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Compliance, insurance, and operations, explained

Plain-language guides for carriers and fleets, written and reviewed by the people who handle this work every day. 223 articles, all on this page.

14 articles

DOT Compliance & Audits

DOT Compliance for Trucking Companies: What Changes as Your Fleet Grows A trucking company can outgrow its compliance habits before it notices. When more trucks, drivers, and lanes enter the operation, informal tracking turns into risk, workload, and avoidable… Gabriel Gonzalez, Chief Revenue Officer of Simplex GroupGabriel GonzalezNov 3, 2026 What is DOT compliance? The rules, the thresholds, and who checks "DOT compliance" sounds like one requirement. It is really a set of federal rules that switch on at different truck weights, passenger counts, and cargo types, and a… Gabriel Gonzalez, Chief Revenue Officer of Simplex GroupGabriel GonzalezOct 21, 2026 Choosing DOT compliance software: test it on a real exception Most compliance platforms look alike in a sales demo. The difference shows up when a record is missing, an alert has no owner, or an auditor asks for… Inely Baez, Chief Operating Officer of Simplex GroupInely BaezOct 21, 2026 FMCSA compliance services: what you can outsource and what stays yours Hiring a compliance service buys you time and a second set of eyes. It does not move the legal duty off your company, so the contract has to… Gabriel Gonzalez, Chief Revenue Officer of Simplex GroupGabriel GonzalezOct 21, 2026 DOT fleet regulations when your trucks haul your own goods Contractors, landscapers, distributors, and service companies often run trucks without thinking of themselves as trucking companies. Federal safety rules don't make that distinction. Gabriel Gonzalez, Chief Revenue Officer of Simplex GroupGabriel GonzalezOct 21, 2026 DOT compliance checklist: every file, every deadline Most DOT findings are not rules nobody knew about. They are a record that expired, a renewal nobody owned, or a document that sat in the office instead… Rigo Diaz, Founder & CEO of Simplex GroupRigo DiazOct 21, 2026 California commercial driver handbook: what to study, what changed California's CDL handbook is still the study text for every commercial knowledge test. But the edition DMV links today was written before several rules that now decide how… SGSimplex GroupOct 21, 2026 DOT fire extinguisher requirements: the rating, not the size Federal rules do not set a size or weight for a truck's fire extinguisher. They set a minimum rating, plus a short list of conditions an inspector can… Inely Baez, Chief Operating Officer of Simplex GroupInely BaezOct 16, 2026 DOT maintenance file requirements: proof the equipment is safe The equipment rules say what must be on the truck and in working order. The maintenance file is how you prove it, one vehicle at a time. Inely Baez, Chief Operating Officer of Simplex GroupInely BaezOct 16, 2026 The 7 CSA BASICs: how FMCSA reads your risk Every roadside inspection and reportable crash lands in one of seven categories that FMCSA uses to rank your company against carriers like you. Knowing what each one measures… Rigo Diaz, Founder & CEO of Simplex GroupRigo DiazOct 14, 2026 Commercial vehicle marking requirements: two items, both sides Federal rules ask for very little on the side of a truck: the carrier's name and its USDOT number. Most marking problems start with leases, rentals, and name… Inely Baez, Chief Operating Officer of Simplex GroupInely BaezOct 14, 2026 Your DOT safety rating score is public, and it follows you A safety rating is FMCSA's verdict on whether your safety management works. It stays on your public record until FMCSA replaces it, so anyone deciding whether to hire… Rigo Diaz, Founder & CEO of Simplex GroupRigo DiazOct 14, 2026 The Texas CDL handbook: what to study, and in what order The handbook Texas DPS publishes is more than a study guide. It maps the tests, forms, and deadlines between a regular license and a CDL, and it changed… Inely Baez, Chief Operating Officer of Simplex GroupInely BaezOct 14, 2026 Commercial driver safety tips that cut crash risk Most truck drivers already know the rules of the road. The risk sits in the few habits that slip under pressure: space, speed, the seat belt, the phone,… Rigo Diaz, Founder & CEO of Simplex GroupRigo DiazSep 25, 2026
47 articles

