Before we dive into the nuts and bolts of May 2025, Craig and I talk about the crazy weekend we just had. Literally every truck had some kind of significant issue over the weekend. Everything from problems cause by getting loaded more than 24 hours late to breakdowns and blown tires. It is crazy how you can go from one weekend that is quiet with almost no activity to one like last weekend where all hell breaks loose. I also ask for your opinions on how much of an impact hot weather has on tire failure rates. 

What To Expect From Episode 180

The ups and downs of trucking are not limited to crazy or mundane weekends, the profitability of trucking is also one heck of a roller coaster. After a better start to the year than we have experienced the last several years, May hit a brick wall. I don't think the difference we saw in May is due to the market, but more because of internal factors we experienced. Let's take a look at the numbers:

Haulin Assets had a loss of $27,150.76. Wow, that was hard to type, that is almost a $75,000 difference between April and May, even though May even had a slightly higher rate per mile. There is A LOT going on in the P&L and we talk about it in more detail than normal. You'll want to listen to the episode to get the full story.

Here are the P&L items we dive into:

What are the odds that two clutches go out within 24 hours of each other? Can't be high, but we had it happen. Does that mean I should take a trip to Vegas and start placing bets? Our experience with two different shops was night and day. One of them had our truck in and out quickly, the other one was ridiculous. Check out the episode to hear all the fun details. 

What to Expect in Episode 179

In this episode I am going to cover 3 things I think every business owner, whether you are an owner operator or you manage a fleet, should do on a regular basis. They are:

The first two are pretty self explanatory and we don't take up too much time covering them. I am sure there are several people out there who haven't heard about a SWOT Analysis or know much about them so that is where we spend the majority of our time. SWOT stands for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats. Doing a SWOT Analysis and then using the information you learn from it is a great way to make a big impact on your business. 

Craig and I walk through a very simple SWOT Analysis from the perspective of an Owner Operator and use some examples to help show how they are used. They truly are a great tool and I hope you take the info we share and use it to conduct one on your business. Not in business for yourself yet? No worries, it is also a great tool to use to help you decide if there is an opportunity for you to go into business and help you be better prepared when you make the leap. A good SWOT Analysis is a critical element of any business plan.

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See the profit and loss statement at haulinassetsllc.com

Before Craig and I dive into the April 2025 financials, we talk about a fun little adventure I had. It had been a while, but I finally got to jump back into a truck for the first time in several months. This adventure included a Mother's Day departure, several Uber rides, a flight and "breaking" the truck out of a lot at 02:00 in the morning and then "breaking" into the parking lot at the shipper.

What To Expect From Episode 178

April has continued the trend of year over year improvement. Let's take a look at the numbers:

Haulin Assets had a profit of $47,211.69. The bottom line number is pretty good, but I think it is a little deceptive. There are some things in the P&L that we expound upon that give a more realistic picture of how things are going. You'll want to listen to the episode to get the full story.

Here are the P&L items we talk about in more detail:

March 2025 was a good financial month, but before we get into that, Craig and I talk about one of our trailers being rejected. It was because of some minor damage that had happened a while ago and hadn't been an issue, so why the rejection all of the sudden? Who knows. I'm also back in the dispatching saddle again. It has been while since I have done that job full time and let's just say, I'm a little rusty.

What To Expect From Episode 177

Last month I said February was a pleasant surprise, March was an even more pleasant surprise. Let's take a look at the numbers:

Haulin Assets had a profit of $49,849.00. The best month in over a year and the second best month since March of 2022. I hope it's a sign of things to come. The P&L was pretty normal, but here are the things we talk about.

Trucking Insurance is tricky! It is also typically in the top 5 expenses for a trucking company. For Haulin Assets it is the 4th biggest expense. There are a lot of factors that go into getting the best policy and the best pricing. In this episode we go over what you need to know as an Owner Operator or a Fleet Owner to make sure you are keeping that insurance expense as low as possible. 

What to Expect in Episode 174

We just completed our insurance renewal so insurance is fresh on my mind and now is a great time to talk about it. Here are some of the topics we discuss.

The Biggest Contributors To The Cost Of Your Policy

Who Are The Key Players

We spend the bulk of the episode in this section and go into some pretty extensive detail about who each one is, what their role is and we give some best practices for how you should interact with them.

