Logistics InfoRPM
DispatchTotal pay for a load divided by its miles. Count deadhead miles too to see the real rate.
FREEOpen to everyone in US trucking
Learn American trucking. All of it.
Logistics Info is a free school for the US trucking industry. Dispatch, Fleet Safety, Accounting and Recruiting: every department, every rule and every number, explained in plain language by people who work in the business.
Why Logistics Info
One place to understand the whole business
Most people learn trucking one painful mistake at a time. We teach it the other way: how the money moves, which rules matter, and what each department actually does all day.
Free. Always.
No courses to buy and no paywall. Everything we publish is open to anyone who wants to learn.
Real business
Margins, rates, cost per mile and compliance risk. We explain the economics behind the work, beyond the basics.
Checked at the source
Rules are verified against FMCSA and the Federal Register. Market numbers come from the people who publish them.
The curriculum
Four departments. Everything you need to know.
Pick a department to see what you will learn. Each topic is covered in depth on the channel, with news that shows how it plays out in the real market.
Department 01
Dispatch
Which load pays, which broker pays on time, and how do I keep the truck moving?
The revenue side of a trucking company. Learn to read the market, price a lane and plan trips that are legal and profitable.
Load boards and lane strategy
How to search, filter and build a weekly plan instead of chasing single loads.
Spot vs. contract markets
Why the two rates move differently and when each one works in your favor.
RPM, deadhead and the all-in rate
Price the whole trip, including empty miles, before you say yes.
Negotiating with brokers
Use market data and load-to-truck ratios to counter with confidence.
Vetting brokers
Credit scores, days-to-pay, authority age and red flags that signal fraud.
Accessorials
Detention, TONU, layover and lumper fees: how to get them on the rate con and get paid.
HOS-aware trip planning
Plan pickups and deliveries around the driver's 11- and 14-hour limits.
Department 02
Fleet Safety
Are we compliant today, and what will an inspector or auditor find tomorrow?
The department that protects the authority. Learn the FMCSA rules, how enforcement works and how to keep scores and insurance costs down.
Hours of Service and ELDs
Driving limits, breaks, the 60/70-hour rule and the most common log violations.
CSA and the seven BASICs
How roadside data turns into scores, alerts and audits.
Roadside inspections
Inspection levels, out-of-service criteria and what CVSA looks for.
Driver Qualification files
What must be in every DQ file and how long to keep it.
Drug & Alcohol Clearinghouse
Pre-employment and annual queries, and what a violation means.
Crashes and the accident register
What counts as a DOT-recordable crash and how to report it.
Maintenance compliance
Annual inspections, DVIRs and the records auditors ask for.
Department 03
Accounting
Are we actually making money on every mile we run?
The numbers behind the trucks. Learn to measure profit per mile, manage cash flow and stay current on the taxes and fees unique to trucking.
Cost per mile
Split fixed and variable costs and find the rate below which you lose money.
Operating ratio
The single number the industry uses to judge how efficiently a carrier runs.
Factoring
Recourse vs. non-recourse, fees and when fast cash costs too much.
IFTA quarterly reporting
How fuel tax is shared between states and how to file without penalties.
IRP, UCR and Form 2290
Registration, annual fees and the Heavy Vehicle Use Tax, with deadlines.
Driver settlements
Paying per mile, percentage or hourly, and handling deductions correctly.
Insurance and claims
Premiums, deductibles and why claims reserves can erase a quarter's profit.
Department 04
Recruiting
Where do we find good drivers, and how do we keep them?
The people side of trucking. Learn how to hire safely and legally, what drivers really earn and why they leave.
Driver pay models
CPM, percentage, hourly and salary, and how each one changes behavior.
Lead sources and cost per hire
Job boards, referrals and social media, measured by cost and quality.
Pre-employment screening
MVR, PSP report, Clearinghouse query, drug test and employment verification.
CDL and English proficiency
Licensing requirements and the English proficiency rules enforced at roadside.
Onboarding
Turning an applicant into a qualified, dispatched driver without missing a document.
Retention and turnover
Why drivers leave in the first 90 days and what keeps them.
Owner-operator lease programs
How lease agreements work and what makes a fair program.
Free glossary
Speak the language of the industry
The terms you hear every day on calls, rate confirmations and inspection reports, explained in one or two sentences.
Rate per mile
Deadhead
DispatchMiles the truck drives empty, usually to reach the next pickup. You pay for them, but nobody pays you.
