Saturday, November 7, 2026Trucking operations, money & compliance for US and Canadian carriers

Trucking Today Staff

Trucking operations & technology desk

Trucking Today by Kordova Tek covers what matters to small and mid-sized trucking companies in the US and Canada: getting paid faster, compliance, cross-border freight, dispatch, and the tech that runs it all. Stories are researched from primary sources like FMCSA, CBSA, Transport Canada, and ATRI, and reviewed by the team that builds TorqueAI.

Compliance & Safety

Montgomery v. Caribe Transport: what the broker ruling means for carriers

The Supreme Court took away the broker shield in negligent carrier selection suits. Carriers that broker loads now share that risk, and every carrier faces tougher vetting.

3h ago

Compliance & Safety

Canada HOS cycle 1 vs cycle 2: which one your drivers should run

One cycle fits drivers who are home every week. The other fits two-week runs. Picking the wrong one is why dispatchers keep getting HOS surprises.

4h ago

Compliance & Safety

Canada's 36-hour and 72-hour cycle resets: how to stop losing a day

One pre-trip inspection at hour 35 can wipe out a whole reset. Here is how Canada's cycle resets work and how dispatchers plan around them.

4h ago

Compliance & Safety

Canada's split sleeper berth rules, explained with real log examples

Solo drivers and teams can split their rest in the berth to keep trucks rolling. These are the numbers, the clocks, and the log mistakes that turn a smart split into a violation.

4h ago

Money & Billing

How Fleets Are Simplifying Driver Pay, Fuel Deductions & Payroll in 2026

Settlement day no longer has to eat your Friday: fleets are using set pay rules, linked fuel cards and clear pay stubs to cut errors and driver disputes.

Sep 13, 2026

Technology

The Ultimate Freight Tech Stack: What You Actually Need in 2026

More software isn't making fleets faster, which is why carriers are cutting down to fewer tools that share data and fit how trucking really works.

Aug 12, 2026

Compliance & Safety

B.C.'s Dash Cam Mandate (Bill M217): A Cross-Border Carrier's Compliance Checklist

B.C. will require outward-facing dash cams on heavy trucks, including US-plated ones. Here is what to check on every unit before the rule goes live.

Jul 8, 2026

Operations

Why Drivers Quit Dispatchers, Not Companies: A Small-Fleet Retention Playbook

In a small fleet, drivers leave over missed messages, missing load details, and confusing pay. Here is a dispatch playbook that keeps them.

Jul 8, 2026

Technology

How to Choose a TMS in 2026: The 13-Question Buyer's Checklist

With truckload margins below zero, the wrong TMS costs you money every month. These 13 questions show which systems will actually pay for themselves.

Jul 8, 2026

Money & Billing

How to Calculate Cost Per Mile for Your Trucking Company (Formula + Benchmarks)

Your cost per mile decides which loads make money and which quietly lose it. Here is the formula, a five-truck example, and the mistakes that skew it.

Jul 8, 2026

Operations

The 12 Trucking KPIs Every Fleet Should Track Weekly

Twelve numbers tell you whether your trucks are making money, and checking them weekly lets you fix problems before the month-end P&L lands.

Jul 8, 2026

Compliance & Safety

Hours of Service: US vs Canada — Every Difference That Matters

US and Canadian hours-of-service rules look alike but differ on almost every number, and mixing them up on a cross-border run means violations.

Jul 8, 2026

Cross-Border

ACE vs ACI eManifest: The Cross-Border Filing Guide for Carriers

Going south you file ACE, going north you file ACI. Here is who files what, how early, and why manifests get rejected at the border.

Jul 8, 2026

Cross-Border

Your First Cross-Border Load: A Step-by-Step Guide for US and Canadian Carriers

Before your first truck heads for the border, you need authority, codes, insurance, an eManifest, and the right driver papers, done in the right order.

Jul 8, 2026

Regional

Trucking the Trans-Canada Highway 1: A Fleet Guide from Vancouver to the Maritimes

Running the Trans-Canada is a dozen different lanes in one trip, and this guide shows how to plan the passes, chain law, fuel gaps, and provincial rules.

Jul 8, 2026

Regional

Trucking in Toronto and the GTA: Corridors, Congestion, and Intermodal Strategy

Highway 401 traffic, 407 ETR tolls, two intermodal yards and strict delivery windows decide whether a GTA lane makes money or quietly loses it.

Jul 8, 2026

Regional

Trucking in British Columbia: What Fleet Owners Need to Know

BC packs port drayage, mountain chain laws, and strict scale enforcement into a single lane, and here is what your fleet needs to plan for.

Jul 8, 2026

Money & Billing

What Is Detention Time in Trucking (and How to Actually Get Paid for It)

Most fleets bill detention, but fewer than half of those invoices get paid. Here is the paper trail and rate-con wording that gets you paid for waiting.

Jul 8, 2026

Technology

The Real Cost of Running Dispatch on Spreadsheets

Excel costs nothing to buy, but the hours, missed invoices and errors it hides can cost a small fleet more each month than a TMS.

