Articles for trucking company owners
Plain, carrier-first articles on running a small trucking company: compliance, cash flow, freight research, brokers and fraud.
The LFS team writes these articles from questions carriers ask us, changes at FMCSA, and what we see in our own work. We update articles when the rules or the market change. Looking for broker, agent or dispatcher training instead? That lives at Freight University. For guides and data, see resources.
10 steps on how I started my freight broker business from home
How to start a freight broker business from home, in ten steps: training, broker authority, the $75,000 bond, carriers, insurance and mar…
13 Steps to Hiring a New Truck Driver the Right Way
How to hire truck drivers the right way: a 13-step checklist covering the driver application, PSP inquiry, MVR, medical card and drug tes…
Chameleon Carriers and Double Brokering: How They Work and How to Spot Them
How chameleon carriers and double brokering schemes work, the public-record warning signs to check before every load, and where to report…
FMCSA financial security rules for freight brokers: what changed
FMCSA's $75,000 broker financial security rule explained: what changed, what happens when it falls short, and its limits for carriers.
Foreign Commercial Driver License Requirements in the US: FAQs
Foreign CDL requirements in the US, answered: reciprocity with Canada and Mexico, English proficiency, non-domiciled CDLs and hazmat for …
Freight brokers must meet compliance with FMCSA
Freight broker compliance with FMCSA in plain terms: the $75,000 bond or trust, records, misrepresentation, compensation limits and accou…
How to Dispatch Trucks From Home: A Step-by-Step Guide
How to dispatch trucks from home: training, staying within FMCSA broker rules, planning your day, software, hours of service and getting …
Hazmat Trucking Regulations for Moving Hazmat Freight
Hazmat trucking regulations explained for brokers and carriers: who counts as an offeror under 49 CFR, carrier insurance minimums and HMS…
How Many Hours Can A Truck Driver Drive?
How many hours can a truck driver drive? A plain guide to the FMCSA hours of service rules: the 11-hour limit, 14-hour window, 30-minute …
How to Become CARB Compliant to Move Freight in California
CARB compliance for trucking in plain terms: which diesel trucks the California Air Resources Board rules cover, drayage registration and…
How to become certified as a professional freight broker
Freight broker certification isn't required by FMCSA, but training helps. What FMCSA does require, and how to earn PLSP certification today.
How to understand trucking traffic lanes
How trucking lanes work: deadhead, terrain, tolls and freight availability, and how each one shapes what a lane pays the carrier.
How to work from home as a freight agent
What a work-from-home freight agent does, how agents work with a licensed brokerage, the skills needed and how agent pay works.
Understanding IFTA (International Fuel Tax Agreement) Fuel Tax Requirements
IFTA fuel tax requirements explained: what the International Fuel Tax Agreement is, which carriers file quarterly fuel tax reports and ho…
Pathway to home freight broker business success
Skills a home freight broker needs: FMCSA compliance basics, hours-of-service and ELD rules, and using TMS software to work well with car…
Trucking Detention for Owner-Operators
Detention pay for owner-operators: what trucking detention is, how free time works, how it affects hours of service and how to get paid f…
Understanding UCR Registration: The Unified Carrier Registration Plan
UCR registration explained for trucking companies and freight brokers: who must file under the Unified Carrier Registration plan, exempti…
What is a freight broker process agent?
What a freight broker process agent is, which states brokers must cover, and how the BOC-3 filing names your process agents with FMCSA.
Why Brokers Resist Transparency in Freight Transactions
The broker transparency rule, 49 CFR 371.3, explained: why large brokers resist sharing rates, how deregulation shaped margins and what c…
Is starting a trucking company worth it? What to know first
Is starting a trucking company worth it? A plain look at startup costs, insurance, cash flow, the first slow months and the filings you n…
How to File a Complaint Against a Freight Broker
How to file a complaint against a freight broker: the FMCSA Complaint Center, bond claims, and free help when a broker won't pay.
Carrier Verification and Driver Data: Where Your Information Goes
Carrier verification can ask drivers for license photos and face scans. What the published policies say about where that data goes, and w…
Licensed to fail: why small trucking companies fail and the circular system that can save them
Why small trucking companies fail: Michael Thomas outlines the four killers behind carrier failures and the circular system in his free b…
DOT Maintenance Records Requirements: What FMCSA Can Ask to See
DOT maintenance records requirements explained: what 49 CFR 396.3 requires, how roadside inspections can lead to audits and how to keep f…
Rate Confirmation Checklist: The Rate Con Ready Method
A rate confirmation checklist for carriers and dispatchers: ten pre-booking gates covering broker checks, money math, hours of service an…
The Flow of the Load: Why “Delivered” Isn’t Done Until It Funds
Trucking cash flow depends on proof. The Flow of the Load walks carriers through six phases, from booking checks to a load proof packet, …
How Carriers Stop Freight Fraud and Handle Four Other Threats
How carriers stop freight fraud, and how to handle insurance problems, driver issues, starting in the wrong order and cash flow gaps.