What You Will Need To Provide For A Quote

Get everything to your agents 45 days before your policy expires. Here is what they will typically need.

The timing of when you sign on the bottom line and bind your policy is critical. Make sure you listed to the episode to know when you should do this and what you will need to do it. 

Getting the best price on your insurance is something that does not happen overnight. It takes you being intentional about several things. You have to work on the things we talk about throughout the episode all year long to make sure to get the best price possible and are able to control your costs. Remember, trucking is a low margin business and profits are earned by the penny. A dollar you save in expense is a dollar that hits your profit line.

February 2025 was a pretty eventful and interesting month. We had a truck get in a little skirmish with a BMW. No one was hurt and the vehicles weren't too bad off either, but it was one of those incidents that really make you scratch your head. We'll share some video on social media, I'd love to hear your opinions. I'll just ask the questions, when merging onto the freeway, how many vehicles can squeeze in front of a truck?

What To Expect From Episode 175

February was a pleasant surprise. I really hope it's an indication of things to come, because I am really getting tired of low profits. Let's take a look at the numbers:

Haulin Assets had a profit of $30,707.01. The best month of profits we have had in a very long time and really knocking on the door of being cashflow positive. The P&L is pretty bland, but here are a few things Craig and I talk about

P&L

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Find our courses at haulinassetsacademy.com

Before we get into talking about truck driver pay, I talk about a recent incident where one of our trucks had its hood damaged by a driver who decided to make a left hand turn where he shouldn't have. His trailer didn't even come close to making the corner and caused some pretty good damage to the front of our parked truck. There is always something exciting going on in a trucking company.

What To Expect From Episode 174

Truck driver pay is a complicated subject. There are a lot of different factors, probably the biggest being if you operate locally or over-the-road. Most local drivers are paid hourly and most over-the-road drivers are paid by the mile. Hourly paid is pretty straightforward, over-the-road, not so much. We spend most of our time talking about that. Here are some of the areas we touch on:

We finish off by discussing how to figure out how much to pay and what are some of the things you should think about in that regard are.

Rinse and repeat is a good thing when times are good, not so much when you're in a freight market like we are in right now. January seems almost like a carbon copy of December. Most of the numbers are very similar. Before Craig and I dive into the numbers I talk about a couple of recent instances that happened to a couple of our trucks over the last week. Hopefully you find them entertaining.

What To Expect From Episode 173

Let's take a look at the numbers:

Haulin Assets had a profit of $15,862.03.

P&L

This is a super important episode. If you own a truck, are a truck driver or run a trucking company, chances are you are going to deal with an accident at some point in your career. When it happens, you want things to go as well as possible. During this episode, Craig and I are going to help you know how you can be prepared and we will help arm you with some tips to protect you against those who want to take advantage of the situation.

What To Expect From Episode 172

We have all been driving down the interstate and seen a billboard that says something along the lines of, “Have you been hit by a semi, give us a call and we’ll make sure you get what you deserve.” Basically, that just means they know there is big insurance money behind trucking companies and they will try to sue the pants off them. Sometimes even if the accident wasn’t the trucking company's fault. We talk about some things you can do to help you get the best possible outcome.

Prevention (Before the Accident)

When An Accident Happens

Post Accident

There are lots of things that need to happen. We aren't going to cover them in this episode, but make sure you do them. If you don't know what to do, contact your insurance company. They should be able to help.

Before we get into the December 2024 financials, I go on a bit of a rant about truck parking. It is such a HUGE Problem! It causes drivers frustration and costs everyone time and money. I talk about an incident that recently happened to us that cost us a lot of money because of the parking problem. And it is a completely ridiculous situation that happened just north of Charlotte, NC at a Shell truck stop called Charlotte Travel Plaza. Beware of this place. You have to check in to park, if you don't, the parking fine they charge you is beyond RIDICULOUS, it really is a scam and it's legal because of the North Carolina laws. Listen to the episode to hear how much we had to pay to get a boot removed, it's not going to help out our January Financials. Shame on North Carolina for allowing this kind of extortion to happen, it's worse that usury interest on check cashing loans.

What To Expect From Episode 171

The numbers this month were good, not great. I am however starting to feel a little bit of optimism that this year is going to see some improvement in the market. I have my fingers and toes crossed that things do get better. Let's take a look at the numbers:

Haulin Assets had a profit of $12,042.27.

P&L Items