The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) has released the preliminary job numbers in the trucking industry for January 2021. The results are slightly surprising, ending an eight month streak of job growth in the industry, the preliminary numbers suggest the first month of job losses since the dog days of the coronavirus pandemic back in […]
ACT and FTR differ on their numbers for Class 8 truck sales by a few hundred each month, but their general messages are the same. This prior month’s message being that the trucking industry is cooling off from the holiday season, but still shows promise of being on fire.The NumbersACT has sales for January set […]
In tandem with the previous two months of freight data, one form of freight deviates in direction from the others. This month, however, two dropped while only one rose.The DataOf the three forms of freight, the largest change happened with dry vans, dropping nine cents to have its rate the lowest since August. It is […]
If you have been following the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) news for a while now, three names might ring as familiar: Raymond Martinez, Jim Mullen, and Wiley Deck. These three were the deputy administrators of the FMCSA during the Trump Administration, for varying amounts of time. With the transition to the Biden Administration, […]
A little over a year ago, we wrote an article predicting how 2020 would go for the trucking industry. In the vaguest and broadest of terms, we were correct. Freight rates were on average higher than in 2019 (albeit slumped in the spring), and truck production did stall (though not because of a surplus of […]
A few days after election day, we were hesitant to officially call for Biden’s election victory due to numerous fraud allegations and lawsuits for the time between election day and inauguration day. But, all of that is behind the country and by the time you read this, Joseph Robinette Biden Jr. should be sworn in […]
Hourly pay seems like a crazy phenomenon for the trucking industry, where per mile rates rule the road. Per mile pay seems like the better solution on paper: fleet owners can find the number of miles that need to be traveled, multiply it by rate, and then figure out the payment due to the driver. […]
One problem facing electric vehicles is different plugs and outlets for charging depending on the vehicle. PACCAR Parts wants to alleviate this problem for drivers, even if they are not direct customers of PACCAR brands such as Kenworth and Peterbilt.Universal ChargingWhether you have started making the transition to electric commercial vehicles or plan to do […]
Hopefully this will be the last time we say it, because it is getting fairly old. At the same time, it is not inaccurate. The coronavirus pandemic did not reduce the demand for trucking services and assets, it only pushed that demand to a further date. If 2020’s new truck sales compared to 2019 did […]
While Elaine Chao has resigned from Secretary of the Department of Transportation by the time you read this article, one of her last acts was to order the DOT to create and publish what it calls the “Automated Vehicles Comprehensive Plan” (AVCP).It is no secret that self-driving trucks are still far away from becoming reality, […]
Secretary of the Department of Transportation Elaine Chao has announced that she will be resigning from her position, effective January 11th. This marks the end of the second-longest cabinet holding behind Mike Pence himself: Elaine Chao started January 31st, 2016. Details Elaine Chao cites the storming of the U.S. Capitol as her reason for not […]
For November, we wrote how flatbeds had their average per-mile rate reduced while the other two forms of freight increased. Poetically, it is now the refrigerated trailer to have its turn to reduce in rate.The DataWhile the numbers do not increase with the same intensity as they did in the middle of 2020, they do […]
The grace period for not being inside the FMCSA Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse, a database of drivers and such violations, is approaching its end rapidly, January 6th. If you drive under your own Authority, you must conduct a limited query for yourself and all drivers under your Authority by that date, or you may be […]
Unless your name is Jeff Bezos or Elon Musk, there is a pretty good chance this was not your year. From a potential World War III in January, to the COVID-19 pandemic that started in March and is still going today, to the summer protests and blocked highways, this year had it all. We want […]
Even if you have never heard of the SAE J560, there is an extremely high chance that you use one. Originally issued in 1951, the SAE J560 is a seven-pin connector that sends power from the truck tractor to the trailer. This gives power to lamps and other various devices for the trailer. As trailers […]
Savvy readers might remember that we analyzed a list of the best and worst states in which to drive at the start of this year, and how we voiced our concerns about the weight metrics being less than fair. For example, average gas prices were 12.86% of the grade for a state, while bad driving […]
The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) was planning to have its International Roadcheck this year in May, but due to the coronavirus pandemic, it was delayed. As we learned more about the virus and how to minimize transmission, as well as realizing it would be a while before it went away entirely, the CVSA decided […]
In the last trailer sales article, we left with this prediction: “…we believe that the pent-up demand for goods, combined with the holiday season, will lead to equal or greater trailer sales in November.” It appears we were wrong this time. October sales had an average estimate of 55,350. For the month of November 2020, […]
Under the current system of rules, third-party companies such as private truck-driving schools could not be both the trainer and the examiner for a driver. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) plans to publish a Final Rule in the Federal Register changing this. The new regulations will make it so that the trainer and […]
We wrote about what a Biden presidency would mean for the trucking industry in mid-November. In that article, our first point was that the Secretary of the Department of Transportation (DOT), Elaine Chao, would end her nearly four year term by being replaced. You have read the title of this article, so you know who […]
Hopefully this will be the last coronavirus article we at TopMark Funding will ever have to write, as the coronavirus vaccine has been authorized for distribution and application nationwide. But COVID-19 does not plan to go down without a fight, and as one last hurrah, it may just make the holidays a little more difficult, […]
The trucking industry is on fire (in a good way). Freight rates are the highest they have been in recent history, the Outbound Tender Volume Index is on the precipice of breaking new records, and new truck sales numbers just keep growing. All of these individually are great, but combined they bring forth a new […]
Remember in October when the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) started allowing tanker trucks to use pulsating amber brake lights? It may be added to more truck types soon enough, as the FMCSA has granted Grote Industries LLC a limited 5-year exemption to allow motor carriers operating trailers and van body trucks to install […]
Freight Transportation Research Associates (FTR) released their data on new Class 8 truck sales for November 2020 on December 2nd. We predicted the numbers would stagnate and be approximately equal to those found in October, at around 40,100. To say the very least, we were wrong. The Data FTR reports preliminary data that says that […]
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) releases two statistics each month: one is the preliminary numbers (estimate) for the month prior, and the other is a more accurate count for three months prior. The solid numbers for September came in with November’s preliminaries, and while the former is essentially what the BLS has suspected, the […]
As the coronavirus vaccines are finalized and become ready for distribution, the question remains as to who gets the first round of doses. The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), an arm of the CDC, recently reached a nearly-unanimous vote on Monday approving a three step plan for vaccine distribution:Phase 1a: Healthcare workers and residents […]
Growth cannot last forever. After a long run of consistently rising freight rates, it appears flatbed rates are the first of the three to have a month lower than the previous month.Not to worry, however, as the flatbed rates only dropped one cent, so while flatbeds stumble, they are not tumbling down an impossible to […]
Nikola Motors Corporation has been through the wringer in the past few months, but there is at least one company that still holds faith in them, General Motors. GM, who swapped shared with Nikola in the early summer, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the fledgling technology company, to show intention to use […]
Coronavirus news has been taxing since April. Nonstop news of infection rates, layoffs, cancellations are all very difficult for which to manage. You might be tired of wearing a mask and may have cheated once or twice by not wearing it at the diesel pump. In spite of everything that has happened this year, there […]
What do you get when you combine pushed back demand from the coronavirus pandemic with the demand of Black Friday? You get the highest demand for truckload shipments in recent history. Since FreightWaves created the Outbound Tender Volume Index (OTVI), it is at the highest it has ever been.OTVIFreightWaves describes outbound tender as:“…a load offer […]
The COVID-19 vaccine seems to be a rousing success, as companies developing them tout a 90-95% efficacy rate in testing. We have already written about one of the difficulties of distribution of the vaccine: keeping the vaccines cold. In that article, we lightly scratched on another problem that deserves more attention: the demand for reefer […]
Savvy readers of our articles may recall from late June that we wrote about Hyliion and their plans for the Hypertruck. Hyliion hoped to have their Hypertruck be negative emissions through the use of renewable natural gas (RNG). While the Hypertruck is not released yet, there is tangible proof now that their goal is attainable.Driving […]
On November 19th, the California Court of Appeals reversed the court decision in People v. Cal Cartage Transportation Express, LLC. In short, the appeals court ruled that the “ABC” test that comprises the heart of AB-5 is not in contradiction with federal law and as such is not overridden by it. The California Court In […]
If the coronavirus pandemic were a war, truckers would be the front line infantry, going out into the field to give people the supplies they need to either stay healthy (sanitizers and face masks), or to stay quarantined (food and entertainment supplies). With two different COVID-19 vaccines both showing a minimum 90% efficacy rate, it […]
It does not take an expert in economics to understand the fundamental balance between supply, demand and price. The trucking industry has been said to have a “driver shortage” for a long time now, but if the basic principle of supply versus demand holds, there would be a negative correlation between those employed and the […]
“September’s rank as third-best month in industry history was short-lived, as October activity now takes that title,” Frank Maly, director CV Transportation Analysis and Research at ACT Research, said.As we predicted back in October, the trailer sales for that month were higher than those of September, by only a few thousand. A 6% increase, more […]
Cummins and Navistar go together like garlic and onions. They recently extended their eighty-year partnership even further. Now the two companies hope to work together in the race to get a hydrogen fuel cell heavy-duty truck to market.DetailsThe Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) wants to actively promote the development […]
stek and eggs FEATURED ON DealerLinc We’re excited to announce the launch of TopMark Funding’s DealerLinc tool specifically designed to better serve our growing dealership client base. This resource was developed to help our dealership partners fund transactions more quickly including real-time updates on the status of a transaction. This has been in the works […]
We did not want to write about this Traton-Navistar deal as it was in progress, but it appears that the negotiations have been finalized. Traton, subsidiary of the Volkswagen Group, is purchasing Navistar in its entirety.DetailsBefore the buyout agreement, Traton owned 16.7% of all common shares in Navistar, meaning that their purchase was not a […]
When it comes to the monthly job totals for the trucking industry, the question for the last six months has not been whether the number goes up or down, but by how much it goes up. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) has updated its numbers at the start of November, showing preliminary numbers for […]
TopMark Funding, the premier funding destination for commercial vehicle dealers, recently joined as a sponsor for the 2020 Successful Dealer Award for the first time.TopMark Funding chose to participate in the annual program — which recognizes the best medium- and heavy-duty truck dealer groups in North America — because of the comprehensive nature in which the nominees are […]
While the winner of the 2020 election is not yet set in stone due to recounts, lawsuits, and accusations of fraud, it is hard to deny that the likelihood of becoming president has shifted into Biden’s favor. Strongly enough, in fact, that it is worth speculating what the shift in power would mean for the […]
Unless all the election news has pushed older information out of your brain, you may remember that the FMCSA spoke at an ATA virtual conference about many topics, one of which was working to make self-driving commercial vehicles as safe as possible. But beyond safety, there are many more uncertainties to autonomous trucks. Will they […]