Safety & Enforcement

Wildlife collisions: brake, stay in your lane, then report it A deer in the headlights takes a second. What it costs a trucking company is decided by the minutes around it: the speed the truck carried into the… Rigo Diaz, Founder & CEO of Simplex GroupRigo DiazOct 21, 2026 A pre-trip inspection finds what roadside inspectors find Brakes, tires, and lights cause most of the out-of-service orders written at roadside, and a driver can spot many of those defects in the yard. Here is what… Rigo Diaz, Founder & CEO of Simplex GroupRigo DiazOct 21, 2026 What to expect in a DOT compliance audit, and what sets one off For a carrier past its new entrant period, a DOT audit rarely comes out of nowhere. It usually follows something in your own safety data, and how it… Rigo Diaz, Founder & CEO of Simplex GroupRigo DiazOct 21, 2026 The 7 Safe Driver Week violations written most in 2026 Officers across North America interacted with 8,083 drivers during Operation Safe Driver Week, July 12-18, 2026. CVSA's results show the warnings and tickets landing on a short, familiar… Gabriel Gonzalez, Chief Revenue Officer of Simplex GroupGabriel GonzalezOct 21, 2026 Why a no-passenger policy for trucks protects the carrier Federal rules let a carrier approve riders in writing. A no-passenger policy approves none, because the person in the passenger seat is a risk the carrier carries, not… Rigo Diaz, Founder & CEO of Simplex GroupRigo DiazOct 21, 2026 A truck light check belongs before sundown Lights are the easiest defect on a truck to find and among the cheapest to fix, yet they still park trucks at roadside. The answer is a check… Rigo Diaz, Founder & CEO of Simplex GroupRigo DiazOct 21, 2026 A speeding ticket in a commercial vehicle: what it does to your CDL The fine is the cheapest part of a truck speeding ticket. What matters is how far over the limit you were, whether it ends in a conviction, and… Rigo Diaz, Founder & CEO of Simplex GroupRigo DiazOct 21, 2026 Safety training for truck drivers: 10 topics to teach Your drivers already hold a CDL. What they learn after you hire them, and whether you can prove it, is the part of safety training that sits with… Rigo Diaz, Founder & CEO of Simplex GroupRigo DiazOct 21, 2026 30 safety messages for truck drivers, ready to send Most drivers have heard every safety slogan. The messages that change habits are specific, short, and reach the driver while the truck is parked. Rigo Diaz, Founder & CEO of Simplex GroupRigo DiazOct 21, 2026 Trucker personal safety: plan every stop before you make it Most threats against drivers don't happen at highway speed. They happen when the truck is parked and the driver is sleeping, walking to the restroom, or waiting at… Rigo Diaz, Founder & CEO of Simplex GroupRigo DiazOct 21, 2026 Operation Safe Driver Week 2026: what officers wrote up CVSA has published the 2026 numbers. Read them like an operating report: where the enforcement volume landed, what moved since last year, and which of those problems a… Gabriel Gonzalez, Chief Revenue Officer of Simplex GroupGabriel GonzalezOct 21, 2026 New entrant safety audit checklist: prove your controls work Every new interstate carrier faces a safety audit in its first months. The auditor samples your records to test one thing: whether your basic safety controls are working. Inely Baez, Chief Operating Officer of Simplex GroupInely BaezOct 21, 2026 Winter driving tips for truck drivers: slow down before the slide On snow and ice, a truck's problem is traction, not horsepower. Every winter crash that could have been avoided was decided earlier: by the speed, the space, and… Rigo Diaz, Founder & CEO of Simplex GroupRigo DiazOct 21, 2026 CVSA Roadcheck 2023: what the ABS and cargo checks found Roadcheck 2023 put anti-lock brakes and cargo securement under a spotlight for 72 hours. The numbers show which one stops trucks and which one only gets written up. Rigo Diaz, Founder & CEO of Simplex GroupRigo DiazOct 21, 2026 Truck accident procedures for the first 32 hours A truck crash starts several clocks at once: one at the scene, one for drug and alcohol testing, and one for the records your carrier must keep. Missing… Rigo Diaz, Founder & CEO of Simplex GroupRigo DiazOct 21, 2026 Level 1 DOT inspection checklist: prep in the inspector's order A Level 1 is the inspection where everything gets looked at: the driver's paperwork, the walk-around, and the brakes underneath. It follows the same steps every time, so… Rigo Diaz, Founder & CEO of Simplex GroupRigo DiazOct 21, 2026 How to report a DOT violation without putting your job at risk Sometimes the violation isn't yours: a dispatcher pushing you past your hours, a shipper threatening to pull your freight, a broker working under someone else's name. Here is… Rigo Diaz, Founder & CEO of Simplex GroupRigo DiazOct 21, 2026 Truck driving at night: stop within your headlights After dark, a truck's headlights decide how much road you have to work with, and at highway speed it is less than most drivers assume. Night driving is… Rigo Diaz, Founder & CEO of Simplex GroupRigo DiazOct 21, 2026 Houston DOT safety compliance: what changes inside the city The safety rules in Houston are the same federal and Texas rules you follow everywhere. What changes is who enforces them, which roads you can use, and which… Rigo Diaz, Founder & CEO of Simplex GroupRigo DiazOct 21, 2026 Fleet safety solutions: turn every inspection and crash into a fix Most fleets learn about their safety problems from a CSA percentile, weeks after the event that caused it. By then the defect has been driven on, the driver… Rigo Diaz, Founder & CEO of Simplex GroupRigo DiazOct 21, 2026 Fog driving safety for truckers: drive to what you can see Fog takes away the one thing a loaded truck needs most, room to stop, and it often does it with little warning. The choices that keep you safe… Rigo Diaz, Founder & CEO of Simplex GroupRigo DiazOct 21, 2026 FMCSA maintenance records form: a log that proves the work Carriers go looking for the official form and don't find one, because there isn't one. What the rule sets is the content, and an investigator samples it one… Rigo Diaz, Founder & CEO of Simplex GroupRigo DiazOct 21, 2026 FMCSA safety audit requirements for hazmat and passenger carriers Haul placarded hazmat or carry passengers, and your new entrant safety audit runs on a stricter track: no offsite option, more records in scope, and less time to… Rigo Diaz, Founder & CEO of Simplex GroupRigo DiazOct 21, 2026 How the FMCSA offsite safety audit works, upload by upload If FMCSA selects you for an offsite audit, you never meet the auditor. You sign in to a federal website, upload your records, and those files decide the… Inely Baez, Chief Operating Officer of Simplex GroupInely BaezOct 21, 2026 The FMCSA violations inspectors cite most Roadside inspectors recorded more than 4.5 million violations on trucks in 2025. A short list of them shows up over and over, and most can be caught in… Gabriel Gonzalez, Chief Revenue Officer of Simplex GroupGabriel GonzalezOct 21, 2026 The FMCSA annual fine increase skipped 2026 Every year federal law pushes FMCSA's penalty ceilings up with inflation. In 2026 it did not happen, and the reason matters for what you budget next. Gabriel Gonzalez, Chief Revenue Officer of Simplex GroupGabriel GonzalezOct 21, 2026 How to find your CSA score before a customer reads it Brokers, shippers, and underwriters can pull most of your safety record for free in a minute. You should read it first, including the parts only you can see. Gabriel Gonzalez, Chief Revenue Officer of Simplex GroupGabriel GonzalezOct 21, 2026 Mountain driving tips for truckers: win the grade at the top On a long downgrade, the decisions that keep a loaded truck under control are made before the descent: the gear you select at the summit, the speed you… Rigo Diaz, Founder & CEO of Simplex GroupRigo DiazOct 21, 2026 New entrant safety audit preparation, step by step Most new carriers know an audit is coming. Fewer know the order things happen in, which deadlines are FMCSA's, and which ones are yours. Gabriel Gonzalez, Chief Revenue Officer of Simplex GroupGabriel GonzalezOct 21, 2026 DOT safety audit for owner-operators: carrier and driver in one With one truck under your own authority, the new entrant safety audit has nobody else to sample. Every file it asks for is yours, as the company and… Gabriel Gonzalez, Chief Revenue Officer of Simplex GroupGabriel GonzalezOct 21, 2026 California roadside brake violations: what inspectors actually cite California inspects more trucks than any other state, and brakes draw more vehicle violations there than any other system. FMCSA's own inspection records show which brake problems get… Rigo Diaz, Founder & CEO of Simplex GroupRigo DiazOct 21, 2026 Brake out-of-service violations: which defects park the truck Brakes draw more roadside violations than almost anything else on a truck, but most of them never stop it. FMCSA's 2025 inspection data shows which brake defects end… Rigo Diaz, Founder & CEO of Simplex GroupRigo DiazOct 21, 2026 A brake inspection checklist that measures like an inspector Inspectors check brakes in a fixed order and measure them against fixed numbers. Use the same order and the same numbers in your yard, and a brake that… Gabriel Gonzalez, Chief Revenue Officer of Simplex GroupGabriel GonzalezOct 21, 2026 Safe driving practices around trucks, from both seats Car drivers make the same handful of mistakes around trucks every day. Knowing them tells a truck driver where the next one will come from, and what to… Rigo Diaz, Founder & CEO of Simplex GroupRigo DiazOct 21, 2026 Amazon Relay truck requirements, driver checks, and violation rates Getting your company approved is the first gate. After that, Amazon looks at every truck you list, every driver you invite, and every roadside inspection those trucks and… Rigo Diaz, Founder & CEO of Simplex GroupRigo DiazOct 21, 2026 Low clearance: how to keep your truck out of a bridge strike A bridge strike rarely starts at the bridge. It starts with a truck whose height nobody measured, a route built for cars, or a sign read too late.… Rigo Diaz, Founder & CEO of Simplex GroupRigo DiazOct 21, 2026 DOT inspection levels: all nine, and what each one checks Many guides, including an earlier version of this one, list six inspection levels. CVSA now defines nine, and FMCSA's own numbers show the full Level 1 is not… Inely Baez, Chief Operating Officer of Simplex GroupInely BaezOct 15, 2026 Brake Safety Week 2026 is over. Your brake record isn't. CVSA's weeklong brake inspection campaign ran August 23-29, 2026. The inspections are finished, but every brake violation recorded at a U.S. inspection that week will count in the… Rigo Diaz, Founder & CEO of Simplex GroupRigo DiazOct 15, 2026 CVSA International Roadcheck 2026: what inspectors found Roadcheck 2026 is over and CVSA has published the numbers. They show where carriers got caught, and every violation written that week now sits on a carrier's safety… Rigo Diaz, Founder & CEO of Simplex GroupRigo DiazOct 15, 2026 DOT fines and penalties: what FMCSA can charge in 2026 Most carriers first see a penalty amount on a Notice of Claim. By then, the facts that set the number are already on record. Inely Baez, Chief Operating Officer of Simplex GroupInely BaezOct 15, 2026 The CSA update and FMCSA's 2025 changes: where they stand FMCSA announced a wave of changes in 2025. Some took effect, one was withdrawn, and the CSA scoring overhaul is still waiting on a launch date. Rigo Diaz, Founder & CEO of Simplex GroupRigo DiazOct 15, 2026 How to write an FMCSA corrective action plan after a failed audit A failed new entrant safety audit starts a countdown. The corrective action plan is how you stop it, and FMCSA judges it on evidence, not on promises. Inely Baez, Chief Operating Officer of Simplex GroupInely BaezOct 15, 2026 How to prepare for DOT blitz week, every week of the year The blitz weeks get the attention, but the inspection behind them is the same one a truck can get on any day. In 2026, two of CVSA's enforcement… Inely Baez, Chief Operating Officer of Simplex GroupInely BaezOct 15, 2026 What happens when you get a DOT violation, and how to recover A roadside violation starts several clocks at once: a repair deadline, a 24-month scoring window, and a review process if the record is wrong. Recovery means running each… Inely Baez, Chief Operating Officer of Simplex GroupInely BaezOct 14, 2026 CVSA inspections: how they work, from level to decal Every roadside inspection in North America follows one standard, written by the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance. Knowing it tells you what inspectors check, what earns a decal, and… Inely Baez, Chief Operating Officer of Simplex GroupInely BaezOct 14, 2026 How the Unsafe Driving BASIC scores your violations Unsafe driving violations are written in plain view of an officer, and FMCSA weighs each one by its link to crashes. Here is which violations count, how the… Rigo Diaz, Founder & CEO of Simplex GroupRigo DiazOct 14, 2026 What Operation Safe Driver means for your safety record Operation Safe Driver Week is not an inspection blitz. It is a week of traffic stops, and for a carrier the ticket is the small part. What the… Rigo Diaz, Founder & CEO of Simplex GroupRigo DiazOct 14, 2026
12 articles

