The freight market is showing early signs of recovery as 2026 begins. Spot market demand is rising, diesel prices are easing, and DOT enforcement is tightening nationwide. Here’s what small carriers and owner-operators need to know about freight trends, fuel costs, and compliance coming out of mid-January.
DOT compliance is no longer optional for small carriers in 2026; it’s a business survival skill. In this episode, Brian Riker breaks down the real costs of staying compliant, avoiding audits, and protecting your authority in a market where one mistake can shut you down.
The FMCSA wants to end self-certification for CDL trainers, ELD vendors, and medical examiners as diesel prices fall and spot market activity shifts in December 2025. Here’s what owner-operators and small fleets need to know to stay compliant and profitable.
A Chicago intermodal carrier breaks down his real cost per mile, monthly expenses, fuel strategy, and how small fleets can stay profitable in the drayage market in 2025.
Federal regulators are removing thousands of CDL training providers while diesel prices remain volatile heading into winter 2025. Here’s what owner-operators and small fleets need to know to stay compliant, protect margins, and avoid costly hiring mistakes.
Daushawn Falls, founder of Tenacity Express Freight Brokerage shares how carriers can become more profitable when getting loads.
Spot-market activity jumped this week or November 17th with load posts rising 9.1% and truck posts climbing 18.3%. That shift is creating tighter competition across dry van, reefer, and flatbed. Diesel prices have also moved again, now sitting at $3.868 nationally. Here’s what owner-operators and small carriers need to know heading into the back half of November.
Golden Key Express LLC has grown from 10 to 33 trucks by running a lean reefer operation, tracking every mile, and keeping drivers happy. Learn how Pargat Baidwan built a profitable fleet in 2025’s tough market.
The FMCSA is cracking down on CDL mills — trucking schools accused of issuing licenses with little or no testing. Linked to California’s $40 million penalty for failing to enforce CDL standards, this investigation is exposing how fraudulent training schools slipped thousands of unqualified drivers onto U.S. highways. Here’s what carriers, fleet owners, and drivers need to know as the FMCSA tightens enforcement nationwide.
In this episode of This Week in Trucking, owner-operator Jason reveals how he keeps his cost per mile under $1.70, survives volatile freight markets, and stays profitable through discipline, smart planning, and factoring, a must-read for small carriers and new authorities navigating 2025’s challenges.
California just lost $40 million in federal highway funds as the FMCSA ramps up its non-domiciled CDL crackdown. Learn how new English proficiency rules, stricter driver verification, and tighter inspections could reshape freight rates — and what small carriers can do right now to stay compliant and profitable.
Freight fraud and double brokering are costing small carriers thousands every month. In this episode, Pedro Peterson from Synergy Freight shares the real red flags to watch for, how to protect your business, and what every owner-operator needs to do to stay profitable in 2025.