It has been almost a year since the FMCSA instituted the Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse, which means that the deadline for running a limited query for all fleets in the nation is rapidly approaching. Here are the details of the regulations and why you should have the query done for your fleet, whether it’s a […]
Freight Transportation Research Associates (FTR) has released its latest wave of sales information regarding new Class 8 trucks. While not a two-year high, October 2018 was higher, the numbers improving upon Septembers’ victory for the trucking industry is still phenomenal.The DataNew truck sales totaled approximately 40,100 for October, according to FTR. This is an 83% […]
What do you get when you take the coronavirus pandemic’s pushing of consumer demand into later months of the year, and combine it with the infancy of the holiday season? You get October 2020, another month of consecutive growth for freight rates. In all three categories, the price per mile has gone up higher than […]
Not only is the holiday season the busiest season in trucking with increased shipping demand and often the highest rates of the year, it is also far and away the most dangerous. If your tractor breaks down on you in the summer, the only location to have any fear is in the desert. Winter, to […]
On October 28th, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration held another virtual conference, this time regarding broker regulations. In attendance were representatives from the Transportation Intermediaries Association (TIA), Owner-Operator Independent Driver Association (OOIDA), and the Small Business in Transportation Coalition (SBTC). As you can imagine, the TIA wants fewer regulations, and the OOIDA and SBTC […]
The American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI) released the results of its 2020 survey asking stakeholders in the trucking industry their thoughts on things that impact the trucking industry. Their report is a very insightful 26-page behemoth of knowledge, but for our reading base, primarily of truckers who would rather spend more time on the road […]
It seems like for the trucking industry in 2020, everyone is working together with everyone else. Yesterday was an article about partnerships in the development of autonomous trucking, and now there is more news in the sphere of green fuels: Traton SE and Hino Motors Limited have signed an agreement to work on battery-electric and […]
On October 23rd, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration Deputy Administrator Wiley Deck spoke at the American Trucking Association’s (ATA) virtual version of its Management Conference and Exhibition. The event was turned into a virtual one this year, due to the coronavirus pandemic. Here is what he spoke about. Under 21 Drivers With the trucking industry […]
Back when the coronavirus pandemic officially started back in March, it was safe to assume the whole thing would blow over by 2021 and that 2020 was but a fluke year. As we get closer and closer to 2021, that possibility seems to be becoming bleaker and bleaker. A small blow was dealt to the […]
It is the same song and dance we have been doing for the past few months: the trucking industry, while having it happen later than other industries, dropped a bit from the coronavirus pandemic, and is climbing its way back up in a slow but sure manner. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) has released […]
When a truck driver hears about laws and regulations determining the difference between an independent contractor and employee, the first thing that may come to mind is California AB-5, one of the strictest standards in the nation for determining employee eligibility. At the federal level, however, the Department of Labor (DOL) wants to revise their […]
When it comes to electric vehicles overall, even beyond electric heavy-duty trucks, two major problems impede mass production and adoption: range and refueling. We have written extensively about the first one, and automotive and tech companies work around the clock to increase the number of miles an electric truck gets on a single charge. The […]
Fully electric Class 8 vehicles that can travel along the California coast in a single charge are still off into the future, but that does not mean that electric semi-trucks do not exist now. One example of such a machine is the Kenworth T680E, which will go into production and be for sale at Kenworth […]
You might remember how the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) allowed a single company, Groendyke Transport, to add pulsating amber brake lights to the rear of their tanker trucks. You might also remember that rear-end collisions dropped over 33% for the tanker trucks equipped with them. Finally, you may recall that the FMCSA was […]
Freight Transportation Research (FTR) has been tracking trailer sales for a very long time. It means a lot when September 2020 was the third-highest month for trailer sales since they started keeping track. The Details August’s trailer sales, according to FTR, were about 28,700. Now, for September, trailer sales reached 52,000, according to preliminary numbers. […]
Some trucking tech companies such as Tesla and Nikola want to bring electricity to the trucking industry as a viable fuel source, but what happens after that? Generating electricity can still be environmentally damaging, and can take hours to fully charge a heavy truck. Hino and Toyota are thinking one step ahead by trying to […]
A week after the publishing of this article, October 2nd, marked the third annual “That’s a Big 10-4 on Washington D.C.” event. Normally the event lasts multiple days, but because of today’s landscape between the COVID-19 pandemic and social unrest during an election year, the event was compacted into a single day.The DetailsMissed the event […]
According to Freight Transportation Research Associates (FTR), around 20,500 new trucks were sold in the month of August. Now the September numbers are in, and if you have been following the truck sales for the past few months, it should not surprise you. The Data New trucks sold for September according to FTR totaled 32,000. […]
There seems to be no stopping the trucking industry. For yet another consecutive month, the freight rates for all three primary forms of shipment (dry van, flatbed, and reefer) have increased yet again. Part of the blame can be shifted to the crash in rates that happened in the spring of this year, but using […]
Daimler Trucks North America (DTNA), the parent company of Western Star, has officially revealed the company’s latest vocational truck. The company considers it the natural evolution of the 4900 series of work trucks.“We know the 4900 is a great product, but we also know that it doesn’t bring the best of technology to the customer,” […]
If you have been following the news regarding the coronavirus pandemic, you may remember two things:The hours-of-service exemption was extended until the end of 2020.Other exemptions, such as the CDL renewal, CPL renewal, and medical certification renewal, were provided.On September 18th, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) combined the two and made it so […]
In late April 2020, a tech company by the name of Pronto.ai petitioned the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, asking that its motor carrier customers get an additional two hours of driving each day thanks to the driving assistance their technology provides. You can probably tell from the title of this article where that petition […]
On September 22nd, 2020, Tesla shareholders gathered in Fremont, California to hear the latest from Elon Musk and Tesla Senior Vice President of Powertrain and Energy Drew Baglino. Sitting in their cars to social distance in the era of COVID-19, shareholders learned the latest technological advancements to Tesla’s vehicles. The most interesting of which is […]
Trading upward does not necessarily have to entail purchasing a newly manufactured truck right off the factory lines. Sometimes, a swap can be as easy as getting the same make and model, just increasing the year. Some thrifty companies that would rather own their trucks than lease will own used trucks until they are ready […]
It does not take a trucking expert to understand that hauling double trailers takes a lot more skill and finesse than a single. How can drivers haul more freight while reducing crashes? The state of North Dakota plans to have its legislature discuss the topic in January. The Great Debate The way things are now […]
The United States government is a complicated system. In a short summary relating to truckers, the president appoints the Secretary of the Department of Transportation, who then manages the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). It is a tall building where it may feel as though the limit of trucker input is voting for the […]
On September 29th, truckers will breathe a sigh of relief as FMCSA hours-of-service regulations are loosened and allow more leeway to the driver. If you have been delivering for the many various State of Emergencies that have plagued 2020, you may have forgotten what the changes to the hours-of-service regulations entail. Here is a refresher […]
It seems as though every trucking industry change is taken to court at some time or another. This time, it is a change that most truckers are looking forward to: the changes in hours-of-service regulations. Intended to provide added flexibility to a trucker’s daily work, the hours-of-service changes are being challenged by safety groups arguing […]
Either in spite of, or because of, all the crazy events happening in 2020, trailer sales for the recent months have been going up, up, up. We at TopMark Funding wrote in an article for July trailer sales, saying, “It will be interesting to see where August stands on the scale.” That data is officially […]
Another month has gone by since we last reported on the coronavirus pandemic affecting job numbers. Although the pandemic appears to not have an end in sight, society as a whole has become acclimated to the pandemic, and things are returning slightly back to normal. Some people are going back to work (albeit working from […]
Every month for a while now, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has been extending the State of Emergency by another month. The FMCSA has decided to take a more proactive approach, and as of September 11th the State of Emergency has been extended until the end of the year. The Details You can […]
Between COVID-19, hurricanes, and now wildfires, it seems the whole United States is in a constant state of emergency. There is little need to worry though, truckers have the means to get us through these hard times. Even more so because, like for the hurricanes before it and the coronavirus pandemic going on now, the […]
Get Cash Back From the IRS 2020 has been a tumultuous year, to say the very least. Fortunately, the United States government has many programs in place to help provide relief for its citizens. One such example that is likely to get additional use this year is Section 179, a tax deduction for businesses to […]
We at TopMark Funding have talked about Nikola Corporation going public and how you can become a part-owner in the fledgling company. Now, it seems General Motors wants a piece of the action. The companies have announced plans to become part-owners of one another. The Details The companies became part-owners of one another by swapping […]
If you have been following trucking industry news before the coronavirus pandemic hit the forefront, you may remember that Congress debated the DRIVE Safe Act. Apparently that bill died in the halls of Congress, because truckers under the age of 21 still cannot haul freight via semi-truck across state lines. The FMCSA wants to give […]
Pardon the pun, but the trucking industry is on a roll. Trucking sales rose for yet another consecutive month. The Data Two studies, one from the Freight Transportation Research Associates (FTR) and the other from Americas Commercial Transportation Research Company (ACT), tell ever so slightly different stories. ACT estimates Class 8 truck sales for the […]
We at TopMark Funding have written about the AB-5 bill before. In the last article covering the bill, we talked about how U.S. District Judge Roger Benitez issued a preliminary junction against it, meaning that until the lawsuit between the State of California and the California Trucking Association (CTA) is resolved, the default position is […]
The DAT numbers are in for August, and it is a good time to be a trucker. Though the trendline slopes are still downward, that very well can change in the future, as August 2020 marks the fourth month in a row where all three categories of freight have risen from the previous month (Reefer […]
Alphabet Inc., known primarily for their Google search engine and YouTube video platform, has a subsidiary known as Waymo. Waymo has two wings, Waymo One for typical four-wheel driving of passenger vehicles, and Waymo Via, where they are testing the technology in 18-wheelers for long distance deliveries.Waymo is still a far way away from making […]
In the early hours of Thursday, August 27th, Hurricane Laura hit the eastern Gulf Coast of the United States. It first hit land in Louisiana, eventually touching Texas, Arkansas, and Alabama. A category 4 hurricane, Laura has winds reaching 150 MPH but not quite reaching the 156 MPH needed to be a category 5 like […]
It is a secret to absolutely nobody that there has been a pandemic for the past six months or so. The federal government, especially the White House, has been making efforts to reduce not only the health effects of COVID-19, but the secondary collateral effects on the economy as well. This scenario the world finds […]
Whether you are a fleet owner hoping to add a new Kenworth medium-duty truck to your fleet, or a dealer hoping to add some variety to your dealership lot, your decisions in regards to T270s and T370s just became much more varied. The Default Before we go into the new options for your truck, it […]
Pollution is bad. Nobody would reasonably argue against this. Anyone who lives in or has recently driven through TopMark Funding’s home state of California can see the dense smoke haze covering the state, giving headaches to anyone foolish enough to go outside without a face mask for even a small handful of minutes.How timely it […]