ELD & Hours of Service

The weekly HOS audit: find the pattern before FMCSA does Hours-of-service problems rarely start as one bad log. They start as a habit that repeats for weeks until a roadside inspection or an investigator finds it. Inely Baez, Chief Operating Officer of Simplex GroupInely BaezOct 21, 2026 How to use an ELD to keep every legal hour in your shift Your ELD records the hours you drive on its own. Whether your record also shows every hour you are still allowed to drive depends on how you log… Gabriel Gonzalez, Chief Revenue Officer of Simplex GroupGabriel GonzalezOct 21, 2026 ELD meaning in trucking: how the device logs your day Most drivers know an ELD replaced the paper logbook. Fewer know exactly what makes it record, what it writes down, and what it won't let anyone change. Inely Baez, Chief Operating Officer of Simplex GroupInely BaezOct 21, 2026 Setting up Simplex ELD in your fleet, step by step A new ELD fails on day one for the same few reasons: the wrong accounts, a loose phone, a missing instruction sheet, or old logs nobody kept. Each… Inely Baez, Chief Operating Officer of Simplex GroupInely BaezOct 21, 2026 ELD IFTA reporting starts with data IFTA will accept Most ELD platforms offer an IFTA mileage report. Whether that report holds up depends on what the system records between duty changes, and on who checks it every… Inely Baez, Chief Operating Officer of Simplex GroupInely BaezOct 21, 2026 ELD mandate compliance checklist: the office and the cab FMCSA's own ELD checklists were last updated in 2017, and they still list a user's manual that no longer has to ride in the cab. Here is the… Rigo Diaz, Founder & CEO of Simplex GroupRigo DiazOct 21, 2026 ELD requirements: does your truck need one? Whether you need an ELD is settled before the first log: by the truck's weight rating, the trailer behind it, the passengers or hazmat it carries, and whether… Gabriel Gonzalez, Chief Revenue Officer of Simplex GroupGabriel GonzalezOct 21, 2026 The owner-operator ELD FAQ: answers that depend on your setup Whether you need an ELD, and who answers for it, changes with how you run: your own authority or leased on, your truck or a rental, local runs… Gabriel Gonzalez, Chief Revenue Officer of Simplex GroupGabriel GonzalezOct 21, 2026 The Texas ELD mandate: federal device, Texas hours Texas-only carriers log on the same registered ELDs as interstate fleets, but the hours those logs are measured against are Texas's own. Getting the two to match is… SGSimplex GroupOct 21, 2026 ELD certification means the provider vouches, not FMCSA A "certified" ELD has not been tested or approved by FMCSA. Its provider tested it, certified it, and registered it, and FMCSA can take it off the list. Inely Baez, Chief Operating Officer of Simplex GroupInely BaezOct 15, 2026 ELD mandate update: where the 2025 revisions stand in 2026 In 2024, FMCSA's regulatory agenda pointed to a June 2025 proposal to revise the ELD rule. That proposal never came, but the ELD rules still moved: one requirement… Inely Baez, Chief Operating Officer of Simplex GroupInely BaezOct 15, 2026 ELD compliance is a system, not a device Buying a registered ELD is where compliance starts, not where it ends. The rule also covers what rides in the cab, what happens when a device fails, and… Inely Baez, Chief Operating Officer of Simplex GroupInely BaezOct 15, 2026
31 articles

