If your trucking income's taken a beating this down cycle, you're not alone

Owner-operator business services firm ATBS' midyear update session on September 19 revealed a few different ways the average ATBS client might make up the income loss we’ve seen over the last year and a half -- on average, it’s been an almost 10% decline.

In real terms, though, as ATBS VP Mike Hosted notes at the top of the Overdrive Radio podcast edition embedded below, a 1% increase in fuel mileage would get all of that back for the average owner-operator. In short, there are tangible things that can be done to combat what's been tough times of late, particularly in the spot markets for freight.

[Related: Will trucking turn positive for owner-operators anytime soon? ATBS data analysis points the way]

For the Youtube video version of this week's edition of Overdrive Radio, catch Hosted's presentation in full, complete with dozens of slides charting market data and the firm's operating analysis of the 12 months ending June 30, compared to the prior year. For podcast listeners, you can follow along with all his slides by downloading the presentation at this link, too. 

Overdrive Radio's sponsor is Things have changed mightily since this time a year ago. Rates are down big-time in the spot market, a little less so but also down in the contract market. Those big negatives have come with at least some positives. With declining demand, used-truck prices are way down, too, and parts and other maintenance difficulties, though not entirely resolved, seem to be getting better.