The United States government operates as an agreement between 50 individual states, as well as the country as a whole, called the federal level. The states help the federal, and the federal helps the states, whenever assistance is needed. On Wednesday, August 19th, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) announced that it would be […]
The race to get a viable fully electric heavy-duty truck is still on, but the lower difficulty challenge of doing the same for medium-duty trucks appears to be coming to a close. Now, Peterbilt Motors Company joins the lineup of electric vehicles in the Class 6 and Class 7 markets, thanks to the Peterbilt Model […]
Three months ago, the Owner-Operator Independent Driver Association (OOIDA) petitioned the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), requesting new regulations and/or increased enforcement of current ones. Now, the FMCSA is opening comments to the public allowing them to submit their thoughts. The Story So Far Current rules state that records of brokered transactions must be […]
The numbers are in. We had written about June trailer sales at approximately this same time last month, and Freight Transportation Research (FTR) has released its latest data for new trailer sales. July 2020 shattered all expectations.By the NumbersIt does not take a trucking industry expert to imagine that the coronavirus pandemic caused new trailer […]
Cummins and Navistar International announced on August 10th their plans to continue working together in a partnership, as they have for over eighty years.Working in UnisonMost truck companies, such as Volvo and PACCAR, build their own engines in house, for both cost savings and to ensure all of the parts work together. Navistar International prefers […]
At this point it is no secret that truckers and the trucking industry are the front-line warriors of the fight against the invisible foe known as COVID-19. Especially during the harshest lockdown days and even true to the present, truckers are delivering valuable goods to help people stay safe and healthy. What may come as […]
With all of the cancellations of physical events and adding of new virtual events in their stead, it may not come as a surprise to many that the Used Truck Association (UTA) is changing the UTA Convention, set on November 4th to the 7th, into a fully virtual event. What may be surprising is that […]
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration state of emergency has been extended for another month. This is the fifth extension, set to last until September 14th, but may be extended yet again.Changes MadeYou can read the declaration in full on the FMCSA declaration’s webpage. In summary, the exemption for hours-of-service has been extended, with a […]
The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance, normally having their International Roadcheck in June, scheduled it this year for May 5th to 7th. Later, it was postponed until further notice as a result of a certain worldwide pandemic. Now, the CVSA has decided that the pandemic has cooled down enough where having the event to improve safety […]
Here at TopMark Funding, we wrote about how we believed the coronavirus pandemic was ending soon. That article is almost two months old at this point, and the pandemic continues. The interesting thing is that despite all of the fear of the coronavirus pandemic for the past five or so months, the trucking industry continues […]
The demand for new trucks in 2020 was not reduced from the coronavirus pandemic, merely moved forward in time. According to Freight Transportation Research (FTR), North American Class 8 sales in July was approximately 20,000 units. That is 28% higher than in June, and to compare apples to apples, double the orders from July 2019. […]
If you have been in the trucking industry long enough to have bought a truck, you know about the Federal Excise Tax (FET), a tax that was implemented in 1917 to help finance World War I and has been chugging along ever since, for well over a century by now!The FET adds 12% to a […]
Apparently April to May was the lowest point of the coronavirus pandemic, as demand for shipped goods and materials continued its ascent for the third consecutive month (two for dry van), and all three forms of freight are at their 2020 highs.DAT speculates the current month’s rates as it is happening, and while August is […]
Currently, the FMCSA and its clearinghouse only accept urine tests for drugs and alcohol in its 50% random testing requirement. Now, safety experts are advocating for using hair testing instead. Is it a good idea to adopt this new method? There are tons of arguments for it, and one big argument against it.Pro: Ease of […]
Not too far back, we wrote about how Love’s is requiring face masks in all of its over 500 locations. Now, Pilot company (Pilot and Flying J) and TravelCenters of America (TA and Petro) are following suit.Desperate Times; Desperate MeasuresThe declarations from the three companies comes off the heels of various state governments once again […]
In the 19th century Thomas Edison and Nikola Tesla duked it out to determine the future of electricity between DC and AC. Now, two companies, both named after the winner of that debacle, are battling it out to get their electric trucks out to market. Nikola Nikola Motor Company is the underdog in the competition. […]
Operating about 520 locations in 41 states, Love’s Travel Stops (the company) will require customers to wear face masks at all of its businesses. This includes Love’s Travel Stops, Love’s Truck Care, Love’s-owned hotels, and Speedco locations.The culprit behind this decision is none other than our beloved friend the Coronavirus.COVID-19 WoesFighting a pandemic is a […]
We have written a lot about zero-emission trucks, but when it comes to hauling perishable goods such as frozen foods, tractors are only half of the equation. The reefer unit also needs to use energy in order to offset the second law of thermodynamics (that is, keep cold items cold). Wabash National, a manufacturer of […]
At the beginning of July, we wrote an article detailing some good news for the health of the trucking industry: new truck orders in June broke expectations. Following up, in comparison, new trailer sales completely shattered all expectations for that month. The Data According to Americas Commercial Transportation Research Company (ACT), U.S. trailer orders for […]
We at TopMark Funding have written before about the obstacles stopping autonomous semi-trucks from becoming the norm. One of the largest was the problem we called “Dynamic Adaptation”: how current autonomous trucks work fine in open, well-maintained highways, but start to struggle when dealing with less optimal scenarios such as road hazards and city streets. […]
If you are a trucker that keeps track of anything related to regulations, you know about the FMCSA’s ELD Mandate. As of December 2019, all non-exempt trucks (exempt trucks including ones that tow other cars, among others) are required to have a compliant electronic logging device (ELD) to track various factors of driving data. The […]
Here is something we do not get to write about very often; TopMark Funding finances passenger vehicles as well as cargo vehicles.The U.S. Department of Transportation announced on July 15th that it is removing some old regulations in a cost-saving effort.“This rule will remove outdated and overly burdensome reporting requirements on commercial buses that don’t […]
The coronavirus pandemic sweeping the nation has taken its toll on the trucking industry, but the federal government will not let the industry collapse without a fight. Through the Payroll Protection Program (PPP), which is part of the CARES Act, trucking companies both big and small have applied for loans to keep goods moving, loans […]
It does not take someone familiar with the trucking industry to know that being a commercial driver requires extensive testing that must be passed in order to legally operate. What you might have not thought about in a while is the medical examination that the Department of Transportation and Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration require […]
You might remember that at the beginning of 2020 we compiled annual reports from the American Trucking Associations (ATA) all the way back from 2003. The ATA generates a new report for the year prior in the middle of summer, and it is that time of year again: the ATA has a new report.Data AnalyticsThe […]
Operation Safe Driver Week is now upon us. While law enforcement such as highway patrol and the DOT as a whole will be extra careful to track driving habits of commercial vehicles. Come the 20th of July, there is a chance we will all be back to normal levels of enforcement, as if the week […]
The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance’s (CVSA) Operation Safe Driver Week is soon upon us. Law enforcement officials are going to be extra wary of commercial vehicles on America’s roadways. To avoid a ticket, or worse, a license suspension, follow these rules to keep bears off your tail. An Ounce of Prevention The key to surviving […]
We wrote about this before, how trucking levels were on the brink of being above the price per mile before the pandemic hit. Now we can finally bust out that champagne: we are now above February’s rates!Above and BeyondNow at this point you are probably thinking this is hardly a cause for celebration; February is […]
At the start of the year, we wrote an article laying out our predictions for 2020. Nobody could have predicted the wild ride 2020 has been so far, but news has broken that yet another prediction we had has turned out to not happen: new truck sales are on the rise. The Data Two studies, […]
Another month, another update regarding average freight rates for dry van, flatbed, and reefer hauling. By coronavirus standards, rates are doing very well, and have passed pre-pandemic rates for dry van and reefer. By June standards, however, the freight rate still leaves a little bit to be desired. This point is best illustrated via graph, […]
You might remember us writing about the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) delaying the International Roadcheck due to the coronavirus. The CVSA has decided to not let COVID-19 get in the way of its next event, however: Operation Safe Driver Week.Operation Safe Driver WeekThe CVSA describes the event as a time where “law enforcement agencies […]
Autonomous trucks may still be a far way away from becoming the norm, but the journey of a million miles begins with one wheel rotation. A small handful of companies are working together to help lay the groundwork of making it a reality.The TeamThe companies that form this partnership of establishing an autonomous network of […]
Electric vehicles are intricate machines, but eventually due to the laws of physics such as that blasted conservation of energy, the vehicles need to be recharged with juice after some amount of traveling. Emining, a Swiss technology company focusing on the mining and quarry industry, has come up with an ingenious way to have dump […]
In a unanimous vote, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) approved a mandate detailing what percentage of medium-duty and heavy-duty vehicles sold in the state have to be zero emissions for the next decade and a half. The Details The Advanced Clean Truck rule, the first of its type, sets standards for truck and chassis […]
On Tuesday, June 23rd, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration chief Jim Mullen said his agency is looking into potential violations regarding rate transparency among brokers. The statement comes from the FMCSA’s session at the Truckload Carrier’s Association’s Virtual Safety and Security Meeting. The event was moved online due to the coronavirus pandemic. The “Changes” We […]
President Donald J. Trump signed Executive Order No. 13924,85 FR 31353 on May 19th, 2020. This directed federal agencies such as the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration to take action in fighting not just the coronavirus pandemic, but the economic damages resulting from the pandemic as well. The trucks are essentially the blood cells that […]
The two largest obstacles to making electric vehicles, especially big rigs, the dominating force in the market are range capacity and charging rates. But, there is a third you may have not even considered: heat generation. Charging Speed When charging a small car into a standard 120-volt electrical socket, the car charges at a rate […]
You may remember that TopMark Funding wrote about the INVEST in America Act in the past. What we know now is that the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure has deliberated on it further. They went through over 24 hours of debate and more than 175 different proposed amendments. The finished bill was an act […]
We have written about AB-5 and its federal counterpart before. The law, intended to curb workplace abuse by making it harder to classify a worker as an independent contractor, has legal issues for owner-operators hoping to work under a larger carrier such as Landstar. If this is you and you were worried about losing your […]
Normally we at TopMark Funding provide updates for freight rates monthly, however, we bring news that is too good not to share. The rates are closely approaching the numbers they were before the pandemic began (pre-pandemic), and for reefers have already passed the point. The Graphs The rates for all three forms of freight (dry […]
President Donald J. Trump signed Executive Order No. 13924,85 FR 31353 on May 19th, 2020. This directed federal agencies, including the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, to take action in fighting not just the coronavirus pandemic, but the economic damages resulting from the pandemic as well. One way the FMCSA took action was to suspend […]
TopMark Funding has been writing about COVID-19 for well over three months now, even before the World Health Organization (WHO) officially announced it as a pandemic. As time goes on and the general populace has stayed at home as long as it could to “flatten the curve”, the evidence seems to be piling up that […]
The numbers from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) are in: the for-hire trucking sector of the U.S. economy lost 1,200 jobs in May. Furthermore, the trucking industry total employment, 1,431,000, was the lowest it has been since November 2014. This is despite the U.S. economy as a whole gaining 2.5 million jobs. By themselves, […]