Driver Qualification & Files

Women truck drivers: the real numbers and how to hire them Carriers keep saying they can't find drivers, yet women still fill fewer than one in twelve driving jobs. That gap is a hiring pool most small fleets have… Gabriel Gonzalez, Chief Revenue Officer of Simplex GroupGabriel GonzalezOct 21, 2026 Do truck drivers have to speak English? Myths vs facts Our June 2025 webinar on FMCSA's English rule ran two weeks before the out-of-service change. The questions drivers and carriers asked then still circulate, often with the wrong… Rigo Diaz, Founder & CEO of Simplex GroupRigo DiazOct 21, 2026 The USPS non-domiciled CDL rule: no badge, no mail USPS doesn't issue licenses, so it never changed the CDL itself. It changed who may haul its mail, and it put the job of proving it on the… Gabriel Gonzalez, Chief Revenue Officer of Simplex GroupGabriel GonzalezOct 21, 2026 Truck driver qualifications: who can legally drive your truck A CDL gets a driver through the gate. Federal rules add seven qualifications on top of it, and a short list of convictions that can take a qualified… Gabriel Gonzalez, Chief Revenue Officer of Simplex GroupGabriel GonzalezOct 21, 2026 DOT random drug testing: build the pool right, then do the math Random testing is one rule that grows with your fleet. Every CDL driver you add changes who belongs in the pool and how many tests you owe by… Gabriel Gonzalez, Chief Revenue Officer of Simplex GroupGabriel GonzalezOct 21, 2026 Truck driver English requirement enforcement, state by state The April 28, 2025 executive order put the federal English rule back on the roadside. Since then, several states have gone further, with fines of their own, impoundment,… SGSimplex GroupOct 21, 2026 Can truck drivers take melatonin? Yes, with the right timing Most drivers who ask about melatonin are really asking two things: will it get me in trouble, and will it leave me foggy behind the wheel. The rules… Rigo Diaz, Founder & CEO of Simplex GroupRigo DiazOct 21, 2026 Driver compliance tracking: the clocks that decide who drives A complete driver file can still hide a driver who should not be driving today. Medical certifications expire, licenses get suspended, and test results reach the Clearinghouse between… Rigo Diaz, Founder & CEO of Simplex GroupRigo DiazOct 21, 2026 New DOT physical requirements: same standards, new paperwork Most of what you read about "new" DOT physical rules is old. The medical standards have barely moved. What changed is how a driver qualifies with certain conditions,… Inely Baez, Chief Operating Officer of Simplex GroupInely BaezOct 21, 2026 Your DOT drug and alcohol testing program: the risk stays with you Most carriers hand their testing program to a consortium or third-party administrator and assume the compliance went with it. The tasks can go. The responsibility, and a handful… Rigo Diaz, Founder & CEO of Simplex GroupRigo DiazOct 21, 2026 Commercial driver training: build your own driver pipeline Experienced drivers are the most expensive seats to fill. Training new ones can cost less, but only if you pick the right route, use the public money available,… Gabriel Gonzalez, Chief Revenue Officer of Simplex GroupGabriel GonzalezOct 21, 2026 CDL compliance: is the license valid for this load? A driver can hold a real, unexpired CDL and still be illegal in the truck you dispatched. The class, endorsements, restriction codes, and medical status all have to… Rigo Diaz, Founder & CEO of Simplex GroupRigo DiazOct 21, 2026 The CDL blood alcohol limit is 0.04, but on duty it is zero Most drivers know the 0.04 number. Fewer know it is the line for losing a CDL, not a level that is safe to drive at, and that federal… Rigo Diaz, Founder & CEO of Simplex GroupRigo DiazOct 21, 2026 FMCSA Clearinghouse driver registration: who needs it, and how No rule makes most CDL drivers open a Clearinghouse account. But the first time a carrier wants to hire you, that account is the only way to say… SGSimplex GroupOct 21, 2026 Arkansas commercial driver license renewal: three clocks to watch Renewing an Arkansas CDL is a short visit to a revenue office. What sends drivers back to the testing line is a clock they stopped watching: the license,… Inely Baez, Chief Operating Officer of Simplex GroupInely BaezOct 16, 2026 The SAP program in trucking: the only road back after a violation A failed or refused DOT test takes a driver off safety-sensitive work for every employer until one process is finished. Here is what that process asks of the… Rigo Diaz, Founder & CEO of Simplex GroupRigo DiazOct 15, 2026 DOT physical A1C requirements: no federal cutoff Will you pass the DOT physical with diabetes? Diabetes alone won't stop you. The rule looks at control and complications, not a single number, and insulin users follow… Inely Baez, Chief Operating Officer of Simplex GroupInely BaezOct 15, 2026 CDL vs non-CDL: the truck you buy decides your DOT rules Whether your drivers need a CDL depends on the vehicle's weight rating, its seats, and its load. Whether DOT safety rules apply at all starts at a much… Gabriel Gonzalez, Chief Revenue Officer of Simplex GroupGabriel GonzalezOct 15, 2026 The truck driver visa freeze is over. The hiring squeeze is not. In August 2025 the State Department stopped issuing work visas to foreign truck drivers. That pause has ended, but the licensing rules that followed it reach drivers already… Gabriel Gonzalez, Chief Revenue Officer of Simplex GroupGabriel GonzalezSep 25, 2026 Tow truck driver requirements: the towed vehicle counts A wrecker that needs no CDL on the way to a call can need one on the way back. Federal rules look at the tow truck plus whatever… Inely Baez, Chief Operating Officer of Simplex GroupInely BaezSep 25, 2026 The SPE certificate: a driving test, not a waiver Losing or injuring a limb doesn't have to end an interstate driving career. Federal rules offer a defined path back to the cab, and it runs on a… Inely Baez, Chief Operating Officer of Simplex GroupInely BaezSep 25, 2026 How long do you have to renew a CDL after it expires? There is no grace period for driving on an expired CDL. There is a window for renewing it, but your state sets that window, and your medical certificate… Inely Baez, Chief Operating Officer of Simplex GroupInely BaezSep 25, 2026 The truck driver onboarding process, in the order the rules require Hiring a driver is a compliance sequence with hard gates. Some checks must be closed before the keys change hands; others run on a 30-day clock that starts… Inely Baez, Chief Operating Officer of Simplex GroupInely BaezSep 25, 2026 Do you need a CDL to drive a garbage truck? Usually, a Class B A garbage truck's weight rating decides which license the driver needs. Who runs the truck, a private hauler or a city, decides which of the other federal qualification… Inely Baez, Chief Operating Officer of Simplex GroupInely BaezSep 25, 2026 English proficiency requirement for truck drivers, answered The rule has been on the books since the 1930s. Since June 2025, failing it at an inspection ends the driver's trip, and FMCSA has now proposed writing… Inely Baez, Chief Operating Officer of Simplex GroupInely BaezSep 25, 2026 What is the FMCSA Clearinghouse? A status check with deadlines Since January 6, 2020, drug and alcohol program violations by CDL and CLP holders have one place to land. What matters for your operation is the short list… Inely Baez, Chief Operating Officer of Simplex GroupInely BaezSep 25, 2026 Entry-level driver training: where your next driver starts Almost every newly licensed Class A or B driver came through entry-level driver training. The requirements have been in place since February 2022, but FMCSA has spent the… Gabriel Gonzalez, Chief Revenue Officer of Simplex GroupGabriel GonzalezSep 25, 2026 Do you need a CDL to drive a dump truck? Usually, Class A or B A dump truck's weight rating decides whether the driver needs a CDL. What it tows decides the class, and the truck the driver tested in decides which of… Gabriel Gonzalez, Chief Revenue Officer of Simplex GroupGabriel GonzalezSep 25, 2026 The DQF checklist: what goes in, and how long it stays A driver qualification file is checked against a short, fixed list. Most findings come from items that were never renewed, filed in the wrong place, or kept on… Inely Baez, Chief Operating Officer of Simplex GroupInely BaezSep 25, 2026 DOT random drug testing time limits: immediately means now Every clock in a DOT random test is short, and most of them belong to the carrier. A driver who takes too long to show up can be… Inely Baez, Chief Operating Officer of Simplex GroupInely BaezSep 25, 2026 Texas CDL pre-trip inspection: what DPS checks and scores The pre-trip is the first of three CDL skills tests in Texas, and you cannot move on until you pass it. It rewards a fixed routine, said out… Inely Baez, Chief Operating Officer of Simplex GroupInely BaezSep 25, 2026
30 articles

