Check out the full show notes and drop a comment at HaulinAssetsLLC.com Or find us and reach out on facebook A couple of episodes ago I talked about being deliberate. One of the best ways to ensure you are deliberate in all that you do is to have a clear vision. All great leaders have a good vision. Whether you are an owner operator or the owner of a large fleet, you have to have a clear vision of the future if you want to maximize your success. What To Expect From Episode 61 Craig and I talk ab...
Oct 07, 2020•34 min•Ep. 63
Another month gone by and it was a unique month, we get into why. We also answer a couple questions from listeners at the end of the episode. What To Expect From Episode 60 Here are the numbers for the month. Craig and I go over them and talk about why the numbers are lower than normal. Total miles ran – 4,764 Deadhead miles – 199 (4%, I think that is my lowest ever) Total revenue - $12,440.01 All-in rate-per-mile - $2.51 (That number is very skewed because we delivered a load around the 1st, bu...
Sep 23, 2020•34 min•Ep. 62
Check out the full show notes and drop a comment at HaulinAssetsLLC.com Or find us and reach out on facebook It has always been a desire of mine to be financially successful. Since I was in my early 20's, I have had two big financial goals. The first was to have a net worth of $1 million by the time I was 40. The second is to be financially independent by the time I turn 50. I'm a very driven person, my wife both loves and hates that fact, and I have met the first goal and have 8 more years to a...
Sep 10, 2020•42 min•Ep. 61
As always, head to HaulinAssetsLLC.com for full show notes and documents from this and other episodes! Things seem to be getting better and better as the months go by, but we are clearly not out of the woods yet. July was better than June, and the freight market seems to continue to move in the right direction. Rates toward the end of the month were better than the beginning of the month. What To Expect From Episode 58 Here are the numbers for the month. Craig and I go over them and talk in deta...
Aug 26, 2020•26 min•Ep. 60
As always, head to HaulinAssetsLLC.com for full show notes and documents from this and other episodes! Chris and Craig tackle the topic of how (and more importantly, how NOT) to grow your company from one truck to more. The basic principle is this: Chris has seen too many owner-operators try to grow their company too fast, and to step away from a driving role too soon. Chris breaks down the numbers, showing how you can grow your company--and your fleet--in a sustainable, healthy way....
Aug 12, 2020•33 min•Ep. 59
As always, head to HaulinAssetsLLC.com for full show notes and documents from this and other episodes! We're still experiencing the roller coaster ride of a tough economy and a volatile freight market. With that being said, we still made money in June, it just wasn't much. Like my dad always says, "It's better than a swift kick in the butt. The biggest difference this month that really affected our financials were much higher than normal maintenance and repair expenses. What To Expect From Episo...
Jul 22, 2020•17 min•Ep. 58
As always, head to HaulinAssetsLLC.com for full show notes and documents from this and other episodes! The Bible teaches that if you live by God’s Ten Commandments, He will bless you. Similarly, if you follow my Ten Commandments for Owner Operators, you’re likely to find success. What To Expect From Episode 55 These are great rules for an Owner Operator to live by. You don’t necessarily have to follow them 100%, but the closer you adhere to them, the lower your risk and the greater your chance o...
Jul 15, 2020•39 min•Ep. 57
As always head to HaulinAssetsLLC.com for full show notes and documents from this and other episodes. Over the past year, I have laid out the blueprint for the first year of operation of a one truck, owner operator trucking company. In this episode we talk about some of the keys to my success, some of the challenges I faced, and what the end result has been. I truly feel like there is no reason anyone can’t follow my plan and be just as successful as I was. In fact, I think most people can do be...
Jul 01, 2020•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 56
When I first started working on this series for hiring a truck driver, I was only planning on 3 episodes. As I got further into the process, I realized that the screening process needed its own episode for two reasons. First, it is so important. The screening process is 90% of what sets you up for hiring a good driver vs being stuck with a bad egg. Second, it has a lot of parts to it. In this episode I cover the 7 steps I use when I hire a driver. What To Expect From Episode 53 One of the bigges...
Jun 17, 2020•48 min•Ep. 55
May was much better than April, in fact, we were able to turn a healthy profit. The freight market was better than April, but still unstable. It seems hit and miss. One day an area of the country has decent rates and a few days later the same area crashes and rates go bad. With that being said, rates on a whole are definitely improving. What To Expect From Episode 52 Here are the numbers for the month. Craig and I go over them and talk in detail during this episode. Total miles ran – 12,202 Dead...
