Over the past few weeks, I�ve discussed the first three rules for beating large carriers in the hauling game, and today we move on to the fourth and final rule.

Rule # 4:
You must know the market you serve in order to succeed.

The more you know about your freight � where do the raw components come from, who supplies the raw materials, who manufactures the product, who�s the end user, etc. � the better your gauge for estimating the value to your operation.

In today�s ever-evolving economy, transportation professionals are always looking for ways to more efficiently move freight. From using side skirts to fueling with pond scum, the industry constantly addresses different ways truckers can improve their operations and costs.

And successful Texan energy businessman T. Boone Pickens seems to be jumping on the bandwagon.

Between rest stop closures and potential hours of service (HOS) changes, the story of Jason Rivenburg�s tragic search for safe parking continues to affect many professionals trucking freight. Forced to pull over to comply with HOS, Rivenburg parked at an empty South Carolina gas station when he was unable to find a legal place to rest. While there, he was robbed and killed for $7 � a senseless tragedy that has come to represent the need for safe truck parking.

There�s a whole new breed of oil speculators these days, but you won�t find them doing test drills in deserts or deepwater, and when they go into the �field,� they�re likely headed for a pond, farmland or patch of woods. These prospectors usually have strings of academic initials after their names and when evening falls they�re not in their tents drinking bourbon and cheating each other at poker. Instead, they�re hunched over their laptops, sipping green tea and running algorithms deep into the night.

The Next Big Thing

In my last two posts, I�ve covered the first two rules of beating the large carriers in the hauling game:

1. Large carriers set and quote their hauling rates to the customer. Market forces may dictate price, but individual customers do not. You must do the same.

2. Market forces include what it costs you to do business, as well as supply and demand for the items hauled.

Now, we move on to Rule #3:
Letting shippers or brokers set your hauling rates will not bring you the level of revenue needed to operate and grow your company.

Renewable energy may be a popular and controversial topic these days, but for truckers hoping to find loads, it could also be a gold mine. In late 2010, Congress renewed investment tax credits for the construction of wind farms � and projects are popping up all over the country.

Look at a transportation professional�s many, varied experiences, and life on the road can be downright educational. Where many people spend their jobs inside a cubicle, you get to see the country, witness historic sights and use diverse knowledge like geography and mathematics in a career trucking freight. And thanks to Trucker Buddy International, transportation professionals are also enriching schoolchildren�s education by sharing their experiences on the road.

In December 2010, Blog4Truckers published an article about a promising alternative to conventional diesel fuel: algae, which we jokingly called �pond scum� (we shared a similar article on the Getloaded blog in January 2011)..Though our piece had the typically playful tone that so delights B4T readers, we were serious about the subject.

At Getloaded, we are dedicated to ensuring our online freight matching results in the optimum situation for our members.

At the Mid-America Trucking Show (MATS), innovation takes front seat for vendors and attendees, showcasing products and technology that make trucking freight easier. Thus far, we�ve already highlighted some key aspects of this year�s MATS on our blog, and there�s even more in store.