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How Can Trucking STILL Making Money in 2026? | Brake Check
Description
Everybody says trucking is broken.
Rates are soft. Insurance costs are crushing carriers. Operating expenses keep climbing. Every week another trucking company shuts its doors, another owner-operator parks the truck, and another driver wonders if it's still worth it.
So here's the question:
If trucking is so bad right now, how are some fleets and owner-operators still finding a way to win?
On this episode of Brake Check, Charles Gracey sits down with two trucking leaders attacking that problem from completely different angles.
JR Elrod, President of BAR Transportation, a 30-year trucking veteran who spent more than two decades hauling heavy freight before building a specialized carrier focused on government, project, and niche freight.
Tyler Johnston, General Manager of Mercer Transportation, one of North America's most successful owner-operator carriers, with more than 2,200 contractors and nearly 50 years in business.
Topics include:
Owner-Operator Survival in 2026
Open Deck & Heavy Haul Freight Trends
Soft Freight Markets & Rising Costs
Driver Retention & Profitability
Insurance Costs Crushing Trucking
Carrier-Broker Relationships
Small Fleet Survival Strategies
The Future of Independent Trucking
Whether you're an owner-operator, fleet owner, company driver, broker, shipper, or simply trying to understand where trucking is headed next, this conversation delivers real-world strategies from people living it every day.
Question for the comments:
What's the biggest challenge facing trucking right now: rates, insurance, regulations, freight, or something else?
#Trucking #OwnerOperator #Freight #Logistics #TruckDriver #CDL #FreightWaves #BrakeCheck #Transportation #HeavyHaul #OpenDeck #TruckingIndustry #SupplyChain #OwnerOperators #Truckers
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