The Federal Motor Carriers Safety Administration (FMCSA), in a new step to combat the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on the economy, is modifying a regulation regarding drugs. No, truckers will not be allowed to drive while smoking marijuana without being added to the Clearinghouse. The Change Normally when hiring a company driver, the company must perform […]
On March 13th, the Hours-of-Service suspension was to last until April 12th. It was then extended to May 15th, then June 15th, and now the Federal Motor Carriers Safety Administration extends it once again to July 14th. The Applicable Shipments Not all trucks on the road get the privilege of ignoring hours-of-service until the job […]
At TopMark Funding, we mostly like to report on the facts when it comes to the news and allow our readers to reach their own conclusions. The recent news about the Investing in a New Vision for the Environment and Surface Transportation in America (INVEST in America) Act may leave truckers worried about how it […]
How much is added flexibility to your driving workday worth to you? House Democrats on Capitol Hill unveiled the Investing in a New Vision for the Environment and Surface Transportation in America (INVEST in America) Act on Wednesday, May 3rd. The bill is 864 pages long, but the two biggest pieces that should interest truck […]
With Tesla delaying the Semi for another year, it appears to be that the Nikola Motor Company (also named after electrical inventor Nikola Tesla) is the frontrunner to get a fully electric semi-truck to market. Their chances just increased immensely when they finished performing a reverse merger with VectoIQ Acquisition that will also raise at […]
Truckers driving through Arizona may be relieved to hear that the Arizona Department of Transportation has updated its 511 website to include rest stops. This change details not only the locations of rest stops within the state, but also whether or not they are currently open, and the number of truck parking spots at each […]
When it comes to electric semi-trucks, one of the largest obstacles is charging times. With a standard household outlet, the charging rate for an electric semi-truck can be less than one mile per hour. But there is, for all intents and purposes, a limitless source of energy in the sky that could be harnessed for […]
The month of May resulted in some interesting phenomena for the trucking industry: usually when it comes to dry van, flatbed, and reefer hauling, the rates all change in the same direction. This has been a crazy year, which leads to some crazy changes.For May, the reefer rate average rose, most likely due to the […]
TopMark Funding not only finances trucks and trailers, but also other forms of business equipment, such as machines used in construction. The machines we will focus on in this article are not necessary per se, but in terms of time and sweat saved are invaluable to any construction operation.BricklayerFashioning a brick road the old-fashioned way […]
Last week we covered Peterbilt dump truck models currently in production, now we move on to Peterbilt’s brother brand, the Kenworth. Both truck types fall under the Paccar banner, so it will be interesting to see how the Kenworth dump trucks compare. As with the Peterbilt truck models, the Kenworth models are ordered numerically and […]
The trucking industry is going through many technological revolutions right now; one of the most important ones is in the telematics field. If you are unaware of telematics being an influential force for commercial trucking, there is a very good chance that you use telematics in your business today. Elaborating further on the usage of […]
When you think of the brand Peterbilt, you may think of heavy-duty 18-wheeler trucks, but did you know they also make vocational vehicles that can be used as dump trucks? Here is the list of currently produced Peterbilt trucks that can be used as dump trucks, conveniently ordered on their number. Peterbilt 337 The Peterbilt […]
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has been in the news a lot lately, and the news surrounding them only gets longer as time goes on. On May 19th, the Owner-Operator Independent Driver Association (OOIDA) filed a petition with the FMCSA to demand new regulations that improve broker transparency. The Problem Owner-Operators are starting […]
Originally Posted by FreightWaves SONAR Freight forecasters need to understand what drives the freight economy in order to forecast volumes, capacity, and rates. Much like the general economy, the variables that drive the freight economy are too numerous to count. However, we can narrow down the principal factors to a select few that really move […]
When the Federal Motor Carriers Safety Administration (FMCSA) authorized Groendyke Transport to use pulsating amber brake lights next to the standard red ones on tanker trucks, they probably did not expect rear-end collisions to drop over 33%. That is exactly what happened, and now safety experts at the FMCSA are deliberating on making it the […]
It might be hard to remember with the coronavirus pandemic suspension (which was recently extended another month to mid-June) that the FMCSA has been planning reform to its hours-of-service regulations. Now the final rule has been published. Despite nobody outside of the FMCSA truly knowing what was going to be in it, it turned out […]
The Federal Motor Carriers Safety Administration has announced an extension to the hours-of-service suspension. It was first declared on March 13th and originally extended from April 12th to May 15th, and is being extended again to June 14th. The Applicable Shipments Not all trucks on the road get the privilege of ignoring hours-of-service until the […]
Caterpillar Inc. manufactures dump trucks (lovingly referred to as off-highway trucks), complete with their in-house engines to get the job done. In this article we will be going over the specifications for their most popular engines, that is, those that appear most often in their dump truck models. The full list, complete with over eighty […]
Although it may be tiring to hear about COVID-19 each and every day, it appears that the pandemic may be coming to an end soon. The trucking industry may return to normal, but a new normal from how the trucking industry was in January 2020. What changes will be permanent? Online Interaction The need for […]
In the 21st century, big rigs are becoming more and more integrated into the Internet to help trucking companies, both big and small, increase their profit margins and generally make life easier. Here are some examples of tech strategies that fleets and owner-operators alike can or should adopt to help run a tight ship. Benefits […]
So you want to advance your career in the trucking industry and earn a little extra money to improve your life. Any of these positions, with the right expertise, can be lucrative positions to have.10. RecruiterNot a job behind the wheel of a truck, but a trucking job nonetheless. With a driver shortage in the […]
[UPDATE] As of Tuesday, May 5, 2020, all locations are now up and running. The map has been updated to reflect this. Originally Posted By ATA Arlington, Va. – As professional truck drivers continue serving on the frontlines during the COVID-19 crisis, American Trucking Associations has partnered with Protective Insurance Company to expand the availability […]
We at TopMark Funding have not been giving you the statistics for average freight rates lately, as we have been writing extensively about more immediate topics such as the Coronavirus. Now that it appears the pandemic is reaching the declining end of the curve, we can get back into the swing of things for normal […]
Heavy-duty 18-wheelers are great, but they are not the only thing TopMark Funding finances. Another popular vehicle to finance is the dump truck. We get asked a lot of questions about financing a dump truck, so we created this article to help answer questions before they arise. How Long Can You Finance a Dump Truck? […]
By The FMCSA Friday, May 1, 2020 The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) is assisting in the distribution of one million protective masks to the nation’s commercial truck drivers. FMCSA has been working with states, industry stakeholders, and motor carriers to distribute one million protective face masks for truckers which were provided by the […]
We understand business owners and drivers don’t have time to sort through all the different news coming out about COVID-19, so TopMark has made a detailed truckers guide to when each state will reopen. Updated regularly, this article will include the newest information on when each and every state plans on lifting or extending their […]
Article originally posted by FreightWaves From quarantine, Canadian truck driver Nicole Folz recounts the scary reality of falling seriously ill hundreds of miles from home during a less-than-truckload run in the United States. Canadian truck driver Nicole Folz began suspecting she had COVID-19 as she prepared to make her final less-than-truckload delivery in South Carolina […]
Anyone who has been on a long drive knows that sometimes, music just doesn’t keep you entertained for hours on end. Podcasts, which are basically episodic talk shows, are a great option for truckers to listen to while killing time on the long hauls. Since the days of talk radio have started to end, podcasts […]
How to Wear a Cloth Face Covering Cloth face coverings should fit snugly but comfortably against the side of the face be secured with ties or ear loops include multiple layers of fabric allow for breathing without restriction be able to be laundered and machine dried without damage or change to shape CDC on Homemade […]
Driving a truck isn’t just a day job. It’s a fulltime lifestyle that has its own culture, Whether you find yourself looking for a film to watch in the back of a sleeper cab or just at home, movies are one of the best ways to wind down after a long haul of driving. If […]
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently advised that everyone wear some type of face covering or mask while in public to slow spread of the novel coronavirus causing the COVID-19 pandemic. Although it has not been mandated on a federal level, the state of New Jersey and some cities and counties are now requiring them. […]
The 50 Best Trucking Songs For most drivers, a semi-truck isn’t just a work vehicle — it’s a way of life. Trucking has its own culture, complete with a unique language, jokes, movies, and, of course, music. When you’re hauling down the highway, few things beat the feeling of rolling with your favorite trucker songs […]
Truck drivers have now been exempted from an order requiring adults entering the state of Utah to fill out an online form about their potential exposure to the novel coronavirus that causes COVID-19 illness.On April 9, Utah Governor Gary Herbert issued an executive order on inbound travel. It established a requirement for all adults entering Utah […]
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration Wednesday, April 8 extended its national emergency declaration to May 15. Originally enacted March 13, the declaration provides relief from hours of service regulations for drivers responding to the COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak. The original declaration was to expire Sunday, April 12. The agency said the extension also covers liquefied gases to […]
We’ve put together a list of the most popular types of heavy equipment for construction. Construction projects typically rely on several types of heavy equipment to get the job done in a timely, safe, and cost-effective manner. Depending on the size and scope of the construction project, you’ll probably need to use at least one […]
Center for Disease Control [CDC] >>CDC COVID-19 Self-Checker CDC – Use of Cloth Face Coverings to Help Slow The Spread of COVID-19 FOR THE FULL PRINTABLE PDF VERSION >> CLICK 04/07/20 – CDC Launches New Weekly COVID-19 Surveillance Report CDC is modifying existing surveillance systems to track COVID-19, and posted the first of what will […]
What Are The Best Bluetooth Headsets? What are the best Bluetooth headsets for truck drivers for 2020? Truck drivers spend countless hours on the road. On average 8 to 14 hours per day depending on if your a short haul or long haul driver. In heavy traffic situations, you need to keep your eyes on […]
Are you looking for a semi-truck for sale and not sure where to shop? We’ve put together this list of the most popular online semi-truck and commercial vehicle classified sites. Here are the top 5 best semi-truck sites. From 5 to 1. Trucker to Trucker TruckerToTrucker.com is an online superstore for new and used trucks, […]
The COVID-19 Pandemic has had a massive impact on trucker’s daily routines. Physicians everywhere are warning people that a key battle against COVID-19 is won by washing your hands, not touching your face, and sanitizing surfaces you’re in contact with. Since over the road truckers spend most of their time in a truck cab, it is […]
Message To Our Dealer Customers We hope you and your family are in good health. During this uncertain time related to the COVID-19 pandemic, we have a special message to our customers. We want to assure you that TopMark Funding remains open and is actively working to originate transactions and we wanted to provide you […]
It seems as though the coronavirus is undoing all of the reporting we did at the beginning of 2020. We wrote in early February that the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) was going to have its annual International Roadcheck event in May, but the event has been postponed until further notice. What is the culprit […]
Owner-operators looking for quick ways to grow their businesses will often turn to load boards for fast access to work. Online load boards are a good thing for truckers to utilize as they help them find loads effectively with less work. A lot of the top results for load boards are those that charge monthly […]
You may recall at what was hopefully the height of the coronavirus hysteria that the state of Pennsylvania made the executive decision to close all of its rest stops in the state, even for parking purposes. After pressure from the negative press for the decision, the state of Pennsylvania has decided to renege on the […]