Insurance

How to read a trucking insurance quote before you bind Part 2 of our Trucking 101 webinar, published on September 25, 2025, walked new carriers through their first insurance quote. Here is that advice, rechecked against the rules… Rigo Diaz, Founder & CEO of Simplex GroupRigo DiazOct 21, 2026 Types of commercial truck insurance: which policy pays A truck insurance program is several coverages stacked together, each written for one kind of loss. Knowing which one answers a claim, and which loss none of them… Rigo Diaz, Founder & CEO of Simplex GroupRigo DiazOct 21, 2026 How to get truck insurance for a small fleet in North Carolina Going from one truck to several changes how an insurer sees you, what it needs from you, and how much can go wrong between renewals. North Carolina adds… Rigo Diaz, Founder & CEO of Simplex GroupRigo DiazOct 21, 2026 Truck insurance for owner-operators leaving a lease The day you move from a carrier's authority to your own, the policy that protects the public changes hands. Most coverage gaps open in the weeks around that… Rigo Diaz, Founder & CEO of Simplex GroupRigo DiazOct 21, 2026 Workers' comp for truck drivers in Houston: optional, with exceptions Texas lets most private employers decide whether to carry workers' compensation. For a Houston trucking company, that choice has two exceptions written for carriers, a real cost in… Rigo Diaz, Founder & CEO of Simplex GroupRigo DiazOct 21, 2026 In-service liability for leased trucks: where your policy ends When you lease on owner-operators, your auto liability carries their trucks too. The hard part is knowing where it stops, and proving it when a claim lands on… Rigo Diaz, Founder & CEO of Simplex GroupRigo DiazOct 21, 2026 Tow truck insurance in California: what the law and CHP require A California tow company needs more than a truck policy. The state sets a liability floor, CHP rotation sets a higher one, and the car on your hook… Rigo Diaz, Founder & CEO of Simplex GroupRigo DiazOct 21, 2026 Semi truck insurance in Florida: interstate coverage by setup A Florida tractor that hauls across state lines answers to two systems: FMCSA, which needs your liability on file, and Florida, which won't plate the truck without its… Rigo Diaz, Founder & CEO of Simplex GroupRigo DiazOct 21, 2026 Semi truck insurance claims: what happens after you call Most truck owners read their policy twice: when they buy it, and after something goes wrong. This guide is for the second time: what the policy asks of… Rigo Diaz, Founder & CEO of Simplex GroupRigo DiazOct 21, 2026 Motor truck cargo insurance: what to verify before a loss A cargo limit on a certificate tells a broker that a policy exists. It does not tell you whether this load, this commodity, or this kind of loss… Rigo Diaz, Founder & CEO of Simplex GroupRigo DiazOct 21, 2026 General liability vs auto liability: where the gaps hide Most carriers know the truck needs auto liability and the yard needs general liability. The trouble sits in the seams: which one the law requires, how each limit… Rigo Diaz, Founder & CEO of Simplex GroupRigo DiazOct 21, 2026 Insurance for a new trucking company, from first quote to first load Your first policy is a timing problem as much as a price problem. The quote, the down payment, the federal filing, and your authority all have to line… Rigo Diaz, Founder & CEO of Simplex GroupRigo DiazOct 21, 2026 Motor truck cargo insurance cost: what the premium really buys Two cargo quotes can be far apart and still not be comparable. A premium only means something next to the freight, limit, and deductible it pays for. Gabriel Gonzalez, Chief Revenue Officer of Simplex GroupGabriel GonzalezOct 21, 2026 Commercial truck insurance in Ohio: what PUCO and Ohio law add Ohio sets its truck insurance rules through the Public Utilities Commission, its workers' comp through a state fund, and its lawsuit limits through statutes that spare the worst… Rigo Diaz, Founder & CEO of Simplex GroupRigo DiazOct 21, 2026 Commercial truck insurance in Orlando: what Florida law requires An Orlando truck can run under three different sets of insurance rules: federal limits for interstate freight, Florida's weight-based minimums for trucks that never leave the state, and… Rigo Diaz, Founder & CEO of Simplex GroupRigo DiazOct 21, 2026 Commercial truck insurance in Colorado: what the state adds Colorado doesn't publish one number for truck insurance. Your minimum depends on what you haul and for whom, and some of the choices that shape your policy are… Rigo Diaz, Founder & CEO of Simplex GroupRigo DiazOct 21, 2026 Semi trailer insurance: who covers the trailer you pull Your semi truck policy can protect the public from the trailer behind you and still pay nothing when that trailer is damaged. Which coverage answers depends on who… Rigo Diaz, Founder & CEO of Simplex GroupRigo DiazOct 21, 2026 Commercial dump truck insurance: where the gaps hide A dump truck works in two places at once: on the highway, where the auto policy is built to respond, and on the jobsite, where dumping, loose loads,… Rigo Diaz, Founder & CEO of Simplex GroupRigo DiazOct 21, 2026 Commercial driver insurance cost: what each hire adds Every driver you hire carries a second price tag besides wages. It shows up in whether your insurer accepts them, in the claims they do or don't cause,… Gabriel Gonzalez, Chief Revenue Officer of Simplex GroupGabriel GonzalezOct 21, 2026 Box truck insurance requirements in Texas: the 26,000-pound line A box truck in Texas can need no state insurance filing at all, or a $500,000 one. The difference is a weight line that is easy to miss,… Rigo Diaz, Founder & CEO of Simplex GroupRigo DiazOct 21, 2026 Commercial auto liability insurance in Miami: choosing your limit The legal minimum tells you what a Miami truck must carry to run. It doesn't tell you what one serious crash on the Palmetto or at the port… Rigo Diaz, Founder & CEO of Simplex GroupRigo DiazOct 21, 2026 Box truck insurance in California: which permit sets your limits In California, the same 26-foot box truck can answer to different rulebooks. Whether it hauls freight, delivers your own goods, or moves households decides which permit you need… Rigo Diaz, Founder & CEO of Simplex GroupRigo DiazOct 21, 2026 Box truck insurance for owner-operators: leased on or on your own A box truck can be insured by a carrier's policy, by your own, or by nobody's for part of the day. Which one answers depends on how you… Rigo Diaz, Founder & CEO of Simplex GroupRigo DiazOct 21, 2026 18-wheeler insurance in Texas: the legal floor and the real risk Texas tells you the least liability coverage your rig can run on and how it has to be filed. It doesn't tell you what a crash on I-10… Rigo Diaz, Founder & CEO of Simplex GroupRigo DiazOct 21, 2026 Commercial auto symbols decide which trucks are covered Every coverage on your auto policy carries a small number, and that number, not the truck, decides whether a claim is covered. Here is what each symbol means,… Rigo Diaz, Founder & CEO of Simplex GroupRigo DiazOct 16, 2026 High-risk truck insurance is a market, not a verdict If standard insurers have turned you down, you are not uninsurable. You are in a different market, with different rules, and your records decide how long you stay… Rigo Diaz, Founder & CEO of Simplex GroupRigo DiazSep 25, 2026 How much is semi truck insurance, and what sets your price? Nobody can quote your premium without seeing your operation. What you can know is the industry benchmark, the legal minimum, and the factors an underwriter uses to move… Rigo Diaz, Founder & CEO of Simplex GroupRigo DiazSep 25, 2026 Health insurance for owner-operators: what actually covers you When you run your own truck, no employer picks a plan for you, and the policies sold to truckers don't all do the same job. Here is which… Rigo Diaz, Founder & CEO of Simplex GroupRigo DiazSep 25, 2026 How your CSA scores shape your truck insurance premium Before you ever ask for a quote, an underwriter can already see a lot about how you run your trucks. Here is what your safety data says about… Rigo Diaz, Founder & CEO of Simplex GroupRigo DiazSep 25, 2026 CGL insurance for truckers covers the risks beyond the road Your auto policy is built for the truck. General liability covers much of what happens around it, at your terminal, on a customer's dock, and in your advertising,… Rigo Diaz, Founder & CEO of Simplex GroupRigo DiazSep 25, 2026
19 articles