Jul 8, 2026

Cross-Border

From NAFTA to USMCA: What Cross-Border Trucking Fleets Need to Know in 2026

Cross-border lanes pay more only when your paperwork is clean, so here's what USMCA changed and what US-Canada carriers must file and track.

Mar 10, 2026

Operations

Scaling from 10 to 100 Trucks: A Technology Roadmap for Growing Fleets

The spreadsheets and phone calls that run a 10-truck fleet break by 25 trucks, so here is what to put in place at each stage before growth stalls.

Mar 6, 2026

Technology

Why Your TMS Should Be Your Single Source of Truth

When dispatch, billing, HOS and payment history live in different tools, every simple question takes three logins and the answer shows up too late.

Feb 25, 2026

Industry

The Broker-Carrier Relationship Is Changing: Here's What's Next

Open rate data, direct shipper lanes, and faster pay are changing how carriers win freight. Here is where brokers still fit and when going direct pays.

Feb 11, 2026

Compliance & Safety

Building a Culture of Safety with Data-Driven Fleet Management

A poster and a yearly class is not a safety program. Here is how to use telematics, scorecards, and coaching to cut incidents without losing driver trust.

Jan 28, 2026

Operations

How Automation Is Closing the Back-Office Gap for Small Fleets

Invoicing, settlements, compliance, and expenses can eat 15 hours a week. Here is how small fleets now hand that work to software instead of new hires.

Jan 14, 2026

Industry

2026 Freight Industry Predictions: Trends Every Fleet Should Watch

Twelve shifts coming in 2026, from AI in daily dispatch to faster border filing, and what each one means for a carrier running 10 to 100 trucks.

Dec 10, 2025

Operations

The Hidden Cost of Driver Turnover (And How Technology Can Help)

Every driver who quits costs you far more than a job ad. Here is where the money goes and what keeps drivers in your trucks.

Nov 20, 2025

Operations

From Reactive to Predictive: How Smart Fleets Are Reducing Downtime

One preventable breakdown can cost you more than $6,000. Here is how to catch maintenance and compliance problems before they park a truck.

Nov 5, 2025

Technology

Why Real-Time Data Is the New Competitive Advantage in Trucking

Fleets that see costs, ETAs and compliance alerts as they happen price loads better, keep shippers longer and stop paying for problems they find too late.

Oct 22, 2025

Money & Billing

The Rise of Embedded Fintech in Freight: What Fleet Owners Need to Know

Factoring, fuel cards and driver pay are moving inside the software fleets already run, and that means cash in the bank in hours instead of weeks.

Oct 7, 2025

Technology

How to Automate Your Freight Broker Operations with AI

If you broker freight alongside your own trucks, AI can take over load entry, check calls, carrier onboarding, and invoicing so your reps book more loads.

Aug 11, 2025

Operations

The Real Reason Small Fleets Don't Scale (And How to Fix It)

Insurance and driver shortages get the blame, but most small fleets stall because the business runs on memory instead of repeatable systems.

Jul 10, 2025

Money & Billing

How to Track Profitability by Truck, Load, or Driver (and What to Do With It)

Most carriers can't say which trucks, drivers, or lanes make them money, so here's how to break profit down per load, per truck, and per driver.

May 9, 2025

Operations

Why Fleets Are Replacing WhatsApp with Embedded Messaging

WhatsApp was never built to run dispatch, and fleets are switching to messages tied to each load so nothing gets lost between dispatchers and drivers.

Apr 8, 2025

Compliance & Safety

The Compliance Clock: What Fleets Miss (and What It Costs Them)

Expired medical cards, unreviewed DVIRs, and scattered paperwork turn into fines and lost contracts. Here are ten places fleets fall behind and how to catch up.

Apr 7, 2025

Money & Billing

Freight Billing: How to Automate Invoicing and PODs Without Losing Control

A missing POD or a late invoice can hold up your money for weeks. Here is how to bill within minutes of delivery and still approve every invoice.

Feb 6, 2025

Operations

What Is Load Visibility (And Why It Wins You Freight)

Shippers pick carriers who keep them in the loop, and real load visibility helps you win repeat freight and get paid faster.

Jan 5, 2025

Technology

Top 10 Reasons Fleets Are Moving Away from Legacy TMS Platforms

Older TMS software built in the 2000s leaves your team typing, chasing documents and guessing at margins, and that is why carriers of every size are switching.

Jan 4, 2025

Technology

How AI Is Transforming Fleet Operations (And What To Expect Next)

AI is already taking work off dispatch and back-office desks. Here are ten places it helps a small fleet today, and where it is heading next.

Dec 3, 2024

Technology

TMS vs CRM: Why You Need Both in One System

Your TMS tracks the load and your CRM tracks the customer; keeping them apart means double entry, blind spots when a dispatcher is off, and lost lanes.

Sep 2, 2024

Technology

What Is a TMS & Why It Matters in 2026

A TMS runs dispatch, billing, and compliance in one place, and it gives a small fleet the backbone to add trucks without adding chaos.

Jul 1, 2024