How to Survive Your First Year

Join industry expert Kevin Rutherford as he pulls back the curtain on the “horrible statistics” that plague new truck owners and explains why “chasing the rate” is often a faster path to bankruptcy than hauling “cheap” freight. This session moves beyond driving tips to tackle the hard business realities of expense optimization, relationship-based freight, and the specific financial habits that separate survivors from statistics.

Key Takeaways:

• The “10% Rule” of Success: Discover the simple accounting habit that immediately places you in the top tier of single-truck owners, even if you have zero business experience.
• The Trap of “Chasing the Rate”: Learn why the highest-paying load could lose you money and how to identify the “hidden” factor that is more important than revenue per mile.
• “It’s Not Your Money”: Using the “Profit First” mindset, understand the specific cents-per-mile you must set aside for maintenance and taxes to avoid the most common “business killers”.
• The Broker Relationship “Hack”: Find out the specific, counter-intuitive question you should ask a broker to instantly win their trust and secure high-value freight.

Register for the 2026 series: Trucking Mastery: Building a Profitable Business That Lasts