Here at Getloaded, we understand the woes that arise for trucking companies when fuel prices surge. As one of your top expenses on the road, any increase in variable expenses is immediately felt on the bottom line. In fact, we recently covered the topic of rising fuel costs when diesel prices experienced a steady 11-week increase, resulting in a 70-cent surge from that same time in 2010.

As I discussed in my last post, trucking is by nature an unpredictable business. Unexpected events are inevitable, but at the same time a load either needs to get there or you need to find another one. Ultimately, long-term success depends on controlling your risks and planning for whatever the future may hold, including trucking�s unique Murphy�s Laws.

This brings us to Murphy�s Second Law of Trucking:

Your best paying load in three months will be canceled after you've deadheaded 300 miles to load it.

One of the biggest challenges for owner/operators and small trucking companies is cash flow: having enough cash on hand for fuel and all the day-to-day expenses that are a part of running a truck. You can haul the best-paying loads in the world, but if it takes too long to get paid, cash-flow problems can put a crimp in your operation or worse, bring you to a screeching halt.

This conundrum brings us to Murphy�s Third Law of Trucking: You Run Out of Cash Before You Run Out of Month.

Over the past few weeks, I�ve covered The Murphy�s Laws of Trucking, with tips for avoiding some of the most common � and frustrating � challenges that transportation professionals face. In the final installment here, I�ll discuss one of the greatest dilemmas in the world of trucking as an Owner/Operator or small motor carrier: the Haul/No Haul decision or Murphy�s Fourth Law of Trucking. Letting someone else determine your hauling rates is the road to financial disaster.