Close the gap

Jul 08, 2013

“My best tip from hauling trade shows with a 53-foot van-trailer was to close the gap to at least 28 inches with the rear of the tractor. At about 30 inches, wind removes the aerodynamics, so I specifically measured each trailer I was hooking to avoid fuel mileage loss.”

R.A.”Bob” McConnell
Owner-operator, ROMCO Equipment

From expected Biden DOT, owner-operators look for parking, highways, FLSA reforms

January 6, 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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