Whether you’re a truck driver or a fleet owner, the goal is to find loads and get paid! If you don’t have time to search the internet for the top load boards out there, that’s okay! We have done the work for you here with our list of the best load boards every trucker should […]
On March 23rd, a coalition of automotive dealers, including the American Truck Dealers (ATD), sent a letter to President Trump, Vice President Mike Pence, Cabinet members, and the Governors of all fifty states asking for “essential status” for dealerships in the wake of the COVID-19 crisis.The Letter to the GovernmentThe letter outlines the coalition between […]
To Our Valued Customers We hope you and your family are safe and in good health. During this uncertain time related to the COVID-19 pandemic, we want to assure you that TopMark Funding remains open and ready to serve you. We recognize that with the constantly changing situation around the world, this is an unprecedented […]
Every year millions of U.S. businesses utilize some sort of working capital product to help grow or sustain their business when they need additional cash flow to do so. Due to the natural risk that is present when lending what is essentially cash, working capital can be expensive — however, expensive doesn’t mean it can […]
We recently wrote about how Mack and Volvo Group suspended truck production due to COVID-19 fears, now it appears that other truck builders are following in their footsteps. Recently, Paccar and Navistar International announced that they are also halting production. Both have announced two-week shutdowns, with a Paccar representative saying, “[we] will continue to provide […]
We at Topmark Funding have already established that truckers need sleep, but what about taking caffeine as a substitute like coffee, energy drinks, and soda? After all, with the FMCSA suspending most HOS regulations, making deliveries in a timely manner calls for the use of our old friend Joe, right? You might be surprised (or […]
Mack Trucks and Volvo Group both announced on Friday that they were going to cease assembly operations due to the coronavirus. “We have decided to temporarily suspend production as part of the effort to slow the spread of the virus in our communities.” Mary Beth Halprin, vice president of public relations, Volvo Group, said. “During […]
Recently the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) announced for the first time in history national suspension of certain Hours of Service regulations. This was in response to the coronavirus State of Emergency. This Wednesday on March 18th, the FMCSA has expanded the suspensions further. “Under Secretary Chao’s leadership, FMCSA is providing additional regulatory relief […]
So you are stuck at home, either because you have contracted coronavirus or are told to stay home by authorities. What can you do to help pass the time until this event is over? Here are some ideas to help get you started. While most of them are intended for home use, a savvy trucker […]
Coronavirus news has been ramping up in the past month on how it affects the economy and various industries, and trucking is no different. With the World Health Organization considering COVID-19 the first worldwide pandemic since H1N1 (swine flu), it is a good idea to stay informed on the Coronavirus and how it impacts you, […]
Coronavirus hysteria continues: first it was just a warning, then it was a run on toilet paper, then it was a national emergency. Now Pennsylvania is closing its rest stops because it lacks the ability to clean them effectively in the wake of the pandemic, Effective March 17th at 12:01 AM. The absurdity of the […]
Suspensions of Hours of Service (HOS) regulations are nothing new to the trucking industry, just recently there were two declared in Alabama and Tennessee. What is new is that the FMCSA has announced a nationwide suspension on HOS regulations in regards to commercial vehicle drivers hauling emergency relief across the entire country. The National Emergency […]
In another episode of coronavirus hysteria, Mid-America Trucking Show organizers have announced that they are cancelling the 49th annual event due to the pandemic. The announcement comes two weeks before the event was to take place, March 26th, 27th, and 28th. “It is with a heavy heart and deep regret that we announce the cancellation […]
From January to March (and especially February), when the holidays have passed but it is too early for produce to ripen, the trucking industry has its slow season. Here are our tips to help you survive this troubling time. Slow Season is Hiring Season Because the slow season has a low number of miles to […]
If you have been following trucker news for a while now, you almost certainly have heard that the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has sent paperwork regarding changing Hours of Service regulations to the White House. We at TopMark Funding have been hesitant to write an article detailing this news, because here is the […]
There is no denying that coronavirus (COVID-19) hysteria has swept the nation. We at Topmark Funding even wrote an article about how to keep yourself from catching and spreading coronavirus. There was a lot of uncertainty regarding how the coronavirus would impact the trucking industry in the United States of America. As time goes on, […]
Trucking and the transportation industry as a whole have been a hotly-debated topic in the halls of Congress. It looks like we have another discussion on our hands: a truck-only VMT tax.What is a VMT Tax?VMT stands for “vehicle miles traveled”, so a tax on this would be a payment proportional to the miles traveled. […]
Keeping track of a large number of trucks simultaneously was once impossible. Fortunately, modern technology has streamlined live information regarding fleets in an easy to digest format. Using fleet management software is more of an investment than an expense: with due diligence, the money saved on fuel, maintenance, and safety make the systems pay for […]
In the previous month of February, Alabama was hit with flooding and a State of Emergency was declared. It seems with the new month, natural disasters are heading north to Tennessee, where a tornado hit Nashville in the first few days of March. Like with Alabama, a State of Emergency has been declared that suspends […]
The Women in Trucking (WIT) Association has announced plans to launch a Driver Ambassador program with various trucking businesses to raise awareness and promote career opportunities for women in trucking. WIT has partnered with Schneider National and has named Kellylynn McLaughlin, a trainer with Schneider, to be the first Driver Ambassador for WIT. “Trucking is […]
Chances are you are familiar with the existence of COVID-19, otherwise known as severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, or the coronavirus. There has been lots of media hubbub about coronavirus since the start of 2020, some fact and some fiction. How worried should you be while traveling on the road? If you contract the […]
Were you aware that truckers can technically drive while under the influence of marijuana, legally? But before you go lighting up cannabis and driving in your big rig while hauling thousands of pounds, it is important to know what we mean by “technically”. Not knowing the rules and limitations can get you in trouble with […]
If you have read any article about the transportation industry in the past few years, there is a high chance you have heard about a trucker shortage. Even the American Trucking Association (ATA) has been on record to say that there are not enough people hauling freight. “Over the past 15 years, we’ve watched the […]
Tires without air might not just be a luxury for push lawn mowers anymore. Bridgestone was at the 2020 Technology & Maintenance Council Annual Meeting and Transportation Technology Exhibition in Georgia. It announced that it was working on air-free tires for trailers. The design, shown below, is most likely patented with its unique design of […]
It is common knowledge no matter what vehicle you drive that driving under the influence of alcohol or other drugs is a massive safety hazard that can result in injury or death. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has even established the Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse, a database of such violations to discourage the practice. […]
One consistency in the trucking industry that seems to be as common as the sun rising in the east is that February is the month of the year with the lowest national average spot rates. In a way, it is refreshing to see the average rates in mid-February be only a slight drop, with just […]
Trucking is a dangerous job. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the transportation industry has the second highest fatal work injury rate per 100,000 workers (14), behind only agriculture, forestry, fishing, and hunting (23.4). Additionally, transportation and warehousing has the second highest amount of non-fatal injury rate per 100,000 workers (4500), beaten again by […]
It is no surprise to most people out on the road, regardless of how many wheels are on their vehicle, that one of the biggest obstacles to implementing electric vehicles is the lack of infrastructure. With limited range and even more limited refueling stations across the country, electric vehicles, especially trucks, are hardly viable. Germany-based […]
When it comes to financing anything from a new truck to a used trailer, your FICO credit score plays an important role in the terms you get. Let us look at the financing statistics for transactions done in 2019 to see just what a better credit score can do for you. The Credit Score of […]
With the ELD Mandate requiring truckers across the country to track and maintain their hours of service automatically, truckers must be especially cautious that they can find a proper overnight parking spot in time. One type of location that works are rest areas that have parking spaces for big rigs. Here are the number of […]
When asked what one thinks is the most common injury a trucker may experience on the job, one might assume that the answer lies in collision-related injuries. The truth, as obtained by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), is a lot less interesting. Truckers’ most common injuries involve muscle sprains. This problem […]
In a move that had truckers across the nation rejoicing, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) announced on February 13th, 2020 that it would be lowering registration fees for motor carriers starting with registration year 2020 and continuing for the foreseeable future. Unified Carrier Registration Plan The Unified Carrier Registration (UCR) Plan is no […]
Buying a semi-truck, whether you are buying it for yourself in the jump from company driver to owner-operator, or for an employee as you jump from owner-operator to fleet owner, will be one of the biggest decisions anyone makes in their trucking career. It is not a decision to be taken lightly. It costs money […]
Navistar officially started progress on spending $125 million to expand its engine manufacturing plant in Huntsville, Alabama. They held a groundbreaking ceremony on February 11th, 2020. They also hinted that they will use the new space, to build their own powertrains, cooperating with Traton Group to make this a reality.Navistar International Plant ExpansionNavistar Big Bore […]
Credit Score and No Down Payment “I want to get financing for my business equipment. My credit is Poor/Fair/Good/Very Good/Excellent, and I want no down payment, or barring that, as low of a down payment as possible. What options are open for me? How high of a credit score is needed for no down payment?” […]
Assembly Bill 321 was approved by California Governor Gavin Newsom on September 5th, 2019. It amends Section 63889.5 of the California Revenue and Taxation Code to expand the Sales and Use Tax exemption to certain new, used, and reworked trucks and trailers. It sounds good on paper, but the state of California has made obtaining […]
Paid CDL training, is it too good to be true? On the surface, getting paid to train in a CDL program might seem like a dream come true: you get paid to be able to get paid. The logic seems airtight, but like most major decisions in life, it is a good idea to take […]
You might remember from last week that we wrote about California Assembly Bill No. 5 and its potential effects on the trucking industry as a whole. The article ended by mentioning other states following suit. Now, the House of Representatives has passed their parallel to AB5, called the Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act. […]
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) works hard to use the power of technology to increase transportation industry safety nationwide, but sometimes their speed of implementation falls short of expectation. The implementation of this rule has been pushed back two years from February 7th, 2020 to 2022. What is the Entry-Level Driver Training Rule? […]
One benefit of being a trucker is that your company might allow you to take a furry friend with you. If you are considering getting a four-legged driving buddy, here are some tips to get you started. Pet Friendly Companies The first thing you should do if you are employed already is to check to […]
Truckers starting out in hauling across state lines might be shocked to find out that some states have different speed limits for cars and heavy-duty trucks. These are for a few reasons: a semi-truck crashing at a higher speed limit can cause more damage, and a big rig traveling faster uses more fuel and generates […]
Though USMCA may sound like the acronym for an offshoot of the Marine Corps, in this context it stands for the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement. The shipping of goods between the United States, Canada, and Mexico is bound to affect the trucking industry. History of the USMCA Before we understand USMCA, we must first know the […]
We here at TopMark Funding covered WEX fuel cards as one of the best fuel cards in the market, but it appears there is a downside to being the most popular fuel card in the country. On the night of February 4th, 2020, WEX cards were not accepted at diesel pumps across the country. Hitting […]
According to current federal law in the continental United States, a truck driver must be over the age of 21 to haul freight across state lines. With a trucker shortage hitting the United States, Congress is debating the Drive Safe Act, which would allow commercial drivers under the age of 21 to drive across state […]