Authority & Registration

How the Unified Carrier Registration program works Most carriers know UCR as a yearly bill. Knowing who sets it, where the money goes, and which websites are official makes the fee easier to plan for… SGSimplex GroupOct 21, 2026 UCR vs USDOT number, MC, IRP and IFTA: where they connect UCR is the registration most often mistaken for one of the others. It replaces none of them, but it leans on several, and states check it against what… SGSimplex GroupOct 21, 2026 What a trucking authority package includes, and what it can't Two authority packages can carry the same name and cover very different work. Before you compare prices, find out which lines are government fees, which filings only a… Gabriel Gonzalez, Chief Revenue Officer of Simplex GroupGabriel GonzalezOct 21, 2026 Interstate authority is active. Are you ready to operate? The day FMCSA issues your authority feels like the finish line. It is the start line: plates, fuel tax, a tested driver, and a handful of yearly filings… Gabriel Gonzalez, Chief Revenue Officer of Simplex GroupGabriel GonzalezOct 21, 2026 How to start a trucking company in Texas: pick your lanes first In Texas, the forms you file depend on where your trucks will run. Texas-only, interstate, or both: each answer leads to a different authority, insurance minimum, and set… Gabriel Gonzalez, Chief Revenue Officer of Simplex GroupGabriel GonzalezOct 21, 2026 How to get your MC authority, and when it is really yours An MC number arrives early. The right to bill a load under it arrives later, once FMCSA has your insurance, your process agents, and a clean protest period… Gabriel Gonzalez, Chief Revenue Officer of Simplex GroupGabriel GonzalezOct 21, 2026 How to correct or update a UCR filing after you pay Once a UCR payment goes through, the fix depends on which way the mistake went: a refund request, a fee adjustment, or an update to your USDOT record,… SGSimplex GroupOct 21, 2026 How to use the UCR registration lookup and read the result The lookup is free, public, and shows the same record officers check at roadside. Reading it correctly takes a minute and catches mistakes a payment receipt can hide. SGSimplex GroupOct 21, 2026 How to calculate your UCR fleet size, unit by unit Your UCR fee depends on one number: how many vehicles you own or operate. Getting it right means testing each unit, picking the right counting period, and keeping… SGSimplex GroupOct 21, 2026 How to get loads with a new MC number Your authority is active and the truck is insured, but the first broker you call says no. Here is why new authority gets turned down, and how to… Gabriel Gonzalez, Chief Revenue Officer of Simplex GroupGabriel GonzalezOct 21, 2026 Amazon Relay for new carriers: what it takes to get approved and what it is worth Amazon Relay puts freight directly in front of carriers, with no broker in the middle. Getting approved takes more than a sign-up, and the requirements you meet to… Gabriel Gonzalez, Chief Revenue Officer of Simplex GroupGabriel GonzalezOct 21, 2026 Chameleon carriers: how FMCSA spots a new name on an old company A new USDOT number does not come with a clean slate. When a company restarts to leave its record behind, FMCSA can link the two, put the new… Rigo Diaz, Founder & CEO of Simplex GroupRigo DiazOct 21, 2026 Your BOC-3 process agent: where a lawsuit finds you first A process agent is a name on a form until the day someone sues your company. Then the agent decides how fast the papers reach you, and that… Rigo Diaz, Founder & CEO of Simplex GroupRigo DiazOct 21, 2026 Company driver to owner-operator: the decisions that come first Part 1 of our Trucking 101 webinar, recorded on August 21, 2025, covered what changes when you stop driving for someone else. Here is that advice, rechecked against… Rigo Diaz, Founder & CEO of Simplex GroupRigo DiazSep 25, 2026 UCR renewal 2027: fees, deadline, and how to file UCR is a yearly fee, not a one-time filing, and the 2027 fees are now final. Most renewal mistakes come from the calendar and the vehicle count, not… SGSimplex GroupSep 25, 2026 MCS-150 biennial update: when it's due and how to file Every registered carrier has to refresh its FMCSA record every two years, even when nothing has changed. In 2026 the filing moved to a new system, and FMCSA… SGSimplex GroupSep 25, 2026 How to start a trucking company: the filings, then the cash The federal registrations follow a fixed order, and since May 2026 they start in FMCSA's new Motus system. What the list doesn't cover is the cash it takes… Gabriel Gonzalez, Chief Revenue Officer of Simplex GroupGabriel GonzalezSep 25, 2026 FMCSA Motus: where USDOT registration lives now Since May 19, 2026, FMCSA registration runs through a new online system. The rules behind it did not change. How you sign in, prove who you are, and… SGSimplex GroupSep 25, 2026 The BOC-3 form: the filing your authority waits on FMCSA won't grant operating authority until your process agents are on file. The BOC-3 that names them takes about 10 minutes to complete, by FMCSA's own estimate, yet… Gabriel Gonzalez, Chief Revenue Officer of Simplex GroupGabriel GonzalezSep 25, 2026
22 articles

