Savvy Owner Operators follow freight leads that produce the highest revenue per mile. With fuel expenses on the rise, trucking companies must remain constantly focused on their bottom line. By choosing carriers that offer the highest freight rates per mile and a reasonable fuel surcharge, trucking business owners can thrive even in a tight economy.

Before offering a carrier your services, compare trucking business leads against each other. The rate per mile is of great importance, but so are a number of other factors. When comparing carriers, ask yourself:

1. What is the fuel surcharge? Does it pay during deadhead miles? Is it flexible or fixed? Seek other trucking leads if the carrier offers too small of a surcharge — your business must contain fuel expenses in order to survive.

2. How many miles will I average per month? Will this gross rate meet my company’s goals?

3. What expenses am I required to pay? Who buys the plate, insurance and permits? What about incidentals such as tolls, scales and fuel card fees?

4. How many days am I required to work per month? How much home time is available? Does the carrier have a rider program? Home time is important — find trucking sales leads elsewhere if the carrier doesn’t offer reasonable time with your family.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Find carriers that provide trucking industry sales leads in your desired region

Different carriers service different parts of the country. Some cover all of the continental U.S. and Canada. Others service smaller multi-state regions, or operate within a single state.

I recommend: Search for carriers using the regional tool at EveryOwnerOperatorJob.com. For a more comprehensive list, FleetSeek offers subscriptions to their National Motor Carrier Directory, an online database with over 50,000 carriers.

Check out potential trucking sales prospects before signing the dotted line

Never lease on with a carrier without knowing the business practices of the company you're dealing with.

I recommend: Always verify a carrier’s safety rating, authority and insurance coverage through the FMCSA website. The L&I Report provides licensing and insurance information, and SafeStat shows the carrier’s past and present safety rating. To automatically monitor changes in a carrier’s status, sign up for a free trial of Carrier 411. You'll receive immediate email updates in events such as dropped insurance or safety rating changes.

Stay current with sales leads in trucking with transportation news

By keeping abreast of current events within your industry, you can study market trends that will assist you in choosing a suitable carrier.

I recommend: Get trucking news reports daily by visiting Landline Magazine online. For even more articles, visit their blog. Another great resource for trucking news is OOIDA.com, which represents over 160,000 independent Owner Operators.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  There's no need to waste valuable time and money leasing to substandard carriers; take the advice of other Owner Operators instead. Search trucking forums and blogs for firsthand, insider information on carrier trucking leads.