https://truckmargin.com/briefsPractical trucking analysis for US and Canadian owner-operators: the numbers behind a change, the decision it affects, and the tool to check your own case.enSat, 14 Nov 2026 12:00:00 GMThttps://truckmargin.com/briefs/reefer-produce-rate-atlanta-carrier-offerhttps://truckmargin.com/briefs/reefer-produce-rate-atlanta-carrier-offerSat, 14 Nov 2026 12:00:00 GMTRefrigerated produce ratesUSDA’s two weekly reports show a higher shipper price on one US refrigerated produce lane. Test a hypothetical carrier offer against the range before you counter. The midpoint of USDA’s shipper-paid range rose from US$8,400 to US$9,700 on one produce lane into Atlanta. If you’re offered US$8,200, get the pickup, delivery and extras in writing before you counter. The weekly range includes broker fees, so it can guide the conversation without telling you what your broker collected.https://truckmargin.com/briefs/class-8-orders-truck-quote-payment-2026https://truckmargin.com/briefs/class-8-orders-truck-quote-payment-2026Thu, 05 Nov 2026 12:00:00 GMTEquipment & financingACT’s preliminary October order count is a market signal. A hypothetical US$10,000 smaller loan shows how to compare a written truck quote in monthly cash and cents per mile. Ask for a written, comparable quote before changing your truck budget. In a fee-free US example, financing US$10,000 less at a fixed 8% annual rate over 60 months reduces the payment by about US$203 a month—2.43 cents per total mile at 100,000 miles a year. That is a hypothetical financing difference, not an observed discount.https://truckmargin.com/briefs/canada-diesel-excise-relief-2026https://truckmargin.com/briefs/canada-diesel-excise-relief-2026Tue, 03 Nov 2026 12:00:00 GMTCanadian diesel costsThe October 29 law extends relief through January. Use a 2,000-litre example to plan for the February and April federal excise changes without double-counting savings. Keep your current fuel quote as the starting point. Canada has extended the zero federal diesel excise rate through January 31, 2027. For a hypothetical 2,000 litres, the later 2¢ and 4¢ rates represent C$40 and C$80 tax components, before other taxes, assuming full pass-through and unchanged other prices. The extension does not justify subtracting another 4¢ per litre from today's invoice.https://truckmargin.com/briefs/500-dollar-delivery-route-profithttps://truckmargin.com/briefs/500-dollar-delivery-route-profitTue, 20 Oct 2026 12:00:00 GMTLocal box-truck pricingA hypothetical local box-truck route: 120 total miles, 8 stops, 6 hours and a $500 offer. Test how waiting and unpaid miles change its modeled profit. For this hypothetical local box-truck route—120 total miles, 8 stops and 6 hours—a $500 offer covers $400 in modeled costs, including $180 for the owner-driver’s time. That leaves $100 in business profit before income tax. An extra hour waiting, 30 unpaid miles and 45 minutes driving leave $22. The offer is an assumption to test, not a representative market rate.https://truckmargin.com/briefs/diesel-prices-freight-demand-october-20-2026https://truckmargin.com/briefs/diesel-prices-freight-demand-october-20-2026Tue, 20 Oct 2026 12:00:00 GMTFuel & freight demandTranslate the October 19 US diesel increase into route costs, and read Canada’s latest manufacturing sales without confusing dollars with freight volume. The latest 9.7-cent US diesel increase adds about US$2.33 to a hypothetical 240-mile route at 10 MPG. Preserving a 20% profit margin requires US$2.91 more quoted revenue, with all other costs unchanged. Canada’s higher manufacturing-sales headline also needs context: inflation-adjusted sales were flat.