Permits & Fuel Tax

Illinois truck permits: which one your truck needs Illinois splits truck permits among three agencies: the Secretary of State for registration, the Department of Revenue for fuel tax, and IDOT for oversize loads. Each has its… SGSimplex GroupOct 21, 2026 Trucking company taxes: what you owe and when A trucking company pays the taxes every business pays, plus several that exist only because it runs heavy trucks across state lines. Each has its own form, its… SGSimplex GroupOct 21, 2026 Texas oversize permits: how TxPROS works and when loads can move Texas offers nearly 30 oversize and overweight permit types, all ordered through one online system. For a general heavy haul, the work comes down to a few permit… SGSimplex GroupOct 21, 2026 How to get a Texas IFTA license and keep it current The license is free and the application is short. What causes trouble is the paperwork around it: the right base jurisdiction, credentials in every cab, and fuel and… SGSimplex GroupOct 21, 2026 IFTA refunds: how fuel tax credits come back to you The International Fuel Tax Agreement settles fuel tax by the mile, so some quarters you have paid more at the pump than you owe. That overpayment is yours,… SGSimplex GroupOct 21, 2026 Missed the Form 2290 deadline? What it costs and how to fix it A late 2290 isn't only an IRS problem. The same return produces the proof your state needs before it plates the truck. SGSimplex GroupOct 21, 2026 Form 2290 Schedule 1: how to get, check, and replace it Paying the 2290 tax is only half the job. The page your state actually asks for is the stamped Schedule 1, and one wrong VIN or a lost… SGSimplex GroupOct 21, 2026 US fuel tax rates: the federal tax plus 48 state diesel rates Every gallon of diesel carries two taxes: a federal rate that is the same everywhere, and a state rate that ranges from zero to almost a dollar. Here… SGSimplex GroupOct 21, 2026 IFTA audit: how your fuel tax reports get checked Filing the quarterly return is not the end of it. Years later, your base jurisdiction can test every quarter against your own mileage and fuel records, for every… SGSimplex GroupOct 21, 2026 Trucking documents: keep your permit book current A permit book is only as good as its oldest page. Credentials renew on different clocks, trucks and trailers change hands, and some states add papers of their… SGSimplex GroupOct 21, 2026 What information should be included on a CDL trip report? A trip report looks like paperwork for driver pay and fuel. To an auditor, it is the source record behind every mile on your IFTA return and IRP… SGSimplex GroupOct 21, 2026 New Mexico truck permits: what to buy before you cross New Mexico taxes heavy trucks by the mile, through an annual account or at the port, and it sells oversize permits only online. Knowing which applies to each… SGSimplex GroupSep 30, 2026 How trucking fuel tax works: paid at the pump, settled by the mile Fuel tax is charged at the pump, but it isn't settled there. The federal tax stays in the price, state tax follows your miles, and some states add… SGSimplex GroupSep 25, 2026 2290s explained: when Form 2290 is due and who files it Form 2290 is a once-a-year federal tax return for heavy trucks, but its deadline moves with the month each truck first hits the road. And most states won't… SGSimplex GroupSep 25, 2026 Truck permits explained: the credentials an interstate carrier needs A truck that crosses state lines runs on a stack of federal, multistate, and state credentials. Some are filed once, some renew every year, and some are bought… SGSimplex GroupSep 25, 2026 Trucker tax deductions: what you can write off in 2026 Owner-operators pay income tax on profit, not on what the loads paid. Every business cost you can prove lowers the bill, and the ones drivers miss most are… SGSimplex GroupSep 25, 2026 Temporary IFTA permits: who needs one and what they cost Running a truck across state lines without an IFTA license does not make fuel tax go away. You settle it one state at a time, with a permit… SGSimplex GroupSep 25, 2026 Oversize load permits: when you need one and how to get it No federal agency issues oversize or overweight permits. Each state on your route does, with its own limits, signs, escort rules, and travel windows, so one load can… SGSimplex GroupSep 25, 2026 Oregon DMV trip permits: which one you need and what it costs Oregon sorts trip permits by weight, vehicle type, and whether the vehicle is already registered in Oregon. Pick the wrong one and it does not cover the trip.… SGSimplex GroupSep 25, 2026 The Kentucky KYU license: who needs it and how to file Kentucky taxes heavy trucks for every mile they drive on its roads, wherever the carrier is based. The license is free and quick to get. The quarterly returns… SGSimplex GroupSep 25, 2026 IFTA due dates 2026 and how to file your quarterly return IFTA turns fuel tax in up to 58 jurisdictions into one return a quarter. That return is only as good as the miles and fuel receipts behind it,… SGSimplex GroupSep 25, 2026 Florida oversize permits: how FDOT's PAS works and what it costs Florida's oversize and overweight permits are cheap and fast to buy online. The conditions printed on them are what trip carriers up: travel windows, escorts, surveys, and routes… SGSimplex GroupSep 25, 2026
12 articles

Factoring & Cash Flow

Recourse vs non-recourse factoring: who pays when a broker doesn't Every factoring agreement answers one question before you haul the load: if the customer never pays, whose loss is it? The label on the program starts the answer.… Gabriel Gonzalez, Chief Revenue Officer of Simplex GroupGabriel GonzalezOct 21, 2026 How do fuel cards work? From the pump to your IFTA return A fuel card looks like any payment card at the pump, but it is really a set of rules: who can buy, what, where, and how much. The… Gabriel Gonzalez, Chief Revenue Officer of Simplex GroupGabriel GonzalezOct 21, 2026 Amazon Relay payment terms and the compliance behind your pay Relay pays weekly on a fixed calendar, which makes Amazon one of the more predictable customers a small carrier can have. The catch is that the compliance record… Gabriel Gonzalez, Chief Revenue Officer of Simplex GroupGabriel GonzalezOct 21, 2026 Spot vs contract freight: what carriers ask in 2026 Spot freight pays today's price. Contract freight pays a price set months ago. In 2026 the gap between the two changed how a small carrier should fill its… Gabriel Gonzalez, Chief Revenue Officer of Simplex GroupGabriel GonzalezOct 21, 2026 Choosing a trucking tax preparer: what to check before you hire Anyone with an IRS preparer number can file your return for pay. For an owner-operator, the right preparer also sets your quarterly cash flow, files your Form 2290,… Gabriel Gonzalez, Chief Revenue Officer of Simplex GroupGabriel GonzalezOct 21, 2026 Trucking company equipment: buy, lease, or lease-purchase? Your first truck is the biggest check a new carrier writes, and it locks in more than a payment: the rules your company follows, the filings it owes,… Gabriel Gonzalez, Chief Revenue Officer of Simplex GroupGabriel GonzalezOct 21, 2026 Is freight factoring worth it? Six fears, checked Factoring trades part of each invoice for cash now. The fears around it, about cost, debt, brokers, and getting locked in, are fair questions, and every one has… Gabriel Gonzalez, Chief Revenue Officer of Simplex GroupGabriel GonzalezOct 21, 2026 What causes high tender rejection rates, and when to say no When carriers turn down the contract loads they agreed to haul, freight capacity is tight, and the price of every load starts to move. In 2026 that has… Gabriel Gonzalez, Chief Revenue Officer of Simplex GroupGabriel GonzalezOct 21, 2026 Freight rate negotiation starts with your walk-away number A load that looks strong on the board can still lose money once you add the empty miles, the wait at the dock, and the trip home. Good… Gabriel Gonzalez, Chief Revenue Officer of Simplex GroupGabriel GonzalezOct 21, 2026 The 2026 trucking capacity shortage is about trucks, not freight Rates climbed through 2026 while shippers moved about the same freight or less. The change is on the supply side, and part of it will not reverse quickly. Gabriel Gonzalez, Chief Revenue Officer of Simplex GroupGabriel GonzalezSep 25, 2026 Owner-operator factoring: what you are really signing Factoring turns a delivered load into cash before your broker pays. The price is more than the fee: the contract decides who carries a bad debt, who your… Gabriel Gonzalez, Chief Revenue Officer of Simplex GroupGabriel GonzalezSep 25, 2026 Freight fraud: how to spot it before you haul Freight scams rarely look like scams. They arrive as a good rate from a real company name, and by the time the payment fails or the load disappears,… Gabriel Gonzalez, Chief Revenue Officer of Simplex GroupGabriel GonzalezSep 25, 2026
18 articles

