Owner-Operator Guides
Practical guides covering the math and decisions that come up most often — costs, loads, taxes, insurance, and financing. Each guide links to the relevant calculator so you can run your own numbers.
Costs & Profitability
How to Calculate Your Cost Per Mile
The step-by-step breakdown of fixed vs. variable costs, the formula, and a real example showing why your margin is smaller than the rate per mile suggests.
How to Evaluate a Load Before You Accept It
Why rate per mile misleads you, how to calculate all-miles rate, account for deadhead and fuel, and compare loads by actual profit.
What Deadhead Miles Cost and How to Reduce Them
The real dollar cost of empty miles, how to calculate deadhead percentage, and practical strategies to reduce repositioning.
Compliance & Taxes
IFTA Filing for Owner-Operators: How It Works
A plain-English explanation of the taxable-gallon calculation, what records you need, quarterly deadlines, and the most common mistakes.
Owner-Operator Taxes: Self-Employment Tax and Quarterly Payments
The 15.3% self-employment tax surprise, how quarterly estimated payments work, and the key deductions that reduce your taxable income.
Financing & Insurance
Trucking Insurance: What Coverage You Actually Need
FMCSA required minimums, what each coverage type does, typical cost ranges for new vs. established authority, and what drives your premium.
How Freight Factoring Works (and What It Actually Costs)
The advance, reserve, and fee structure explained. Recourse vs. non-recourse. And the real annual cost on $200,000 in invoices.
Owner-Operator Startup Costs: What to Budget Before Year One
Operating authority fees, first-year insurance, truck financing, permits, and the cash reserves you actually need before your first load.