Knowledge Center
DOT rules, Hours of Service, CDL prep, careers, and staying healthy on the road — written plain, verified against the regs, from a driver with 17 years and zero violations.
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FMCSA rules, inspections, and staying legal on the road — in plain English.
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HOS rules, ELD logs, and how to keep your logbook and your CDL clean.
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Getting your CDL, permit prep, and choosing the right school.
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OTR, regional, local, owner-operator — the money and the life compared.
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Eating, sleeping, and staying healthy from the driver's seat.
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The road from zero to CDL — requirements, the permit, ELDT, the skills test, schools, and what it all costs.
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What actually happens at a DOT physical — the health-history form, the vitals and vision/hearing checks, the urinalysis that is not a drug test, the hands-on exam, and how the examiner decides between a two-year card, a shorter one, or none.
9 min read →
The three ways trucking jobs pay — cents per mile, percentage of the load, and hourly — plus the accessorial pay, per diem, and bonuses stacked on top, and how to compare two offers that look different on paper.
8 min read →
The whole road from zero to CDL in one place — eligibility, the DOT physical, the permit tests, Entry-Level Driver Training, the 14-day wait, the three-part skills test, and license issuance, with the federal rule behind every step.
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Latest
FreightWaves counted at least 16 trucking companies in bankruptcy court in less than a month. Here's the diesel cash-flow math behind it, who gets hit first, and five ways to keep your truck rolling.
6 min read →
Diesel's national average is still $6.18 a gallon, up more than $2.50 from last year. New supply deals and a dyed-diesel waiver made headlines, but analysts say the relief is too small to matter. Here's what truckers should do now.
4 min read →
Most trucker apps want a monthly payment. TruckingLifeWithShawn.com is free and stays free — truck stops, parking, breakdown help, daily diesel prices and CDL practice tests in one place.
2 min read →
Diesel is up more than 70% in a year, and trucking companies are filing Chapter 11 one after another. Here's what's real, what's rumor, and how to protect your paycheck.
4 min read →
Georgia's 37.3-cent state diesel tax is off from Sept. 29 through Oct. 29, 2026. What it's worth on a fill, why it flips the I-75 top-off, and what to watch on IFTA.
3 min read →
Michigan motor carrier officers found 174 defaced handguns and 368 pounds of suspected heroin in a semi on I-69. Here's how to protect your load, and your CDL.
2 min read →
Free guide
The free guide to the seven DOT inspection mistakes that cost drivers most — and join the driver list for regulation updates and new resources.
Reading up before you roll? The Trucking Life Store rounds up the road-tested gear that goes with the guides — dash cams, bunk upgrades, and cab essentials.