Partners in Business | Overdrive

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You won’t find a more in-depth source of information for running an owner-operator business than our annually updated manual. It’s produced by Overdrive and owner-operator business services provider ATBS.

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 2022 edition of Partners in Business.

Partners in Business Issue Cover

Featured

Jason and Zane Cowan of Silver Creek Transportation and Innovative Logistics Group's Adam Wingfield

The work-life balancing act: With rates down, focus on family, customer relationships

Rates are down, costs are up, making work-life balance seem like an unattainable luxury for many owners. But two trucking success stories say that investing in strong relationships, family and otherwise, is actually just what this market calls for.

How to prepare for a recession YouTube video cover

How to prep for the downturn as an owner -- it's always right around the corner

"When you shut that key off" as a truck operator, "learn to use that time as an asset" to focus on your business acumen as the owner -- and stay ahead of the worst of trucking times that will inevitably arrive.

reefer trailer at dock

Deception wreaks havoc ... again!

Insurance agent W. Joel Baker expands on a prior story warning against omission or outright deception in insurance contracts in efforts to rein in premiums. It's always best to be up-front and make timely updates to avoid claims being denied.

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Sharpen your trucking business performance

There's help out there, ranging from one-on-one business coaching to Overdrive's Partners in Business manual, and much more.

May 10, 2023

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Take control of your variable cost per mile, fixed costs and more

Understanding basic principles of operating costs can save owner-operators thousands of dollars a year. Here, find a few principles that can set you on the right path.

May 3, 2023

view of cars and trucks from overpass

$240K at nearly 9% interest on a new truck: Deal or no deal?

Truck ownership wasn't supposed to be this hard. Or maybe it was? En route to a planned truck replacement, owner-operator Matthew Mickenberg crunched the numbers, thought hard, and made a big re-evaluation of how his one-truck business should look.

April 25, 2023

Matthew Mickenberg and his Kenworth T680

More ways to vet brokers to combat fraud, double brokering

Double brokering and other fraud in spot freight transactions is dragging down rates through misrepresentation/skimming, and in some cases outright theft. At MATS, yet another tool in the arsenal emerged.

April 18, 2023

semi truck in parking lot

Beware the insurance-requirement fine print in truck-lease agreements

There's a common condition within truck lease agreements that can present a serious obstacle. Read that fine print closely or you could be losing money.

April 10, 2023

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'The spot market is not where you need to live': On building business with authority

After two decades in and around trucking as a driver, owner-operator, then small fleet owner, Adam Wingfield is now bringing boatloads of energy to a mission of helping owners lay the groundwork for long-term business success. His rousing MATS talk, here.

April 7, 2023

‘The extra load' to boost profitability in challenging times

Releasing the new edition of Partners in Business at MATS, Overdrive and ATBS' seminar charted cost, revenue and income benchmarks for owner-operator attendees, offering strategies to boost short- and long-term profitability.

April 3, 2023

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Join us at MATS -- new owner-operator business book released, live benchmarking seminar, more

Join Overdrive and ATBS 1:45 p.m. local time on Friday, March 31, in Louisville at MATS for the annual Partners in Business seminar, as new owner-operator manual, charting business start to finish, released. Download here.

March 23, 2023

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Holding the line: Owner-op's playbook to push back on cheap freight

When Joe Bielucki got an email from a corporate logistics director that his rates would take a hit, he was fuming. But with an iron grip on fundamentals, and some advice from his wife, he persuaded them to reverse course and throw in some other perks too.

March 22, 2023

Bielucki's 2023 international hx

Ohio, Arizona hazmat disasters hold lessons for owners, carriers in the fight against safety complacency

In the wake of the high-profile Ohio train derailment, and later hazmat spill from a dry van that closed I-10 for a day in Arizona, Overdrive contributor Gary Buchs urges owner-operators to fight against safety complacency that can come with success.

March 8, 2023

i10 hazmat spill

Owner-operator income took a big hit in 2022

Trucking business services firm ATBS' owner-operator clients on average took a 10% hit to the bottom line in 2022 as fuel costs soared, maintenance delays continued and market demand fell. Catch more at Overdrive/ATBS MATS session later in month.

March 6, 2023

2022 versus 2021 owner-operator income

How to avoid application errors when applying for your USDOT/MC numbers

All too often, application errors lead to extra start-up costs, delays and lost income. Longtime owner-operator and insurance agent W. Joel Baker here shares some of the more common filing errors he sees and issues associated with them.

February 28, 2023

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6 ways to simplify bookkeeping to improve the bottom line

The receipts and records you keep are used in a number of areas of your business. You can simplify the bookkeeping task by following six simple practices that could translate to higher profit with less hassle.

February 15, 2023

receipts calculator taxes

Don't be dishonest with insurers to lower premiums

If you are ever tempted to -- or if anyone (a business partner, friend or even an insurance agent) suggests you should -- mislead your insurance company, don’t do it. It can mean the end of the road for your business.

February 2, 2023

tanker truck on mountain highway

The most under-appreciated insurance coverage in all of trucking

After the death of an owner's spouse and passenger, it's clear that if you don’t have this coverage, or if you choose to purchase only the minimum, you could be making one of your worst business and insurance coverage decisions.

January 30, 2023

Semi-truck crash with police cars on a highway

With borrowing costs up, use financing relationships, experience to advantage

The U.S. economy hasn't seen hikes in the fed-funds target interest rate like 2022's in well more than a decade. With those hikes flowing into commercial truck loans, this closer look at impacts illustrates the value of long-term lender relationships.

January 19, 2023

Kelvin Schmidt's 2018 Volvo VNL 860

How to make the bid for direct customers as an independent

In any move to secure a contract with a shipper, make sure you can answer this question: Why you?

January 18, 2023

truck backing to dock

New year, new you

Have you given up on your New Year's Resolutions yet? If so, you're not alone. Clifford Petersen here offers strategies toward more effective goal-setting and achievement. "The reward is a new you, at a new level, in this new year."

January 16, 2023

Flatbed On Highway California Pacheco Pass

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