The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has announced some major changes, perhaps none more significant than overhauling its carrier identification system. By Oct. 1, 2025, the agency plans to phase out Motor Carrier (MC) numbers and transition entirely to USDOT numbers. This move is part of an effort to modernize carrier registration, reduce fraud, and streamline compliance processes. While the change may seem like a minor administrative update, it carries significant implications for...
Trucker Tips
Evolving Beyond Reactive Maintenance Models to Predictive Success
Fleet maintenance has long been an area where outdated practices collide with modern technology, creating a divide between those who embrace data-driven efficiency and those who remain stuck in the reactive, break-fix, put-out-fires mentality. While the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration requires preventive maintenance programs, compliance doesn’t always mean a fleet operates safely or cost-effectively. The real difference is how fleets approach maintenance, whether reactive,...
https://www.freightwaves.com/news/evolving-beyond-reactive-maintenance-models-to-predictive-success
Fleet Technology to Keep Fleets Prepared For CVSA Safety Blitzes in 2025
Every year, the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) has a series of safety enforcement initiatives to identify unsafe vehicles and drivers, reduce crashes, and promote compliance with federal regulations. These blitzes, which occur across the United States, Canada and Mexico, involve thousands of inspectors conducting roadside inspections, reviewing driver records and assessing vehicle conditions.
For fleets, these initiatives can be a make-or-break moment. Failing an inspection can lead...
Fuel Conservation Strategies for Fleets
Fuel is among trucking fleets’ biggest operational expenses, accounting for between 15% and 30% of total costs. With fluctuating diesel prices and increasing concerns over fuel fraud and inefficiencies, fleet owners must implement more innovative strategies to manage consumption without compromising productivity. Effective fuel conservation improves fleet efficiency, enhances driver accountability, and extends vehicle life while reducing environmental impact.
As technology advances, data-driven...
https://www.freightwaves.com/news/fuel-conservation-strategies-for-fleets
How to Maximize Your MATS Experience as a Small Carrier/Owner-Operator
Attending the Mid-America Trucking Show (MATS) can be overwhelming. With over 50,000 attendees, thousands of vendors, and over a million square feet of exhibition space, it’s easy to get lost in the spectacle. If you go in without a plan, you’ll end up wandering aimlessly, snapping pictures, and walking away with a bag full of brochures but no real business impact. If you’re intentional, MATS can be one of the most productive events of your year.
I remember my first time at MATS over a decade...
Actualizaciones de criterios fuera de servicio de CVSA: lo que los operadores y operadores de propietarios pequeños necesitan saber
Actualizaciones de criterios fuera de servicio de CVSA: lo que los operadores y operadores de propietarios pequeños necesitan saber La Alianza de Seguridad de Vehículos Comerciales (CVSA) ha introducido actualizaciones clave de los criterios fuera de servicio, que surtan efecto en 1 de abril. Si es un propietario-operador o ejecuta una flota pequeña, estos cambios […]
CVSA’s 2025 Out-of-Service Criteria Updates: What Small Carriers and Owner-Operators Need to Know
CVSA’s 2025 Out-of-Service Criteria Updates: What Small Carriers and Owner-Operators Need to Know
The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) has introduced key updates to the Out-of-Service Criteria, set to take effect on April 1. If you’re an owner-operator or running a small fleet, these changes could impact your operations, inspections and overall compliance. This year’s focus is on brakes, tires and suspensions, along with a few critical driver eligibility updates that could disrupt...
The On-Again, Off-Again, Now-On-Again BOI Filing Requirement for Fleets
Fleets operate under a never-ending, often confusing web of regulations, from DOT compliance to fuel tax reporting and now, for sure, beneficial ownership information (BOI). BOI reporting has become another layer of legal complexity. While the Corporate Transparency Act (CTA), which mandates BOI filing, was designed to combat financial crimes like money laundering, fraud and tax evasion, its implementation has been anything but smooth. Litigation has cast uncertainty over its future, leaving...
El mercado de carga se endurece como tasas de diapositivas: lo que significa para los propietarios-operadores
El mercado de flete está pasando por una sacudida, y si eres un pequeño transportista, lo estás sintiendo. Las tarifas no son lo que eran hace un mes, y los números no mienten, Las tasas de manchas y contratos están a la baja, las tasas de rechazo se mantienen bajas y el volumen general de […]
Esta...
Freight Market Tightens as Rates Slide: What It Means for Owner-Operators
The freight market is going through a shake-up, and if you’re a small carrier, you are feeling it. Rates aren’t what they were even a month ago, and the numbers don’t lie — spot and contract rates are trending downward, rejection rates are staying low, and overall freight volume is slipping.Freight demand overall is down 6.5% month over month, and fuel costs have risen 6 cents per gallon over the same period. That means not only are there fewer loads available, but the cost to run those loads...