On September 19th, 2019, the governor of the most populous state in the country signed Assembly Bill No. 5 into law. It went into effect at the beginning of 2020 but has since been blocked by a federal judge as of January 16th. While originally intended to prevent worker exploitation in the new “gig economy”, […]
Vehicles are constantly vilified in the media, or at least so it would seem. Every day there is news about its impacts on the environment: air quality, greenhouse gases, and other effects. Another less mentioned but still valid crisis is that various forms of fossil fuels are not a renewable resource: humans use them at […]
Every year the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) has a three day, seventy-two hour International Roadcheck, where certified inspectors perform inspections on commercial vehicles and trucks across the United States, Canada, and Mexico. It’s like a convention, except nationwide and a lot less fun. International Roadcheck 2020 Facts and Conjecture Usually, the International Roadcheck happens […]
In early 2019, Volvo Group, the parent company of Mack Trucks, started mysteriously posting job listings to hire engineers in the Salem/Roanoke area of Virginia. Volvo declined to comment about the job listings other than to say they would fulfill “future business needs”, but Jon Harris of the Morning Call predicted that Mack Trucks may […]
To many in the trucking industry, a semi-truck that gets 10 miles per gallon (MPG) at a full load seems like a fantastic pipedream. Of course, in the early years of the trucking industry, when trucks received 2 to 3 miles per gallon, the idea of 5 miles on a gallon of diesel also seemed […]
What are the semi-truck financing requirements? We get asked this question every day. (Makes sense, we’re a semi-truck financing company). We’ve put together this article about semi-truck financing to answer the top 10 semi-truck financing frequently asked questions and you’ve been probably wondering about. What Are The Semi-truck Financing Requirements? What Credit Score Do You […]
In our last article, we talked about the change in total revenue and weight hauled over time in the trucking industry. To compile that data took deep-diving into the American Trucking Associations’ article posts, years into the past. Today, we at TopMark Funding are saving even more time than before, going deep into DAT Solutions’ […]
Millions of truckers employed across America have dedicated their careers to the trucking industry, hauling freight from coast to coast. As technology and regulations change around them with scares of driver shortages and self-driving trucks, commercial truck drivers may fear that the industry will upend them and terminate their livelihoods. We at TopMark Funding are […]
Adam McCann of WalletHub has released a list of the best and worst states to drive in 2020. He compiled his results studying data from over 15 different sources, including the U.S. Department of Energy and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. If you were to simply look at the list itself, you might wonder […]
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So you want to obtain semi-truck financing, either for a lease or a loan. Chances are you have lots of questions about the process. Fortunately for you, we here at TopMark Funding have answers to help you get the ideal semi-truck financing for you and your trucking company. If you are interested in obtaining semi-truck […]
Just when you thought the FMCSA was done regulating, they toss on even more regulations. This time it’s with the FMCSA Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse. The website is loaded with information on the new database, and you really should go there if you want to obtain a full understanding of the program. For those who […]
In an earlier article, we discussed the credit statistics of owner-operators who apply for credit and the connection between FICO score and the likelihood of an owner-operator getting the deal they want. We are going to ramp things up this time around and compare the credit and funding of owner-operators versus fleet owners and see […]
When it comes to getting a loan, there are numerous factors. The factor that impacts the other factors the most, however, has to be credit score. A credit score can be the difference between a double-digit and a single-digit loan on your truck, or the difference as to whether or not you get a loan […]
With fuel costs being one of the largest costs in the transportation industry, diesel fuel may be approaching its decline. Companies are racing to be the first to bring about a revolution of fueling to reap the rewards. Many alternative power systems are being researched, but none has caught the public’s eye quite like electric […]
In 2016, Uber delivered 50,000 cans of beer over 120 miles of highway without any driver intervention. But two years later, Uber closed down its self-driving semi-trucks division to focus on self-driving cars instead. The trucking profession is huge, over five percent of all American jobs are in truck transportation. When self-driving trucks progress far […]
The worst time to think about getting a dash cam is after an accident. Whether you are an owner-operator or have dozens of trucks in your fleet, having a dash cam record video evidence of what happened before the crash can be vindicating and save you lots of money. Here are our top picks for […]
The first thing every up-and-coming trucker should know is that their semi-truck takes diesel fuel, not gasoline. What even some experienced truckers may not know are the nuances between diesel and gasoline, and why there is a distinction. Here, we go over the differences between the two. Origins Back in the 19th century, when automobiles […]
Did You Know There’s 13 Styles of Dump Trucks? What are the different types of dump trucks? As you’ll read below, there are a bunch of different types of dump trucks. They come in all shapes and sizes. From monstrous heavy haul Cat’s designed for mining to “smaller” everyday standard dump trucks. A dump truck, […]
Dump truck leasing and dump truck financing are different from traditional vehicle financing and leasing. Traditional truck loans typically require your credit, business revenue, and time in business to determine if you’re qualified. When it comes to leasing a dump truck, the truck you decide to purchase becomes the collateral, which helps to limit the […]
The fine folks over at TruckSite have created this helpful graphic about what it means to for a heavy-duty big rig to be California Clean, as well as tips to minimize the onset of rust on, in, and around your vehicle. Provided by: TruckSite.com Is the graphic not loading? In summary, it says that a […]
We get asked this question all the time, what are the best dump trucks? Or what’s the most popular dump truck brand? To help answer those questions we’ve put together a guide of the best dump truck manufacturers in the United States. We’ve also included a guide to the different types of dump trucks. There […]
At the time of this writing, the year 2020 is still in its infancy. After the tumultuous time of change for the trucking industry in both 2018 and 2019, it is time to make sense of the industry’s health to see if there’s any trends that need addressing. Trucking Isn’t Going Away Amongst the news […]
Some know the Volvo Group as a maker of luxury cars; others know Volvo as a maker of heavy-duty vehicles. What you might not know is that in their heavy-duty trucks, they mostly use powertrains they have built in-house. As of right now, these are the components of Volvo diesel powertrains that are produced. Engines […]
It is no surprise that Detroit Diesel powertrains most frequently appear in Freightliner and Western Star trucks. After all, all three companies are owned by the same parent company, Daimler Trucks North America LLC. Founded in 1938 in Detroit, Michigan, Detroit Diesel manufactures six different engine models. Each member of the engine family is numbered […]
Founded in 1905, PACCAR Inc. touts itself as “a global leader in the design, manufacture and customer support of high-quality premium trucks.” Even if you are not aware of the name of their company, it is unlikely you do not know the names of their most popular brands in North America: Kenworth and Peterbilt trucks. […]
Founded in 1919, Cummins is a Fortune 500 company that sells Cummins powertrains for a variety of different applications, including heavy-duty trucking. They do not make their own big rigs, and instead you can find Cummins powertrains in a variety of brands, such as in a Freightliner, Peterbilt, Volvo and more. On their website, Cummins […]
Founded in 1919, Cummins is a Fortune 500 company that sells engines for a variety of different applications, including heavy-duty trucking. They do not make their own trucks, and instead you can find their engines in a variety of brands, such as in a Freightliner, Peterbilt, or Volvo. On their website, Cummins advertises engines ranging […]
Unless you are purchasing a truck for the brand name, the engine that goes into a truck should be your first priority in your purchasing decision. Here we break down the engines from various manufacturers to compare and contrast them so you may make an educated decision on the inner workings of your future vehicle. […]
What Every Business Owner Needs to Know Section 179 is a very simple part of the tax code. Even if you do not know its name, if you have ever done taxes for a business you own, you most likely have already claimed a Section 179 Deduction. In this article, we will go over Section […]
International is a subsidiary of Navistar International, a holding company founded in 1902 as International Harvester Company and based in the United States. International primarily makes trucks, but aside from sourcing some of their engines from Cummins, International also makes some of its engines in-house. They currently manufacture two engines, one for heavy-duty and severe-duty […]
Why Semi-Truck Financing Matters Running a profitable trucking business starts with the right equipment — and the right financing partner. Whether you’re an owner-operator buying your first truck or a fleet owner expanding capacity, how you finance your semi-truck directly impacts your cash flow, growth potential, and long-term profitability. At TopMark Funding, we understand the […]
The trucking industry is a huge industry with millions of drivers, with many federal and state laws and regulations. Just like many other large industries the trucking industry has several great associations. These trucking associations were formed to help effectively advocate for owner-operators, fleets owners and trucking businesses. We’ve put together a list of the […]
It is no surprise that Detroit Diesel engines most commonly appear in Freightliner and Western Star trucks. After all, all three companies are owned by the same parent company, Daimler Trucks North America LLC. Founded in 1938 in Detroit, Michigan, Detroit Diesel manufactures six different engine models. Each member of the engine family is numbered […]
Founded in 1905, PACCAR Incorporated touts itself as “a global leader in the design, manufacture and customer support of high-quality premium trucks.” Even if you are not aware of the name of their company, it is almost impossible you do not know the names of their most popular brands in North America: Kenworth and Peterbilt […]
With changes in technology come changes in regulation. The trucking industry is no different. By December 2019, all non-exempt trucks must have an ELD certified by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). In this article, we will talk about ELDs, their purpose, exemptions, and more important information. What is an ELD? An Electronic Logging […]
A trucking company that is not growing is essentially dying. Sooner or later, you will hit a wall where you cannot do anymore with your time. There are too many loads, too many negotiations, too much time purchasing assets. When that time comes, it’s time to expand your trucking business and add more trucks and […]
Complete Guide to Commercial Truck & Vehicle Financing Every truck company owner and fleet owner needs to know how to get commercial truck financing. Trucking is a necessary operation within the United States. Roughly 80% of all goods in the US are transported by semi-truck, and that does not consider other commercial truck use such […]
Here at TopMark, we like to celebrate the holidays the right way. Which way is that? By posting cool truck pictures. Every day until Christmas we will post one of our favorite classic and modern truck pics right here! You can see our latest additions at the top, while the older ones will be at […]
What Are the Best Job Websites for Truckers? You have your CDL, but you don’t know where to start your career. Your place of business downsized and let you go. You hate your current position and want to work somewhere else. Whatever your scenario, here is our list of job websites and job boards for […]
Understanding Trucker Lingo & CB 10 Codes The trucking industry like many other industries has its own language, terminology, lingo, and slang. Understanding trucker lingo while watching classic trucker movies like Smokey and the Bandit or Convoy will truly give you an understanding of what’s going on. If you’re in the trucking industry you should […]
Your Guide to Trucker Lingo & Slang Have you ever wondered about the cool lingo truckers use? Well, buckle up because we’re diving into the world of trucker slang! In this guide, we’ll uncover the colorful words and phrases that truckers use every day. From “10-4” to “bear in the air,” get ready for a […]
CB Slang for Cities We’ve covered CB 10 codes in a previous article, but there’s more to CB radio slang than just a string of numbers. Here is a list of terms for various cities across continental North America. Term – City The Big A – Atlanta, Georgia Air Capital – Wichita, Kansas Armadillo – […]
Truckers might haul goods across the country, but memes haul funny ideas across the internet. Why not combine the two and have a laugh at some truck memes? Here is our compilation of the best trucker memes, our spiciest of which are Swift driver memes.
