loads for truckers is one of the most critical tasks for any trucking company. If you have been following this podcast, you know that up to this point we have used a third party dispatching service to help us find loads. About three months ago we started the process of bringing load finding in house. We are taking about 5-6 months to comple…

Earlier this week I had one of the crazier days I have had in a long time. Two trucks broke down within a matter of minutes of each other and we had a truck involved in a minor accident. Needless to say, we have a few interesting things to talk about. What To Expect From Episode 143 Another month in the black, but I still feel like we are running o…

A breakdown, a tow, a rental truck, another breakdown, getting ignored by a broker and rushing to make appointments, all in a week's work for one of our drivers and the team that supports him. I have said this before, nothing is easy in trucking and the best company owners are people who can solve problems. We had a lot of problems we had to solve …

We finally broke the losing streak, but not by as much as I would have liked. October saw the establishment of several new records, predominantly positive ones. However, the bottom line was not where I would have liked to see it. There is definitely more work to be done, but I feel like we are moving in the right direction. What To Expect From Epis…

I have some good news and some bad news.... October is going to break some records, in a good way. Before we can get to October, we have to get through September, which broke a record in a bad way. What To Expect From Episode 140 September is our 4th month in a row with a loss, but I am pretty confident that streak is going to end with October. The…

Normally this episode would be a financials episode, but I have had a crazy couple of weeks and am up against a flight and won't have time to finish the books for September before it's time to record. Last episode I mentioned that we have a bit of a change in the works and that's what we are going to talk about. Haulin Assets is going to bring disp…

"Many a Mickle Makes a Muckle" is an old Scottish phrase. It was popularized in the United States by George Washington, but he actually got the phrase wrong. I'm not going to explain how here, to learn about his mistake, listen to the episode. The phrase basically means many little things make a big thing, or many little changes will have a big imp…

I start off this episode talking about an overside load crash here in Utah that could have been catastrophic. It was a totally preventable crash and resulted because of what I would call extreme negligence. It's an interesting story and one of those situations where we should all learn from someone else's mistakes. It is easier that way. What To Ex…

National Truck Driver's Appreciation Week is almost upon us, so we thought it would be a good time to do an episode that is a tribute to the truck drivers of America. Before we hit the main topic I talk about my most recent trip on the road taking a load to Phoenix. Let's just say it wasn't the most smooth run I have ever done. You'll have to liste…

One of the most challenging things for me to do when I was on the road was to maintain good health and fitness. Especially during the winter. My recent trip was a good reminder of that and I want to share some of the things I do while I am on the road. What To Expect From Episode 135 Health and fitness can mean a lot of different things, during thi…

Another tough month. June, July and August are some of the harder months of the year. The months with losses are really getting old. It can be discouraging. The economy and the freight market have always had peaks and valleys, good times and bad times. That is predictable, we know we are currently in a valley, but we also know it will get better an…

Check out today's sponsor, Meramec Solutions: https://meramecsolutions.com/hirenow It’s no secret that trucking is really tough right now. That fact has caused me to do a lot of thinking lately about what can I do to help get Haulin Assets in a healthier place. One of the things I decided to do was look at the loads we have been hauling to see if I…

Check out today's sponsor, Meramec Solutions: https://meramecsolutions.com/ The roller coaster continues. We were pretty high last month, that means we're pretty low this month. Before we dive into the numbers Craig and I talk a little about some analysis I have been doing on the brokers and shippers we have been hauling the most for. I think it is…

In business you have to expect the unexpected and sometimes you get pleasantly surprised. After months of disappointment, a good surprise was a breath of fresh air and put a smile on my face. By no means are we out of the words yet, but I am starting to get more and more confident we have hit bottom and may even be on our way back up. What To Expec…

FuelStream can help you save money on fuel! One thing I have always been pretty sensitive about on this podcast is making the podcast feel like it is a promotion for some of my other businesses because that is not the point of the podcast. I feel like we have done a pretty good job of that, up until now. This episode is going to be a bit of a shame…

Craig and I start off this financials episode by talking about one of the things that has the biggest impact on just about any business's financials, sales. We have been doing some work to get more loads directly from shippers. Building new relationships with shippers is all about sales. We talk about the sales funnel and how sales is a numbers gam…

Before we dive into the past, present, and future of the freight market, we talk about a big change we made . We hired an operations manager. It is a huge step for a company like ours, especially as small as we are and considering the freight market we are in. Craig and I discuss why we thought this was a smart decision, even though on the surface,…

We had one truck sitting for the entire month of March, that definitely had an impact on things. The infamous egg load occurred around the end of the month. It will have more of an impact on April's numbers than it did in March. Needless to say, March was an eventful month. We talk all about it during this episode. Make sure to give it a listen. Wh…

If you are trying to grow a fleet of trucks, I can just about guarantee your biggest challenge is hiring good drivers. With a nationwide shortage of about 80,000 drivers and a driver turnover rate close to 100%, hiring and keeping good truck drivers is extremely difficult. How does a growing carrier not have their lunch eaten by the big guys when i…

Being financially smart is less about intelligence and more about having a plan and being disciplined. I think being a rocket scientist verse running a marathon is a good comparison. Having a high financial IQ is more akin to preparing for a marathon than being a super intelligent person. Not everyone is going to have the intelligence necessary to …

Things have been a little hectic for me the last couple of weeks. That means this episode is not as robust as I would have liked. There is some great info in it, so I think it is definitely worth a listen. What To Expect From Episode 124 February ended up being better than I thought it was going to be, but definitely not a good month. At least we d…

I have been asked to do an episode on how we spec our trucks by several listeners, so here you go. It's a complicated topic full of lots of different opinions and there is more than one way to skin a cat. I would love to hear your opinion on things, comment here or on the Facebook post for this episode. We have now purchased 9 brand new trucks from…

We had one of our best months in quite a while, but honestly, I am a bit disappointed. I though it was going to be better. Right at the end of the month, I-80 in Wyoming was shut down for several days because of weather and a big 50 vehicle pileup. That resulted in several of our loads that should have delivered in January being delayed and not arr…

Whether you are an owner operator or a fleet owner, Worker's Compensation or Occupational Accident Insurance is something you will have to deal with. They are two different types of insurance, that are for a similar purpose. The basic concept is the same from state to state, but each state has some differences. Make sure you figure out what your st…

When I first pulled the profit and loss statement for this month, I was disappointed because the profit was lower than I was hoping. Then I dove into the numbers and felt much better. All-in-all, this is actually one of the best months we have had in a while. Craig and I will go over all the details so make sure you listen to learn what made the di…

This is an episode, comparing the profitability of a new semi-truck verses a used rig has been a long time coming and is one people have been asking for. I have been super excited about doing this since the early days of Haulin Assets. This was an eye-opening deep dive into profitability for me and to say the least, I am pretty shocked with the res…

Every month that goes by I tell myself we are closer to getting through this rough patch. I am really optimistic that we are either at the bottom of the valley or very close to it and by March of next year we will be climbing out to better times. I'm not sure how steep that climb will be, it may be gradual, but at least we will be moving in the rig…

To start off the episode I tell a story about a problem I have never faced with one of our loads and answer a question I get asked all the time by people who are in the process of starting a trucking company. After that, Craig and I talk about the crazy month of October. What To Expect From Episode 117 October was another tough month. We had two tr…