Jun 10, 2020•19 min•Ep. 54
Hiring a truck driver is probably one of the trickiest things about owning a trucking company. The right decision will be one of the best things you have ever done, and the wrong decision could make for one of your biggest nightmares. You want to do everything you can to do it right. I'm going to give a bunch of pointers throughout this episode to help make the process run as smoothly as possible. The screening part of the process is very involved and will be covered in detail in episode 53. Wha...
Jun 03, 2020•31 min•Ep. 53
Classifying a truck driver as either an employee or an independent contractor is one of the hottest topics in the trucking industry. If you are considering hiring a driver, this is an important episode. To help us out with this topic, we've brought in the big guns. Ryan Nelson, president of the Utah chapter of Employers Council, has lots of experience and expertise in the trucking industry and joins us to help shed some light on this complicated topic. Employers Council is a nonprofit that provi...
May 27, 2020•50 min•Ep. 52
Hiring the first driver for your trucking company is a huge step, and you don't want to screw it up. It is one of the most critical steps you will take if you want to grow your company. This is the first episode of a three-part series on hiring a driver. In the next episode, we will talk about how to classify your driver, as an employee or independent contractor. This is always one of the hottest topics in the trucking industry. The third installment will cover the actual process, the nuts and b...
May 20, 2020•38 min•Ep. 51
April was a tough month, the first time Haulin Assets lost money in a month. Luckily, the freight market seems to have hit bottom in April and things are picking up. The other good news is that we are still up $9,562.14 for the year. What To Expect From Episode 48 There are a lot of reason April was a bad a month. It's all tied to the Corona Virus hitting the US in full force and wreaking havoc on everything. Rates were bad and freight was hard to find. To compound the problem I hired a brand ne...
May 13, 2020•32 min•Ep. 50
Renewing the insurance on a commercial motor vehicle, especially a semi-truck, is more involved than it is on a personal vehicle. For most small trucking companies, insurance is usually your highest fixed cost and in the top five of all your expenses. It's important to make sure you are getting the best bang for your buck when it comes from insurance. I just went through the renewal process for Haulin Assets and want to share some of what I learned. What To Expect From Episode 47 During this epi...
May 06, 2020•41 min•Ep. 49
The answer to the question the title of this episode bears is not as simple as you might think. Would I want to be finding loads for a brand new trucking company today? No, but timing is important and things change quickly and everyone’s situation is different. This episode is being released as the United States is in the thick of the coronavirus pandemic. The topics we touch on during this episode will apply to this situation and many others. In this episode I want to give listeners some things...
Apr 29, 2020•38 min•Ep. 48
This is a bitter sweet episode. Bitter, because the US Economy and Trucking Industry are going through an incredibly difficult time. Sweet because March was the best month Haulin Assets has ever had. Before we get into the episode, Craig and I talk about the state of the economy and the challenges we are facing because of the Coronavirus pandemic we are all going through. First, I don't want to downplay how difficult a time this is. But.... I am an eternal optimist, which I think is very helpful...
Apr 15, 2020•34 min•Ep. 47
I know, it's a weird title, but Tardigrades aka water bears are considered by most, to be the most adaptable living organism on the earth. When the economy hits a speed bump, like it is now because of the coronavirus, those who can adapt are the ones who survive and ultimately thrive. What To Expect From Episode 44 This episode covers some important topics to help Owner Operators and smaller fleets survive a bumpy economy. Here is how the episode is laid out: Background What makes Owner Operator...
Apr 08, 2020•55 min•Ep. 46
This is the final episode of a 3 part series where I go over some of the most important aspects of compliance with the DOT and FMCSA regulations for motor carriers. This specific episode covers the DOT New Entrant Safety Audit. What to Expect From Episode 43 I just went through my DOT New Entrant Safety Audit and I want to share my experience with all of you so you know what to expect and have the best experience possible. During this episode Craig and I start with some background for context an...
Apr 01, 2020•33 min•Ep. 45
This is the second episode of a 3 part series where I go over some of the most important aspects of compliance with the DOT and FMCSA regulations for motor carriers. This specific episode covers preparing for a DOT Safety Audit. What to Expect From Episode 42 Even if you don't have a DOT Safety Audit on the horizon, you should always be prepared for one. Going through the process of preparing for an audit is a good way to make sure you are following all the regulations and won't get caught with ...