Running the Operation

What is truck fleet management? Five jobs that set your cost per mile The second truck changes the business. Someone now has to plan maintenance for more than one unit, keep more than one driver legal, buy fuel at today's prices,… Gabriel Gonzalez, Chief Revenue Officer of Simplex GroupGabriel GonzalezOct 21, 2026 General freight trucking vs. specialized freight: what changes The freight you choose decides more than your trailer. It sets who can drive, how the load is tied down, how much liability coverage you must carry, and… Gabriel Gonzalez, Chief Revenue Officer of Simplex GroupGabriel GonzalezOct 21, 2026 Trucking myths, checked against the rules and the data Some trucking myths keep good people from applying to drive. Others lead new carriers to budget for the wrong things. Both are easy to check against federal data… Gabriel Gonzalez, Chief Revenue Officer of Simplex GroupGabriel GonzalezOct 21, 2026 Time management for truck drivers: the clock is the budget Every hour a truck waits at a dock, and every hour a driver spends on paperwork, comes out of the same federal clock as driving. Planning around that… Gabriel Gonzalez, Chief Revenue Officer of Simplex GroupGabriel GonzalezOct 21, 2026 A commercial truck maintenance checklist built on pass-fail limits Most checklists say "check the brakes." Federal rules say exactly when a brake, tire, or steering part fails. Check against those limits, and the truck fails in your… Gabriel Gonzalez, Chief Revenue Officer of Simplex GroupGabriel GonzalezOct 21, 2026 Truck driver retention strategies that protect your revenue Every driver who leaves takes a working truck off the road until the seat is filled. With the driver shortage back on the industry's worry list, the drivers… Gabriel Gonzalez, Chief Revenue Officer of Simplex GroupGabriel GonzalezOct 21, 2026 National Truck Driver Appreciation Week, planned like a business A thank-you week is a line in the budget. Spend it where drivers feel it, and in forms the tax rules don't turn into a surprise. Gabriel Gonzalez, Chief Revenue Officer of Simplex GroupGabriel GonzalezOct 21, 2026 Precooling a reefer trailer, and proving you did it A reefer load can be lost before the truck leaves the dock: warm walls, a unit left running with the doors open, or a setpoint nobody wrote down.… Rigo Diaz, Founder & CEO of Simplex GroupRigo DiazOct 21, 2026 Things truckers need on the road once the cab is packed Packing lists cover what goes in the cab. Out on the road, the harder needs are a legal place to stop, a shower, a decent meal, and a… Gabriel Gonzalez, Chief Revenue Officer of Simplex GroupGabriel GonzalezOct 21, 2026 Cargo theft prevention starts where the truck stops Most straight cargo theft doesn't happen on the highway. It happens when a loaded trailer sits still and nobody is watching it: at a truck stop, in a… Rigo Diaz, Founder & CEO of Simplex GroupRigo DiazOct 21, 2026 Sightseeing as an over-the-road truck driver: park the rig first Over-the-road drivers cross some of the best scenery in the country and rarely stop to see it. You can, if the visit fits your hours, your carrier's rules,… Rigo Diaz, Founder & CEO of Simplex GroupRigo DiazOct 21, 2026 Truck driver passenger policy: who can ride, in writing Federal rules do not ban passengers in trucks. They require the motor carrier to decide, in writing and before the trip, who may ride along. Inely Baez, Chief Operating Officer of Simplex GroupInely BaezOct 16, 2026 Truck driver essentials checklist: required items first Most packing lists start with snacks and a pillow. On a long haul, the items that can actually stop your trip are the ones the rules require on… Inely Baez, Chief Operating Officer of Simplex GroupInely BaezOct 16, 2026 Truck preventive maintenance: a schedule you can prove A truck that runs fine today can still fail a roadside inspection or an audit. Preventive maintenance is the schedule that keeps parts from failing, and the record… Inely Baez, Chief Operating Officer of Simplex GroupInely BaezSep 25, 2026 Becoming a carrier is the start. Staying profitable is the job. Registration makes you a carrier. Thin margins, driver turnover, and slow-paying customers decide whether you stay one. Gabriel Gonzalez, Chief Revenue Officer of Simplex GroupGabriel GonzalezSep 25, 2026 Fatigue management for truck drivers is risk management A driver can be fully legal on hours of service and still too tired to drive safely. Fatigue management is how a carrier closes that gap before it… Rigo Diaz, Founder & CEO of Simplex GroupRigo DiazSep 25, 2026 Documenting damaged cargo: the record that decides the claim A cargo claim can arrive months after delivery. By then, the only things still telling the story are the receipt signed at the dock and the photos on… Inely Baez, Chief Operating Officer of Simplex GroupInely BaezSep 25, 2026 Truck driver stress and burnout: what carriers can fix Long hours, time alone, and per-mile pay wear drivers down slowly. By the time burnout is visible, it is already affecting safety and retention. Inely Baez, Chief Operating Officer of Simplex GroupInely BaezSep 25, 2026
12 articles

Industry & Market

FMCSA changes from 2025 to 2026: what took effect, and when Our July 24, 2025 webinar on FMCSA's compliance overhaul covered CSA scores, medical cards, and non-domiciled CDLs. Much more has moved since. Here are the changes that reach… SGSimplex GroupOct 21, 2026 Trucking industry risks of 2022: which grew and which faded The bottom half of 2022's top 10 looked minor next to record diesel. Four years later, two of those five sit in the top three, one rule never… Rigo Diaz, Founder & CEO of Simplex GroupRigo DiazOct 21, 2026 Truckload capacity in 2026: van, reefer, and flatbed compared Every equipment type is tighter than a year ago, but not by the same amount or for the same reasons. The trailer you run decides how much of… Gabriel Gonzalez, Chief Revenue Officer of Simplex GroupGabriel GonzalezOct 21, 2026 Trucking industry concerns of 2023: the year the economy took over In 2023, costs kept climbing while freight rates fell, and the industry put the economy at the top of its list of worries for the first time in… Gabriel Gonzalez, Chief Revenue Officer of Simplex GroupGabriel GonzalezOct 21, 2026 The top trucking industry concerns of 2022, and where they stand now In 2022, record diesel prices pushed the driver shortage out of first place on the industry's own list of worries. Four years later, fuel is back on top,… Gabriel Gonzalez, Chief Revenue Officer of Simplex GroupGabriel GonzalezOct 21, 2026 The 2021 trucking industry risks that came back bigger Part 1 covered 2021's top five, all about drivers. The next six on the list were about safety records, premiums, and lost hours, and two of them now… Rigo Diaz, Founder & CEO of Simplex GroupRigo DiazOct 21, 2026 The top trucking industry concerns of 2021, and what came of the fixes In 2021, the industry's three biggest worries were all about drivers: finding them, keeping them, and paying them. The fixes it voted for that year make a useful… Gabriel Gonzalez, Chief Revenue Officer of Simplex GroupGabriel GonzalezOct 21, 2026 The Florida Turnpike truck crash: what changed for carriers One illegal U-turn on Florida's Turnpike in August 2025 set off changes in federal licensing rules, Florida's license exams, and roadside enforcement. Some of what was proposed never… Rigo Diaz, Founder & CEO of Simplex GroupRigo DiazOct 21, 2026 Emerging issues in the trucking industry, then and now Every year, ATRI names the concerns ranked just below its top 10: the ones that might break through next. In 2022 there were three. Four years later, one… Gabriel Gonzalez, Chief Revenue Officer of Simplex GroupGabriel GonzalezOct 21, 2026 FMCSA's non-domiciled CDL rule: a year of audits and revocations In September 2025, FMCSA used an emergency rule to narrow who can hold a non-domiciled CDL. The bigger effect has come from audits that forced states to cancel… SGSimplex GroupOct 21, 2026 Trucking industry forecast 2026: what Q1 and Q2 actually delivered Rates rose while freight volumes slipped, and diesel set a record. Here is what the first half of 2026 really looked like, and what it means for your… Gabriel Gonzalez, Chief Revenue Officer of Simplex GroupGabriel GonzalezSep 25, 2026 The Supreme Court ruling on freight broker liability, explained In May 2026 the Supreme Court took away the federal defense brokers had used against negligent-selection lawsuits. Here is what the Court decided, what it left open, and… Rigo Diaz, Founder & CEO of Simplex GroupRigo DiazSep 25, 2026
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