Straight-talk trucking tips for drivers and owner-operators — no fluff, no recycled blog filler. This is where we break down the stuff that actually affects your paycheck and your career: per diem and taxes, IFTA and fuel costs, HazMat and TWIC endorsements, ELD and hours-of-service rules, DOT inspections, running under your own authority, and more. Written by people who actually drive. Keep the Shiny Side Up!
Browse more: All Posts · Dogs · Journey’s · Recruitment · Trucking 411 · Well-Oiled Machine
Dolly Parton’s name is on a lot of things. Most of them are worth the stop. I wanted to know whether a travel stop with her name on it would hold up for the people who actually live out here — the ones who need a shower, a place to put seventy-five feet of truck,…
The first tax season as a 1099 driver catches almost everybody off guard. You ran hard all year, the settlements looked great, and then April shows up with a bill nobody warned you about. It doesn’t have to go that way. If you understand a handful of basics — and build two or three simple…
I-70 isn’t all bad — but the Indiana stretch has been voted the worst highway in America, and now they want to toll it. Here’s a trucker’s honest take.
How Much Does It Cost to Get Your Own Authority? A complete 2026 breakdown of every startup and recurring cost — insurance, plates, permits, ELD, and the fees most guides leave out.
The honest, step-by-step guide to getting your own trucking authority — every filing, agency, and recurring cost, plus the broker authority-age wall nobody warns you about.
Expedited freight runs on a different rhythm than OTR — wait, then run hard. Here’s what it actually is, who it fits, and why it pays on salary, not CPM.
Your ELD and Hours of Service rules aren’t optional — violations cost fines, CSA points, even your CDL. Here’s every HOS limit explained in plain language.
Truckers and owner-operators leave real money on the table every tax season. Here’s how to maximize per diem, deductions, and write-offs you’re probably missing.
The benefits of 1099 vs W-2 can net savvy drivers more annually, but it requires discipline.
What is trucking per diem? We break down the 2026 rates for U.S. and Canada runs, the 80% deduction, and how self-employed drivers claim it.