Mar 25, 2020•30 min•Ep. 43
Over the next three episodes, I am going to take a deep dive into the FMCSA's safety program. For most people, compliance with all the FMCSA's rules and regulations is a daunting task that many are too intimidated to handle. I think there would be a lot of really good people who would make the jump to being an independent owner operator if this one thing did not seem so overwhelming. I hope these next few episodes can show people that it's not too hard, and they can do it if they are willing to ...
Mar 18, 2020•37 min•Ep. 44
I'm getting February's financials out a week earlier than I normally would, because I'm going to do a three-part series on safety and compliance, and I want to be able to do them all in a row, without interruption. Here is a sneak peek for what the episodes will be about. Episode 41 - What Is the FMCSA CSA Program? Episode 42 - How To Prepare for a DOT Audit Episode 43 - How To Pass a DOT New Entrant Audit What To Expect From Episode 40 February could have been worse. I had to take more than hal...
Mar 11, 2020•23 min•Ep. 42
No one likes to pay taxes and submitting your tax returns is not the funnest thing in the world. In this episode, I’ll share some tips to make the process as painless as possible. What to Expect From Episode 39 Don’t wait until the last minute to get started. Unless you file your taxes as a sole proprietor, your return is due March 15th of every year. You should typically have all your info to your accountant by the end of February to give them time to get it all done and filed on time. If you c...
Mar 04, 2020•33 min•Ep. 41
Another month has passed by and financials are out. What to Expect From Episode 38 January was a much better month than I was expecting. In fact, it was the best month I have ever had. Listen to the episode to learn what contributed to the success. Here is a quick overview, and Craig and I talk about all the details during the episode. Scroll to the bottom and you’ll see copies of the Profit and Loss Statement and the Balance Sheet. Total miles ran - 9,629 Deadhead miles - 1,188 (Out of Control)...
Feb 19, 2020•25 min•Ep. 40
Since I started this podcast, I've talked a lot about having the mindset of an owner operator. I going to dive deeper into that topic during this episode. What To Expect From Episode 37 I created a list of 10 questions you can ask yourself to help you know if you have the mindset of a successful owner operator. Craig and I will talk about each one of them in depth. They are listed them from what I feel like is the least to the most important characteristic. You might not feel like you've develop...
Feb 12, 2020•28 min•Ep. 39
One of the most common questions Owner Operators ask themselves is whether they should take a lower paying load now, or sit and wait for a better paying load. We try to answer that question during this episode. What To Expect From Episode 36 Math class is in session. Here is a story problem we are going to use to answer the question whether we should take a load or sit. You know you can get a load today at $1.80 per-mile that will keep you running 650 miles a day for three days. What rate per mi...
Jan 22, 2020•28 min•Ep. 38
If you have not listened to episode 33, Bad News, Good News , listen to that first. There is a backstory to this episode, and understanding it will give you better context to this episode as we go over the December financials. What to Expect From Episode 35 December was a tough month. I had to do an engine rebuild, so I was out of commission and did not pick up my first load until the 17th. I ran until the 23rd and then was back at it on the 26th. I was hoping to take a little more time off arou...
Jan 15, 2020•21 min•Ep. 37
Do you want to know what one thing will have one of the biggest impact on your business? It's giving your business a sold direction with specific goals to meet. Annual planning is one of the things Chris does that has a significant benefit to his businesses. It doesn't have to be complicated or long and drawn out. In fact, simple is better.
Jan 08, 2020•43 min•Ep. 36
The Bad News I like to rip the bandaid off quick and get the bad news over with first. The head on my truck cracked and had to be replaced along with the cylinder sleeves. I was off the road for three weeks. The Good News It was all covered under the extended warranty I purchased. Boy am I glad I bought that warranty. What to Expect From Episode 33 A major engine repair on a truck with as few miles as mine has is rare, but it does happen. If you don't plan and prepare for something like this to ...
Jan 01, 2020•38 min•Ep. 35
One of the most common questions I get from people starting a new trucking company is how to find loads when so many brokers won't work with you. Even though we have had other episodes that talk about finding loads, I still get a lot of questions specific to getting through that first 90 days when your options with brokers is limited. So.... I decided to do a full episode dedicated to just that. What to Expect From Episode 32 Craig and I dive into the specifics of working with brokers who will a...
Dec 18, 2019•35 min•Ep. 34
