After an extended break, Haulin’ Assets is back.

In this episode, I explain where we’ve been, why the podcast went quiet longer than expected, and what’s changing as we relaunch. Quarter four was busy, the market shifted quickly, and between operational changes and a major accident, it was time to pause, reassess, and reset.

This episode will feel familiar, but it also marks a more focused direction going forward.

Where We’ve Been

Q4 snowballed faster than expected.

I talk through:

• Why I needed to step away
• How the break stretched longer than planned
• What we’ve been rebuilding behind the scenes

The goal wasn’t just to restart the show, but to make sure it continues to deliver real value.

Financials: The Real Numbers

Here’s how the business performed late last year:

• September: $23,428 profit | $2.16 per mile
• October: –$6,143.88 | $2.26 per mile
• November: $12,877 profit | $2.18 per mile
• December: $27,818 profit | $2.16 per mile

All P&L documents are available in the show notes.

Changes in How We Operate

In October, I took a hard look at our lanes, shippers, and loops.

The takeaway was clear: some lanes we ran regularly were significantly less profitable. As a result:

• We avoid underperforming lanes whenever possible
• We largely stay out of the Southeast
• When we do go there, we head straight back west instead of drifting northeast

That approach saves roughly 2.5 days of transit time, and with a truck costing about $400 per day to sit, those decisions add up quickly. This analysis is now a monthly process.

Market Shifts and a Major Loss

We also saw one of our strongest Q4 pushes in several years, along with new freight contracts coming online.

At the same time, we experienced a major accident that resulted in the loss of a truck and trailer—an event that had real operational impact and contributed to the reset.

The Relaunch

Going forward, Haulin’ Assets is refocusing on the owner-operator.

That means:

• More business-focused topics
• More attention to both the owner and driver side
• More discussion of the owner-operator lifestyle

It's Truck Driver Appreciation Week and before we get into the August 2025 Financials, Craig and I talk a little bit about what that means. I personally want to thank you all for being such a driving force in the economy of this great country. Without you we would not be able to live such blessed lives. I try to make sure my kids understand how important the trucking industry is, especially its drivers. Thank you!

What To Expect From Episode 186

This year is feel more like a regular freight market, something I don’t think we have felt for 6 years, since 2019. That is good and bad. Good, because I think we are going to feel a good 4th quarter bump, which we haven’t seen in a long time. Bad because summer is always pretty tough, and August wasn’t super pretty for us. Let's take a look at the numbers:

• Total miles ran– 104,346
• Deadhead miles– 7,540 (7.2%)
• Total revenue- $209,337.10
• All-in rate-per-mile- $2.01

Haulin Assets had a loss of $6,767.91. We did not get enough miles. We really have to be over 110k to even have a fighting chance. Considering we were so far under, it could have been worse.

Here are the P&L Items we are going to discuss in more detail.

• Revenue
• Damages
• Fuel
• Repairs and Maintenance
• Taxes and Licensing

The last couple of weeks have actually been kind of slow, when it comes to the craziness of trucking so I don't have any really dramatic stories from the road. However, now that Break Safety Week has come and gone I do talk about how it affected our fleet. Leave a comment and let me know what your experience was like.

What to Expect in Episode 185

It’s a pretty normal reaction to be scared of the unknown. Just like Dorothy, the Tin Man, and the Scarecrow were scared of the unknown that lurked in the forest as they journeyed to Oz, changes lurking in the trucking industry can be scary too. I thought it would be interesting to talk about some of the topics that seem to be getting a lot of attention these days. Here's how this episode breaks down.

Electric Trucks

I talk about my experience driving an electric vehicle for the last 7+ years and how I think it relates to trucks.

Driverless Vehicles

My Tesla has the "Full Self Driving" feature. It's good, but I think it's going to be a while before we see anything of any significance in capability and quantity in the trucking world. Craig and I talk about why.

The English Proficiency Mandate

A recent crash in Florida that killed 3 has brought this topic to the forefront of the highway safety discussion. Craig and I talk about some of the specifics and how this has the potential to have a significant impact in the not too distant future.

The financial challenges continue in July, but before we get into that I tell Craig about two stories from the road. One of them involves smelly onions. The other is about some spilt milk — buttermilk, to be exact.

What To Expect From Episode 184

June was a pretty rough month and July was even worse. The summer months are always hard to get through. I still think the market is in the very early stage of a rebound. The biggest problems we had in July are really driven by internal factors, not external ones. Let's take a look at the numbers:

• Total miles ran– 107,335
• Deadhead miles– 8,546 (8.0%)
• Total revenue- $235,064.03
• All-in rate-per-mile- $2.19

Haulin Assets had a loss of $8,939.48. We just did not get enough miles, especially considering the bump in expenses we had in a few areas.

Here are the P&L Items we are going to discuss in more detail.

