I-25 lanes closed in Colorado, New Mexico

Jun 14, 2011

Wildfires in New Mexico have forced closure of I-25 southbound south of Trinidad, Colo., and both directions of I-25 for eight miles in New Mexico to the Colorado state line. Both departments didn’t estimate a reopening time.

Alternate routes include U.S. 160 west from Walsenburg to CO 159 at Ft. Garland or U.S. 285 at Alamosa. Also, U.S. 160 east from Trinidad to CO 389.

Ask Gary is a series detailing owner-operator business challenges and how operators can navigate toward success. Gary Buchs, a former Owner-Operator of the Year, spent 17 years as an independent contractor at Landstar before retiring in 2019. He now coaches owner-operators and also hosts the Truck Business Forum group on Facebook. Buchs can be reached at truck.biz.coach@gmail.com.

Should I pay my quarterly taxes or pay off my truck?

January 27, 2021

Ammex won an 'Operational Excellence' award recently for its regional service to one of its primary customers, Amazon. Its fleet is made up principally of Volvos and Freightliners but also some other owner-operated units, like this Kenworth.

Health-share plans making small-fleet inroads

Four in 10 owner-operators continue to go without health insurance, yet for small fleets, low-cost health benefits are increasingly attractive as a competitive feature. So-called health-share alternatives to traditional insurance are an option.

More trucks competing with fewer spot market loads in the near term will put downward pressure on rates. That could continue through the year as shifting consumer habits and natural market cycles contribute to a bearish environment for spot rates.

As a spot rates sag might loom, truckers would be wise to seek alternatives

Then-trucker Mike Draper behind the wheel of Evel Knievel's Mack haul rig in the 1970s.

Meet the driver of Evel Knievel's former haul rig

The 1978 Peterbilt 352 was a model who in earlier years had been driven by Bowerman's father, who passed several years earlier. This one, purchased from a prior owner in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, has origins in Illinois, Bowerman said, and is powered by a Cat 3406A run through a 15-speed transmission, 190-inch wheelbase.

Regulated rates, wildcatting, deregulation: A brief history of U.S. trucking

Buttigieg talks trucking regs in Senate hearing

Regulated rates, wildcatting, deregulation: A brief history of U.S. trucking

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The Business Manual for Owner-Operators

Overdrive editors and ATBS present the industry’s best manual for prospective and committed owner-operators. You’ll find exceptional depth on many issues in the 2021 edition of Partners in Business.

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