Containerized imports rushing to beat policy uncertainty just delivered the Port of Long Beach its second‑busiest August on record — a surge that port officials trace to orders placed during a temporary tariff pause. For truckers across Southern California, that translates into fuller appointment books, tighter chassis turns and heavier…
Why this matters to fleets and owner-operators Getting Section 263A (UNICAP) right is a cash-flow and compliance issue. The rules tell you which direct and indirect costs tied to inventory or self‑constructed assets must be capitalized instead of expensed now. Misclassifying costs can draw IRS scrutiny, so clean categorization and…
National Overview — Tuesday, September 16, 2025 A coastal low is driving rain, gusty onshore winds, and pockets of coastal flooding into the Mid-Atlantic, while much of the central U.S. stays unseasonably warm. Severe thunderstorms are possible this afternoon and evening in the Central High Plains, with a separate, more…
UNIFIED COMMAND MOUNTS RESPONSE AFTER 67 CONTAINERS TOPPLE AT PORT OF LONG BEACH Federal, state and local agencies formed a Unified Command to coordinate salvage and safety operations after an estimated 67 containers fell from the vessel Mississippi at Pier G on Sept. 9; officials issued updates Monday as work…
Nikola Corp. has agreed to resolve an $83 million civil penalty claim with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission following a series of bankruptcy hearings, a deal that removes a major obstacle in the company’s wind-down proceedings and clarifies how the regulator will be treated among unsecured creditors, according to…
LONG BEACH, Calif. — Orange EV and OptiGrid used the opening day of the IANA Intermodal EXPO (September 15–17) to unveil the Orange Juicer, a battery‑integrated DC fast charger designed to help fleets sidestep protracted utility upgrades and six‑ to seven‑figure infrastructure costs. The unit pairs a 180‑kWh onboard battery…
Pick the right IRS return for your business Sole proprietors (including most one‑truck owner‑operators and single‑member LLCs taxed as disregarded entities) typically file Schedule C with Form 1040. Partnerships (including most multi‑member LLCs) file Form 1065, and S corporations file Form 1120‑S. Choose the form that matches your entity and…
Why this matters now A recent blog post making the rounds claims the IRS is paying “millions” to insiders who report tax fraud and name-checks trucker-specific issues like the Heavy Highway Vehicle Use Tax (HVUT). While that post mixes some accurate points with confusion, the underlying story is real: the…
What “1099” really means in trucking When a carrier pays you on a 1099, it’s classifying you as an independent contractor, not an employee. That means you run your own business, shoulder your own costs, and pay both sides of payroll taxes (the 15.3% self-employment tax for Social Security and…
What’s happening Several California trucking companies have recently shuttered operations, sending a clear warning to owner-operators and small fleets: thin margins, soft demand, and stubbornly high operating costs are creating a hazardous market. After two years of normalization following the 2021–2022 freight boom, spot rates in many lanes have struggled…