Spot rate
DispatchThe price for a single load booked right now, usually on a load board. It moves daily with supply and demand.
Contract rate
DispatchA rate agreed with a shipper for a lane over months. It is steadier than spot but slower to react.
Load-to-truck ratio
DispatchLoads posted per truck posted on a load board. A higher ratio gives carriers more pricing power.
Rate con
DispatchThe broker's written agreement for a load: rate, stops, times and accessorials. If it is not on the rate con, it is hard to collect.
TONU
DispatchA fee paid when a load is canceled after the truck was dispatched to it.
Detention
DispatchPay for waiting at a shipper or receiver beyond the free time, often two hours.
Lumper
DispatchA third-party worker or fee for unloading freight at a warehouse.
BOL
DispatchThe shipping document that describes the freight and serves as the receipt between shipper and carrier.
HOS
SafetyFMCSA rules on driving time. For property carriers: 11 hours of driving within a 14-hour window, after 10 hours off duty.
ELD
SafetyA device connected to the engine that records a driver's duty status for Hours of Service.
CSA
SafetyFMCSA's program that scores carriers in seven BASIC categories using inspection and crash data.
OOS
SafetyAn order that stops a driver or vehicle from operating until a serious violation is fixed.
DQ file
SafetyThe required file for each driver: application, MVR, medical certificate, road test or CDL copy and more.
DVIR
SafetyThe driver's written report on a vehicle's condition, with defects noted and repaired.
USDOT number
SafetyThe ID FMCSA uses to track a company's safety record, inspections and crashes.
MC number
SafetyThe authority a for-hire carrier or broker needs to haul regulated freight across state lines.
Cost per mile
AccountingAll operating costs divided by total miles. Compare it to your RPM to know if a load makes money.
Operating ratio
AccountingOperating expenses divided by operating revenue. Below 100% means the operation is profitable.
Factoring
AccountingSelling unpaid invoices to a factoring company at a discount to get cash in a day or two.
IFTA
AccountingA quarterly report that splits fuel tax between member states and provinces based on miles driven in each.
IRP
AccountingApportioned registration that lets a truck run in many jurisdictions with one plate, with fees split by mileage.
UCR
AccountingAn annual federal registration fee for interstate carriers and brokers, based on fleet size.
Form 2290
AccountingThe IRS return for the Heavy Vehicle Use Tax on trucks of 55,000 lbs or more.
Fuel surcharge
AccountingAn extra charge that moves with diesel prices so the carrier is not stuck with fuel spikes.
MVR
RecruitingA driver's state driving record: licenses, violations and suspensions. Checked at hire and every year.
PSP
RecruitingAn FMCSA report with a driver's five-year crash and three-year inspection history.
Clearinghouse
RecruitingFMCSA's database of CDL drug and alcohol violations. Employers must query it before hiring and every year.
CDL
RecruitingThe license required to drive heavy trucks. Class A covers tractor-trailer combinations.
Owner-operator
RecruitingA driver who owns or leases their truck and either runs under their own authority or leases on to a carrier.
Turnover
RecruitingThe share of drivers who leave in a year. High turnover drives up hiring and training costs.
No term found. Ask about it on the Telegram channel.
HireReachJobs · Our hiring channel
Find your logistics job.
HireReach is our job channel for US trucking and logistics. Hundreds of new job posts every day, open to everyone. Join, scroll and pick the role that fits you: no sign-up, no fees.
More than100New jobs every day
Roles you'll find
DispatcherDriver RecruiterFleet SafetyUpdaterELD SpecialistAccountingLoad PlannerCustomer ServiceCDL Driver
01
Join HireReach
Open the channel on Telegram and tap Join. It's free for everyone.
02
Browse daily posts
New openings arrive all day, with the role, location, schedule and requirements.
03
Apply directly
Contact the employer from the post. Use what you learned on Logistics Info to stand out in the interview.
How it works
Join once. Learn every day.
STEP 01
Join the channel
Open Logistics Info on Telegram and tap Join. No sign-up forms and no fees.
STEP 02
Learn from the news
Every day you get the most important industry news, the market numbers and the new rules, with a clear note on what each one means for your department.
STEP 03
Apply it at work
Deep-dive guides on cost per mile, compliance and broker vetting turn the news into decisions you can make at your desk.
Your next load of knowledge is free.
Join the people who learn American trucking with Logistics Info.