Financial data isn’t a back-office function; it is a steering wheel for turning uncertainty into manageable risk, trucking executives emphasized at the Truckload Carriers Association convention in Orlando, Florida, on Monday.
Discipline is the difference between surviving and thriving, said Chris Hummer, president of Don Hummer Trucking (CCJ Top 250, No. 22), a dedicated carrier based in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, that operates 300 trucks.
“It’s taking as much discipline on the upside—maybe even more so in times like we’re in now, where the industry is quick to build capacity. The carriers that continually have the results have the best discipline, regardless of the cycle,” said Hummer.
Being reactive instead of proactive is the dividing line, added Mark Walker, Chairman and CEO of TransLand Trucking, a family-owned trucking company in Strafford, Missouri, which runs about 180 trucks. “If we are being reactive, that means we’re in survival mode. And if we’re proactive, then that means we’re anticipating things in the market.”
Ty Walker, Director of Finance at Stokes Trucking, a Tremonton, Utah-based dry van and reefer carrier with 50 trucks, said they stick to proven processes.
Consistent financial visibility is critical, the execs said, especially with current market conditions. Hummer said Don Hummer Trucking uses a layered reporting system down to the driver level, while Mark Walker said TransLand champions open-book management and company-wide visibility.
Meanwhile, Stokes Trucking ties weekly accountability to scorecards. Ty Walker explained, “Each member of management comes, and we’ve got scorecard numbers that we report on. When each member feels accountable for those numbers on a weekly basis, it helps us to be a little nimbler.”
With an overwhelming amount of data, the execs said they use the TCA Profitability Program to help benchmark metrics and trust data to make strategic decisions. Hummer emphasized that knowing the right metrics that would really “move the needle” is important.
“It’s really about what kind of leverage that piece of data has. What’s your ability to change it? And if you can change it, what’s the impact of that?” Hummer said, explaining that they look at the loaded percentage in the company’s non-dedicated network. “In an era where you have limited pricing power, you can help your network by improving your loaded percentage. That’s a self-help tool.”
For TransLand, Mark Walker said the data that matters to them is miles driven per driver per day and percent of seated trucks. Stokes Trucking tracks revenue per truck per week and open trucks.
Fleet and equipment strategy
There’s strain between revenue growth and bottom-line optimization, particularly regarding fleet size and replacement cycles.
Hummer said the company maintains a disciplined approach of a 24-month average tractor age and five-year trailer age, staying 100% company-owned. However, he reminded that growth should be focused on the company’s capabilities: “I don’t really care if I have five or 5,000 [trucks]. I want them to be safe, compliant, have good service, and be profitable, most of all.”
The trick is not getting caught up in vanity metrics and growing just for the sake of growth, but growing if the opportunity presents itself, he noted.
Mark Walker said TransLand got caught in pandemic-era supply issues and now focuses on maintenance and bottom-line growth before new equipment purchases. Meanwhile, Ty Walker said Stokes Trucking hasn’t shifted in its approach, running a three-to-five-year trucks cycle, but adapted last year when used prices were favorable.
During equipment shortages and price spikes, many carriers were forced to extend life cycles and optimize maintenance rather than expand. Ty Walker emphasized revenue-per-truck clarity to guide capital expenditure: “If we have a good handle on those numbers, that kind of guides us in those purchases.”
A shared frustration is the mismatch between one-year customer contracts, five-year tractor cycles, and 7–10-year trailer cycles. Hummer described it as, “The annual price of trucking... we’re buying a five-year truck and a 10-year trailer based on a one-year contract.”
This creates financial strain and strategic risk, especially with rising operating and equipment costs. Hummer addressed this by pushing toward dedicated freight and direct customer relationships. “Our goal is to be at least 50% true dedicated. In 2025, we were 97.5% contract rate across all divisions.”
Mark Walker stressed the importance of customer diversification and multi-year contracts. “When folks keep changing the time frames and the rules to support whatever they think is going to benefit them as a shipper, it makes it tougher for us and certainly makes it even more difficult when we look at equipment financing conversations.”
Stokes Trucking stayed loyal to contracted customers even when spot rates were tempting. “Post-COVID, 2021 into 2022 when spot rates were through the roof, we decided we had to prioritize the relationships that we do have,” Ty Walker said. “As the pendulum swung, like it always does, I feel like it may have softened the low on the other side.”
The executives said it all comes down to relationships and staying disciplined. At the end of the day, it's also worth asking if equipment is being fully utilized. Ty Walker pointed out, "If cash is flying out the door, it's only going to be compounded if you're trying to add trucks."