It wouldn’t be an 18-wheeler without 18 tires. Considering how tires are a large part of maintenance expenses, it pays to know more about them and how to use them properly for maximum benefit. Here is information regarding tires you might have never thought about, or may just need a refresher. Standard Versus Commercial When […]
10 Best Fuel Cards for Truck Drivers If you own a fleet with multiple employees and multiple trucks, you owe it to yourself to have a system of fuel cards. Fuel cards (also known as fleet cards or fleet fuel cards) provide a variety of benefits, and there are many types to fit different needs. […]
What is Truck Insurance? Why Do You Need It? You decide to become a truck driver. You’re looking to finance or lease your new semi-truck. But before you can get approved for truck financing you need to have commercial truck or semi-truck insurance. There are several types of commercial truck insurance. We will cover everything […]
Guide to Commercial Truck Financing Semi-truck financing should be easy. As a truck driver you need to be on the road in your new or used semi-truck generating revenue, and not having to worry about financing options, and which leasing company to deal with. At TopMark Funding we understand that. We have decades of financing […]
Truck Driver Jokes The best humor is more personal, such as hearing trucker jokes to help liven up the trip. Here is our list of the best jokes for truckers. Tell these to your spouse, your fellow team driver, or your dog. Have a trucker joke you want to share with your fellow truck drivers? […]
Complete Guide for Dump Trucks What is a Dump Truck A dump truck, also known as a dumper truck or tipper truck, is used for taking finer materials such as sand, gravel, or demolition waste for construction. One is typically equipped with an open-box bed, which is hinged at the rear and equipped with hydraulic […]
Are you looking to buy a box truck and need truck financing? We’ve put together a guide on how to get a box truck lease and financing. Box truck leasing and commercial truck financing are different from traditional vehicle financing and leasing. Traditional truck loans typically require your credit, business revenue, and time in business […]
Navistar International Corporation (formerly International Harvester Company) is an American holding company that owns the manufacturer of International brand commercial trucks, IC Bus school and commercial buses, Workhorse brand chassis for motorhomes and step vans, and is a private-label designer and manufacturer of diesel engines for the pickup truck, van, and SUV markets. The company […]
Western Star Trucks Sales, Inc., commonly designated Western Star, is an American truck manufacturer headquartered in Portland, Oregon, and a subsidiary of Daimler Trucks North America, in turn, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the German Daimler AG. Western Star produces a range of Class 8 commercial vehicles for both highway and off-road use. Western Star specializes […]
Mack Trucks, Inc., is an American truck manufacturing company and a former manufacturer of buses and trolleybuses. Founded in 1900 as the Mack Brothers Company, it manufactured its first truck in 1907 and adopted its present name in 1922. Mack Trucks is a subsidiary of AB Volvo which purchased Mack along with Renault Trucks in […]
Top GPS Units for Truckers Having a good GPS unit is crucial to finding your way to your next destination. Top-quality Global Positioning Systems have several great features such as weather, lifetime maps, live traffic updates, dashcams, and more. Your GPS should have a few key features to make it worth buying. Here’s a list […]
Top 5 Bluetooth Headsets for Truck Drivers What are the best Bluetooth headsets for truck drivers? Truck drivers spend countless hours on the road. On average 8 to 14 hours per day depending on if your a short haul or long haul driver. In heavy traffic situations, you need to keep your eyes on the […]
Volvo Trucks Volvo Trucks is one of the leading heavy truck and engine manufacturers in the world. Today, Volvo Trucks manufactures a broad line of on-highway and vocational Class 8 vehicles. Each new or used purchase is supported by a strong dealer network and by industry-leading parts and service programs to smooth your ride on […]
Who is Peterbilt? Peterbilt Motors Company, founded in 1939, is a leading American manufacturer of medium- and heavy-duty trucks. It operates as a subsidiary of PACCAR, which also owns Kenworth, another top name in heavy-duty trucking. For over 80 years, Peterbilt has supplied the North American commercial vehicle market with some of the industry’s most […]
Which Option Is Better for Your Trucking Business? When purchasing a Class 8 truck, one of the biggest decisions owner-operators and fleet owners face is whether to lease or buy a semi-truck. Both options offer advantages depending on your cash flow, credit profile, growth plans, and long-term business goals. Below, we break down the costs, […]
Kenworth is an American manufacturer of medium and heavy-duty Class 8 trucks with offices based in Kirkland, Washington, a suburb of Seattle. Kenworth is one of three major truck divisions and brands under parent company PACCAR. Founded in 1912 by the brothers George T. and Louis Gerlinger JR as a car and truck dealership known […]
Since 1942 Freightliner has been manufacturing semi-trucks and heavy-duty trucks. Freightliner Trucks is an American truck manufacturer and a division of Daimler Trucks North America. The division is known mainly for the heavy-duty class 8 diesel trucks it offers, as well as class 5–7 trucks. Freightliner is the best selling semi-truck in America today. They […]
The American Truck Simulator Experience To celebrate the release of their Utah expansion, SCS Software, the company behind the development of American Truck Simulator, allowed anyone to try American Truck Simulator for free during a weekend. I gave it a swing and here’s what I found. The Game is Approachable From Many Angles When you […]
The Only Trucking Game You Need to Play? Some video games avoid realism, such as Big Rigs: Over the Road Racing. Other video games embrace it, like American Truck Simulator. American Truck Simulator was released in February 2016 to cash in on the video game simulator craze that included Farming Simulator, Train Simulator, and Flight […]
CB 10 Codes (And What They ACTUALLY Mean) Before smartphones, texting, and GPS apps, Citizens Band Radio (CB Radio) was the main tool for long-range communication on the road. Truckers used CB radios to stay connected during long hauls, share road conditions, warn each other about speed traps, and pass the time during long commutes. […]
Invariably, a trucker is going to have to do some form of waiting outside of his truck. Whether waiting for truck repairs or waiting for food at a restaurant, give your ears a break from listening to podcasts and grab a magazine. Here are our picks for the top trucker magazines. #7 Fleet Owner Fleet […]
What is a Soft Credit Pull? In regards to credit checks, you have probably heard of soft credit checks and hard credit checks. What are the differences between them? Soft Credit Inquiries Are Private When a person or organization obtains a soft credit pull, only they (and anyone they tell) will know it ever happened […]
Whether in the back of a sleeper cab or in a motel room, a movie is a great way to wind down after a long haul of driving. These are our best trucker movies every trucker should watch. We have the top trucking movies listed from 10 to 1. Let us know what you think […]
Podcasts for Truckers Driving on the road can get, frankly, boring. Podcasts, episodic talk shows, can help mitigate that boredom and even make driving across the country fun. Here are our top picks of podcasts to help truckers get to point B. Podcasts About Trucking It is important to stay up to date within the […]
Step-by-Step Guide to Truck Financing Semi-truck financing is different from traditional truck financing and leasing. Traditional truck loans typically require your credit, business revenue, and time in business to determine if you’re qualified. When it comes to semi-truck financing, the big rig you decide to purchase becomes the collateral, which helps to limit the lender’s […]
What Every Business Owner Needs to Know The IRS tax code is extremely complicated, fortunately, Section 179 is not. If you have ever done taxes for a business you own, you most likely have already claimed a Section 179 Deduction and simply do not know its name. In this article, we will go over Section […]
You know Uber as the app you call when you need to hitch a ride. Professional truck drivers and owner-operators are now going to know it as something else. Uber Freight officially launched its app in late 2017 when they saw a need in the way the trucking industry conducts its business. From there, it’s […]
You’ve heard about the money to be made by becoming a truck driver. Stop at any truck stop and you’ll notice that there are countless trucking job magazines filled with advertisements from trucking companies looking for truck drivers. Many companies are advertising the possibility of making up to $100,000 per year as an owner-operator. It’s […]
When you hear the words self-driving semi-truck or driverless trucks you might think you’re talking about the future. You’d very much be talking about the present because driverless semi-trucks are here. As an owner-operator or a truck driver, you’re probably wondering what that will mean for you. Is autonomous semi-trucks or self-driving semi-trucks going to […]
The phrase “no credit check semi-truck financing” sounds like a dream come true for some people looking for a new truck. What it means is an individual was able to get a loan for their vehicle purchase without having the lender looking into their borrowing history. The big question here is… Does no credit check […]
Whether you’re looking to finance a new or used commercial truck or thinking about getting a loan for your business, the lending world can seem overwhelming. A lot of drivers want to get their business needs and want to be organized in a fast efficient way. The spider web that loans, financing, and credit create […]
Every truck should know the weight of diesel fuel. How much does a gallon of diesel fuel weight? When a normal driver passes a truck on the freeway, they don’t really think twice. They might think they want to speed up to pass it, or that they’re getting their view blocked. They don’t think about […]
Choosing your career is, obviously, a big decision. Your career isn’t just another job, it’s something you might do for the rest of your entire life. When you’re trying to see if you should start a truck driving career, you’ve got to know where to begin with such a big decision. Where do you start? […]
What Are The Best Semi Truck Brands We get asked this question all the time, what is the best semi-truck? Or what’s the most popular semi-truck? To help answer those questions we’ve put together a guide to the best semi-truck brands in the United States. We’ve also included a guide of the different styles of […]
How much money do truck drivers make per year? When you’re considering a job, perhaps the most important question of all is how much money you will make. The same goes for the trucking industry, and the answer is a little less straightforward than a simple salary amount. There are about 3.5 million truck drivers […]
Discover the extensive network of highways and interstates that crisscross the United States with our comprehensive list of the top 10 longest routes, ranked by total miles covered. For truck drivers and road enthusiasts alike, these iconic highways are more than just routes; they are lifelines that connect cities, facilitate commerce, and shape the American […]
The cornerstone of trucking is finding loads to haul and having a consistent list of customers to haul for. That being said, load boards can be a vital resource for truckers to find work easily without the stress of person to person networking, outreach, and contracts. So, what are the best load boards for truck […]
What are the most popular semi-trucks in America? This list is the top-selling brand based on market share and commercial vehicles sold in the United States. Read this article to learn more about the different trucking brands. Please comment below and let us know which is your favorite semi-truck brand. Freightliner Freightliner Trucks is an […]
Automatic vs Manual transmission for semi-trucks – What Do You Prefer to Drive? Perhaps the most crucial part of a semi-truck is its transmission. In 2018 for the automotive industry, only 2 percent of the cars that were sold were manual. While manual transmissions are much more prevalent in semi-trucks, there’s still a movement toward […]
We’ve put together a list of the top 11 trucking apps in 2019. These are the best apps for trucks. Every truck driver should have these apps. And most of them are for free! If you’re looking for the best trucking apps to make your life easier, we’ve got that list for you. Instead of […]
What are the different types of commercial trucks and vehicles? This article will cover the most popular and common commercial vehicles on the road today in the USA. Semi-Trailer Truck A semi-trailer truck more commonly known as a semi-truck or simply “semi” is the combination of a tractor unit and one or more semi-trailers to […]
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration Publishes Hours of Service Proposal to Improve Safety and Increase Flexibility for Commercial Drivers WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) today published a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) on changes to hours of service (HOS) rules to increase safety on America’s roadways by […]
Amazon Vs the Trucking Industry Free two-day shipping was just turned into free one-day shipping. It seems almost too good to be true, but it is what Amazon Prime is offering its members. While they were unveiling their new speedy shipping, Amazon discreetly unveiled their freight brokerage platform. You can see the new service at […]
