Blake Tawney

Contributor

Blake contributes our guides on financing, insurance, and running a trucking operation. His background is in commercial equipment financing and commercial insurance for transportation businesses, and he is a licensed property and casualty agent.

Latest guides by Blake

• What is the difference between APR and a factor rate?

  A factor rate sets the total you repay. An APR also counts time. How they differ, a labeled example, and what California and New York require.

  Updated October 13, 2026

• Do I need motor truck cargo insurance if FMCSA does not require it?

  FMCSA does not require cargo insurance for general freight, yet carriers are liable for the load and brokers ask for it. How that fits.

  Updated October 13, 2026

• Should I finance or lease my truck?

  Truck loan, $1 buyout lease, fair market value lease or TRAC lease: who owns the truck, what happens at the end, and a labeled payment example.

  Updated October 13, 2026

• Can I finance a used truck, and what do providers look at?

  Yes, used trucks can be financed. What providers weigh about the truck and about you, what to check before you sign, and a labeled payment example.

  Updated October 13, 2026

• What happens in the FMCSA new entrant safety audit?

  When the new entrant safety audit happens, what the auditor reviews, the 16 violations that fail it automatically, and what follows a pass or a fail.

  Updated October 13, 2026

• What does freight factoring cost, and what fees come with it?

  How a freight factoring fee is built: flat versus per period, reserves, add-on fees and minimums, with a labeled example and a calculator.

  Updated October 13, 2026

• Do owner-operators need occupational accident insurance or workers' compensation?

  Occupational accident is a private policy for injured owner-operators. Workers' comp is a state system. How they differ and who decides.

  Updated October 13, 2026

• What is the difference between recourse and non-recourse factoring?

  Recourse and non-recourse factoring decide who absorbs a customer's non-payment. What non-recourse usually covers, what stays with you, and what to read.

  Updated October 13, 2026

• How do a TRAC lease, a $1 buyout lease, and a truck loan differ?

  How a TRAC lease, a $1 buyout lease and a truck loan work, who carries the end-of-term risk, and a labeled example of what each can cost at the end.

  Updated October 13, 2026

• What is a merchant cash advance, and is it safe for a trucking company?

  A merchant cash advance is repaid by daily debits and priced by a factor rate. What it costs, how stacking and confessions of judgment work.

  Updated October 13, 2026

• What is the difference between bobtail and non-trucking liability insurance?

  Bobtail and non-trucking liability are different coverages for an owner-operator's tractor. What each usually answers, and what your lease must say.

  Updated October 12, 2026

• Can a brand-new trucking authority use freight factoring?

  Whether factoring is open to a new trucking authority, what providers look at when you have no history, and what to read before you sign.

  Updated October 12, 2026

• What insurance does a new trucking company need?

  What federal rules require a new trucking company to carry, what brokers and lenders commonly ask for on top, and who files what. No prices.

  Updated October 12, 2026

• How do I finance my first truck with a new authority?

  How truck financing works when your authority is new: loan, lease and lease-purchase, what providers look at, and a labeled payment example.

  Updated October 12, 2026

• How does truck and equipment financing work?

  How truck and trailer financing works: what it pays for, how the lien works, loan versus lease versus TRAC, how to compare offers, and tax basics.

  Updated October 12, 2026

• Can a trucking company get an SBA loan?

  How SBA 7(a), 504 and microloans work for trucking companies, what each can fund, size limits for trucking codes, and why it takes longer.

  Updated October 12, 2026

• How long does it take for new trucking authority to become active?

  FMCSA says new authority filings can take 20 to 25 business days, longer with review. What sets the pace, and how to check your status.

  Updated October 12, 2026

• How do I work out my cost per mile?

  Add your fixed and per-mile costs, divide by every mile you drive, and you have your break-even rate. A worked example, labeled, and what it leaves out.

  Updated October 12, 2026

• How do I get my own trucking authority?

  The steps to get a USDOT number and MC operating authority: what FMCSA charges, which filings must be on record, and how long it takes.

  Updated October 12, 2026

• How does my trucking insurance get filed with FMCSA?

  Who files your proof of insurance, what BMC-91, BMC-91X and MCS-90 each are, and what 49 CFR 387 says about timing and cancellation.

  Updated October 12, 2026

• How does freight factoring work for a trucking company?

  Advances, reserves, recourse, notice of assignment and fees: how freight factoring works, what to read in the contract, and a labeled cost example.

  Updated October 12, 2026

• What compliance does a trucking company have to keep up with?

  What a trucking company keeps up: FMCSA registration, insurance filings, UCR, IFTA, IRP, Form 2290, drug testing, and the new entrant audit.

  Updated October 12, 2026

All guides

Spot something wrong or out of date in one of our guides? Email us at howdy@breadroute.co and tell us which guide and what needs fixing.