• Revenue
• Damages
• Repairs and Maintenance
• Fuel

In this episode of Haulin Assets, we’re giving a freight market update—and while the beginning might sound a little doom-and-gloom, don’t worry. There’s light at the end of the tunnel, and we share why things are finally starting to turn around.

We walk through the current market forces, how we got here, and why I believe the 4th quarter of 2025 could be the best we’ve seen in quite a while.

You can listen to the full episode here or on your favorite podcast app.

We start off with a quick story about a rental truck and a call I had with a judge in Oregon who, until now, had never let anyone off the hook for an OR citation. After I explained how Oregon’s system works—and how it differs from other states—she had a change of heart. It was a good reminder of how misunderstood the trucking world can be from the outside.

Then we dig into the big topic: how the freight market has evolved over the past five years, with a focus on:

• A quick refresher on supply and demand, complete with a graph analogy:

  • Y-axis = freight rates

  • X-axis = number of trucks and volume of freight

  • Where the lines cross is market equilibrium—where supply meets demand

• What happened during and after COVID:

  • Massive consumer spending on goods instead of travel

  • Skyrocketing freight volume and rates

  • A wave of new entrants into the trucking industry

• How it all began to change around March 2022:

  • Too many trucks on the road

  • Freight rates dropping consistently for nearly two years

• Signs of stabilization in 2024–25:

  • Truck count slowly decreasing

  • Demand holding steady

  • Recent holidays (DOT Blitz, Memorial Day, July 4th) showed stronger rate spikes than we’ve seen in years

For the first time in a long while, we’re back near equilibrium. There’s very little excess capacity in the market right now, and when capacity dips—even a little—rates jump. That’s a good sign.

I think we’re heading into a much stronger Q4 than we’ve had in recent years. If you’ve been hanging on, it might finally start paying off.

June had some short-term challenges, but also some indicators that the future might be a little brighter. Before we dive into the numbers, I share an experience one of our drivers had that caused an unloading delay. It was a new one that had never happened to us before. We also talk a little about the challenges we faced over the 4th of July weekend. It was a pretty tough weekend.

What To Expect From Episode 182

June was another pretty rough month for us. The good news is that is that the biggest contributing factor was not the market, but some short-term issues that we were able to work through. Let's take a look at the numbers:

• Total miles ran– 94,128
• Deadhead miles– 7,658 (8.1%)
• Total revenue- $219,217.73
• All-in rate-per-mile- $2.33

Haulin Assets had a profit of $152.17. Our saving grace this month was a better rate per mile than we have seen in a long time. Even though it was profitable, it was a negative cashflow month so we need to keep fighting to see a significant improvement to that number.

Here are the Profit & Loss items we discuss in more detail:

• Revenue
• Fuel
• Repairs and maintenance

The most common question I get is, "When is a good time to start a trucking company". In this Episode Craig and I are going to answer that question and the answer might not be what you think. But..... before we get into that, I tell a story about a stressful situation one of our drivers experienced that has a happy ending and gives you faith in humanity.

Starting your own business is never an easy decision. It requires a huge leap of faith and a lot of guts. Most people just are not willing to jump into the unknown like that. I commend you for even thinking about it. The entrepreneurial spirit is one of the biggest, if not the biggest reason the United States is the greatest country in the world. The right time for you to start a trucking company is a very personal decision and I hope this episode will give you some insight to help you make that very big decision.

I think there are different 4 scenarios or "triggers" that when you meet at least one of them you are increasing your likelihood of being able to run a successful operation. The first three are things that are well within your control. The last one is not in your control and I think it is also the one that involves the most risk and most prone to failure. It is also the one that entices most people to make the leap.

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Before we dive into the nuts and bolts of May 2025, Craig and I talk about the crazy weekend we just had. Literally every truck had some kind of significant issue over the weekend. Everything from problems cause by getting loaded more than 24 hours late to breakdowns and blown tires. It is crazy how you can go from one weekend that is quiet with almost no activity to one like last weekend where all hell breaks loose. I also ask for your opinions on how much of an impact hot weather has on tire failure rates.

What To Expect From Episode 180

The ups and downs of trucking are not limited to crazy or mundane weekends, the profitability of trucking is also one heck of a roller coaster. After a better start to the year than we have experienced the last several years, May hit a brick wall. I don't think the difference we saw in May is due to the market, but more because of internal factors we experienced. Let's take a look at the numbers:

• Total miles ran– 99,880
• Deadhead miles– 7,985 (8%)
• Total revenue- $205,682.73
• All-in rate-per-mile- $2.06

Haulin Assets had a loss of $27,150.76. Wow, that was hard to type, that is almost a $75,000 difference between April and May, even though May even had a slightly higher rate per mile. There is A LOT going on in the P&L and we talk about it in more detail than normal. You'll want to listen to the episode to get the full story.

Here are the P&L items we dive into:

• Revenue
  • Low revenue was the largest contributing factor to the loss, we spend a lot of time talking about it
• Fuel
• Repairs and Maintenance
• Taxes