![Hot Topics in Trucking [2019]](https://www.topmarkfunding.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Orange-Truck-Mountains-1024x576-1160x665.jpg "Orange-Truck-Mountains")
If you want to get ahead in the trucking game, you have to know the ins and outs of the industry. As an owner-operator, you especially need to keep your head in the game with the news of hot topics in trucking. That way, you can always be creating a strategy for your business. Of […]
Find The Best Loan For Your Business: The Basics Small business owners know the struggle that can possibly come with finding the best loan for your company. If you’re a business owner, you may have already attempted to go through your local bank to try to secure a loan. The result? Maybe you were hit […]
Gas prices. Few things can make you groan, like passing by a gas station and seeing that high price tag on gas. If you run a semi-truck or want to finance one, the same goes for you, but double. Big Rigs aren’t known for their fuel efficiency.A decade ago, truckers didn’t have to put much […]
The Sneaky Tips of Starting a Small Business Starting a small business. Overwhelming might be the understatement of the century. But you’re out there doing it – and that’s more than can be said for most people. You’ve probably searched the internet extensively for tips on how to start and run your small business. […]
The Small Business Lending Index has some good news for you as a small business owner. Small business loans have reached their highest approval rate yet. The strong economy and overall optimism for small businesses is to thank, and your probability of getting a loan has never been better. Biz2Credit CEO Rohit Arora directs […]
People have been dreaming up the self-driving car since the 1920’s, with the first semi-automated car actually coming into the picture in 1977 in Japan. This car could go 19 miles per hour supported by an elevated rail, and needed to run on specially marked streets. From then to now in 2019, you have probably […]
You need new equipment. You have a tight budget. But you can’t work with outdated machines. What are you supposed to do? There comes a point for every business where you eventually have to think about leasing, financing, or taking out a business loan. It’s time to think about why you should consider equipment leasing. Top […]
When you’re just starting out, the business world is a scary place. You have marketing plans, employees, insurance, money, and just about everything on your mind. Equipment financing should be easy and simple. And it shouldn’t be something that you skip out on due to fearing that it will take too long or […]
Trucking Facts: What You Don’t Know The trucking industry is worth an estimated 7 billion dollars! It’s a huge, sprawling business. Without a doubt, there are some pieces of information and trucking facts about the industry that you haven’t heard yet. The United States is extremely dependent on the trucking industry; the truck drivers […]
Short Term Business loans. What kind of associations do you make when you think of them? Five years, ten years of contract? Or one that you feel like you’re going to be paying back for as long as you live. So, what would a short term business loan mean for you? These are loans that […]
Time to Focus on Getting a Business Loan There are a lot of ups and downs in the small business lending market. There are recessions, recoveries, and times of increase. But through it all, you need a business loan you can trust. Luckily, the landscape right now is looking good. It’s a great time […]
Avoid Business Loan Rejections: Your financial standings are the most crucial part of your business. You know you need to be set up to get a business loan. As a small business owner, there are probably some things already standing in your way. But don’t let yourself be your own worst enemy. There are many […]
If there are 1.8 million drivers insisting there’s a truck driver shortage, it would be easily taken as fact. But what about the truck drivers looking at their huge force and saying, what shortage? But if you’ve been listening to the news, everyone else is saying that the truck driver shortage in America is […]
What do drivers need to think about their personal conveyance time? And how does ELD laws effect that time? Well, they’re being told not to overthink. Which is a good thing. Personal conveyance time is time that a driver is spent traveling to a location to rest, moving a truck during off-duty time if it’s […]
The Methods of an Effective Loan Borrower Congrats, you got your business loan! Now, you want to be the most effective loan borrower that you can be. That way, when you go to borrow in the future, you’ll be approved right away because you were so successful with your last venture. You’ve already got […]
You’ve heard the news: the trucking industry is growing low on drivers. With life-long truckers nearing retiring age, the drivers in the field are starting to dwindle. Not only that, young people aren’t stepping up to replace the jobs of the retirees. Even with huge bumps in salary offered to them, the long hours […]
Equipment Loan Myths Busted: There’s a lot of conflicting information out there. When it comes to getting the equipment loans your business needs, you want to get right to the heart of the matter. So, let’s take some time to sort through all these equipment loan myths and tales. Hey, you might think you know […]
It’s safe to say a lot of people wouldn’t hesitate to take a job that pays $300k a year. Do you want that opportunity? This is the question that Amazon is now asking. They’re asking everyone! Why? To find more people to deliver their packages. From experienced truckers to someone whose never operated heavy equipment […]
Truckers Need to Save More Fuel Gas. It’s the thing that we all think about when we drive for a long time (or even a short amount of time). What gas mileage do you get? How much is it going to cost in gas? How often will we have to stop? And what can be […]
Operating a vehicle (especially a large semi truck) comes with a lot of responsibility. Often, the main focus for semi-truck drivers is ensuring safety while handling such heavy equipment. Watching blind spots, dealing wind pushing your possibly hazardous equipment, and little cars zipping around? It’s a dangerous place on the roads. Manufacturers are looking to […]
Your company is doing well. Sales are coming in. Production is in progress. Clients are calling. And you’re going to keep growing. You need a business loan to keep growing. But it’s in the back of your mind: you’ve got a low credit score. Try as you might to not think about it, when you go to […]
The time has never been better to look into fleet financing. Low-interest rates and high approval rates? That should be music to your ears. This is an optimal time to get your business the equipment it needs. Especially if you’re looking to expand your fleet, it’s almost impossible to fund your vehicles all on your […]
What’s on the horizon for the construction industry? New laws and political agendas are constantly affecting the way that the industry has to be run, the projects available, and the amount of money that construction workers are given by the government. The future of the industry is bright, though. Construction is about 14.7% of […]
Small Business Financing: The First Step The first sign you’re probably ready to apply for small business financing is probably the fact that you’re looking at this article. If it’s on your mind that you might need extra capital to expand your business, congrats! It just might be time. Almost all small businesses apply for […]
In what world do Uber and freight trucking go together in the same sentence? This one, Uber Freight. In late 2016, Uber officially announced that it was breaking into the trucking game. The Uber Freight platform allows drivers to find loads and drop them off. It basically matches carriers with shippers and streamlines a process […]
Working capital It’s the capital in your business that’s used for day to day operations. It’s a measure of the efficiency of the company and its financial health in the short term. In other words, it your companies assets minus your company’s current liabilities. Yes, working capital is very important. So how do you keep your […]
So you need a business loan. Hey, that’s a good thing! Your business is growing. It’s time to get the capital you need to keep the progress going. But you might find yourself a little bit stuck. What are the business loan requirements ahead of you? Maybe you don’t even know the first step of […]
The new year has arrived and 2019 is upon us. With an eventful year behind us, it’s safe to say that the upcoming twelve months have a lot in store. What does that mean for your business in the trucking industry? Here are the Trucking Forecasts in 2019. Stay on top of the trends. That […]
EPA? Cleaner Truck Initiative? Pollution? Through all the new policies and voices, truck drivers and individuals in the transportation industry are feeling the strain of new regulations on their equipment. Poor air quality from traffic can take a toll on the health and wellness of everyone. Currently, pollution from heavy duty trucks is just one issue […]
What is the DRIVE-Safe Act? Is it necessary? Well, something’s happening in the trucking industry: fewer and fewer people are signing up. There’s a huge shortage of truck drivers that’s been steadily climbing, and doesn’t show signs of stopping. Drivers earn on average about 80,000 dollars. But still, no one wants to do it. The lifestyle […]
The New Construction Technology As the world around us changes and becomes more technologically and electronically efficient, so does the construction industry. If you’re involved in this industry, you’re well aware of how much it’s advanced in the past few decades alone. And we’re right on the cusp of even more new construction technology that’s […]
You know Tesla as the sleek electric cars you see zipping around on the freeways. You know they’re state of the art, all-electric, and sometimes have doors that open upwards – falcon-wing doors. What you probably don’t think of when you think of Tesla is electric semi trucks. But Tesla has indeed rolled out all-electric […]
Bulldozers. Dumpers. Concrete pumps. Forklifts, excavators, backhoes, loaders, jackhammers. This is just a short list of things business owners in the construction field may need. All that equipment can get expensive… And if you own your own business, there’s a lot of factors for you to consider when it comes to getting the equipment that […]
6 Equipment Leasing and Financing Tips Whether you decide to lease or finance your equipment, you need the funds to do it. While it’s exciting that your company needs new equipment, you might be dreading the process. What are the steps you should take? What are the equipment leasing and financing tips and tricks you […]
It’s something that no one wants to hear: gas prices are rising. Perhaps you’re fixing that tire on your bike or gearing up to buy yourself an electric car. But rising oil prices are affecting more than just your daily commute to work. For people in the trucking industry, almost their entire job is driving. That […]
There’s a new federal rule out there that’s making waves in the commercial trucking industry. The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, FMCSA, first proposed the rule in 2014. Even then, it was met with controversy. The law requires that anyone driving a commercial truck must use an electronic logging device, or an […]
It’s a four letter word that strikes fear and makes people’s stomachs sink, no matter who you are: debt. But there’s a big word that small businesses especially fear: bankruptcy. If you’re a small business owner and you’re looking at a lot of debt, this could be a reality that you’re trying to find anything to […]
So your business has reached that point, and you need semi trucks! Things are looking good, and business is really starting to ramp up. But sometimes that means you need a truck with a ramp. So how can semi truck financing help me? You may be excited, but you also probably have a lot of […]
The Big Question: Do I Buy New Or Used Equipment? When it comes to decisions for your business, you always want to make the most financially sound decision possible. Purchasing large equipment such as semi trucks can be an overwhelming decision unless you do your research. When you know exactly what to buy and have […]
So it’s come to the point where you need to look into financing heavy equipment, great! That means your company is growing. But the process can be a bit confusing for those initially. Where do you even begin? Financing Heavy Equipment: Getting Started The first thing that you want to do is get […]
Tax Deductions? Yes please! There are few things in life that people agree on; the fact that taxes elicit a general feeling of “blahhh” is one of them. But then, most people would all agree that they love their tax return. And what about tax deductions? Those aren’t too shabby, either. If you’re a small […]
Diving head first into the world of commercial financing is something that can be compared to jumping off a cliff into a body of water. Before you jump, there are quite a few things you’ll want to check on, right? How deep is the water? How many feet have you put between yourself and the […]
We all know the phrase, “Never buy with credit what you can buy with cash” or “cash is king”. This may seem like a good idea in theory, but it may not be the right choice for you and your business. Commercial equipment and heavy equipment are expensive, specifically semi trucks. There is a […]
Cash is king. This expression, some say a favorite expression of self-made billionaire Alex Spanos, can not be understated nor can it likely be disputed by anyone that has ever been responsible for running a business. This blog is going to discuss the consequences of businesses having a lack of cash and in what circumstances […]
