TRUCKING BLOG

Long-haul freight is moving from truck to intermodal rail as diesel stays above $6 per gallon and truck capacity remains tight. Rail volumes are healthy, with carloads up for nine straight months and total rail traffic up 3.6% year-over-year in 3Q26. Intermodal is the strongest growth segment, driven by record volumes and continued highway-to-rail conversion. Elevated fuel costs and limited new truck capacity make rail more attractive on longer lanes where service holds up. T

Red-dyed diesel is intended for qualifying off-highway uses. Generally, this includes farmers and ranchers running equipment like tractors and harvesting equipment, along with construction equipment and generators. Most off-highway diesel is ultra-low sulfur diesel, similar to what trucks use, but it is dyed red so it can be identified for tax purposes. The dye itself does not tell you the fuel’s grade or sulfur content. For qualifying uses, this fuel is generally exempt from

Capacity is leaving the market and net income for the average owner-operator has climbed 10.4%. At the same time, a spring spike in diesel prices took a big bite out of those gains. It has been a very interesting first half of 2026. Below, we break down the mid-year data and tackle the questions owner-operators are asking most: How much capacity has actually left the market, and how much more could follow? Where do miles, revenue per mile, fuel, maintenance, and net income st

Dealing with IRS tax debt can be overwhelming. When you start looking for help, you may quickly find dozens of companies promising to settle your tax debt for pennies on the dollar. But not every tax resolution company works the same way and choosing the wrong one could leave you paying thousands of dollars in fees without getting the level of service you expected. For owner-operators, there is another challenge: your tax situation is often more complicated than a standard W-

For years, carriers were stuck in a brutal squeeze. Rates fell off their pandemic highs, freight demand softened, and operating costs climbed the entire time. The result was one of the hardest margin environments the industry has ever produced. Many carriers exited. The ones who survived did it by getting disciplined, and many of them still ran near break-even or worse while they did it.

Rates have risen quickly, and the headline numbers look better than they have in years. But the number on the load board and the margin in your pocket aren't the same thing this time around. For the past three years, carriers were stuck in a brutal squeeze. Rates fell from pandemic highs, freight demand softened, and operating costs climbed. The result was one of the most difficult margin environments the industry has ever seen. Some carriers exited the market, and the surviv