How owner-operators find loads: a three-channel freight plan and lane math
How owner-operators find loads in a slow market: build a three-channel freight pipeline, use the spot market with care and run lane math …
Freight Agent Training With Job Placement: How It Works
How freight agent training with job placement works: what you learn, who qualifies, and how conditional placement with a brokerage works.
Freight researcher vs dispatcher: what your trucking company needs
Freight researcher vs dispatcher: why load booking alone drains small fleets, and how freight research plans lanes, vets brokers and cuts…
Is owning a semi truck a good investment? Owning and leasing trailers explained
Owning trailers and leasing them to trucking companies: how it works and the costs and risks to weigh, including how you can lose money.
How to Become a Successful Truck Dispatcher: Starting Your Own Business
How to start an independent truck dispatch business: get trained, set it up within the rules, use written carrier agreements, and find cl…
How to Become a Freight Researcher: Skills, Tasks and Services
How to become a freight researcher: research lanes, shippers and rates, get trained, and offer your services to carriers and brokers.
Large freight brokerage companies in the U.S.: 15 names
Fifteen large U.S. freight brokerage companies in alphabetical order, not ranked, plus what carriers and shippers should check before wor…
Become a Freight Agent: Get Certified With Freight University
What a freight agent does, who the role suits, how Freight University trains new agents, and how conditional placement with a brokerage w…
Freight Broker Not Paying? What Carriers Can Do Next
Freight broker not paying? How to document the load, file a private complaint for review, claim on the broker bond or trust and report it…
Lumper Companies in American Logistics: A Detailed Explanation
Lumper fees explained: what lumper companies do, the types of lumper fees carriers see at receivers and what to consider before paying.
What Is a Bill of Lading and How Is It Used by Freight Brokers and Trucking Companies in America?
What is a bill of lading? Learn the three jobs a BOL does as document of title, receipt and contract of carriage, plus the common types u…
How to become a freight broker in Canada
How to become a freight broker in Canada: provincial rules, FMCSA authority for U.S. loads, what to budget for and how to choose training.
How to Become a Truck Dispatcher: A Step-by-Step Guide
How to become a truck dispatcher: what the job involves, where the legal line is, the skills you need, and how to get trained and gain ex…
What Does It Mean to Be a Self-Insured Trucking Company?
What it means to be a self-insured trucking company: FMCSA approval under 49 CFR 387.309, financial requirements and the responsibilities…
Freight broker regulations
A plain checklist of FMCSA freight broker regulations: broker authority, the $75,000 bond or trust, BOC-3, records and Part 371 rules.
Freight factoring for small trucking companies: how it works and what it costs
How freight factoring works for small trucking companies: fees, recourse vs. non-recourse, reserves, and when it helps cash flow.
How to Use DAT Load Board for Your Freight Dispatch Business
How to use DAT load board for your dispatch business: post trucks, search loads, check lane rates and prepare for negotiations with brokers.
Why LFS Uses Ascend TMS for Transportation Management
Why Logistical Forwarding Solutions uses Ascend TMS, a third-party system, for loads, documents, maintenance, reporting and billing.
Freight Brokering: Work From Home for People With Disabilities
Work from home jobs for people with disabilities: what a freight broker does, how to get trained, and how to set up a home-based freight …
How to start a freight brokerage: where and how to begin
How to start a freight brokerage: where to begin, broker authority, the $75,000 bond or trust, setup costs and the uncertainty to plan for.
What is required to get a freight broker license in Canada
What a freight broker license in Canada involves: why rules differ by province, what to ask the ministry, and FMCSA authority for U.S. lo…
How to choose a pilot car service when brokering a heavy haul load
How to choose a pilot car service for a heavy haul load: when oversize loads need escorts, how route planning works and what a good pilot…
9 factors to consider when contracting a heavy haul trucking company
Before you hire a heavy haul trucking company, check nine factors: equipment, safety and insurance, drivers, permits, route planning and …
Company driver vs owner-operator: the income difference
Company driver vs owner-operator: how to compare pay fairly, gross revenue vs. expenses, owner pay and profit, and the costs to plan for.
8 skills a freight broker must provide your trucking company
How to choose a freight broker as a carrier: eight skills a good broker or agent should bring your trucking company, from a steady niche …
Are Truck Dispatchers Legal? The Risks for Trucking Companies
Are truck dispatchers legal? How FMCSA separates brokers from bona fide agents, the risks for carriers, and what to check before hiring a…
How much money can a freight broker agent make?
Freight agent income varies widely. How freight agent commission works, what the agent agreement controls, and what shapes what you earn.
Best Freight Broker Software: What a TMS Should Do
Looking for the best freight broker software? What a transportation management system should do for brokers and carriers, and how to comp…
5 key areas freight brokers must understand about traffic lanes
Traffic lanes decide whether a new freight broker or agent finds steady loads. Here are the five key areas of freight broker traffic lane…