TruckTalk:
Welcome to Taking Care of Business
You’re about to embark on a journey that could transform your trucking operation from a high-risk hustle into a high-performing business. Taking Care of Business is a 12-month deep dive into the foundational principles every owner-operator needs to succeed—not just survive—in this industry. One lesson per month. No fluff. No theory. Just real-world business wisdom built for the road.
Your guide? Kevin Rutherford.
Kevin is a former owner-operator who turned his first truck into a multimillion-dollar business. He’s spent the past three decades helping drivers take control of their numbers, build profitable operations, and reclaim their freedom behind the wheel. As the voice behind the AudioRoad Network, the creator of ProfitGauges and FuelGauges, and the driving force behind Let’s Truck, Kevin has coached thousands of truckers to think like business owners—and win like business owners. If there’s one thing he knows, it’s this: what you don’t know about business will cost you everything.
This series will challenge the way you think, push you to get clear on your goals, and force you to do the work. Because that’s what it takes to stop driving blind and start Taking Care of Business.
LESSON 1
The Purpose of Business
By Kevin Rutherford
Let’s cut straight to it—because if you don’t get this first lesson right, the rest won’t matter. Your business exists to make money. Period. It’s not there to feed your ego, support your dreams, or give you something to do. It’s there to generate profit. Without profit, you don’t have a business. You’ve got a job... and probably not a great one.
Now, don’t get me wrong—you can have a bigger purpose behind your business. Serve people, build something meaningful, leave a legacy. All good. But those things ride in the backseat. Profit drives the truck.
In trucking, it’s easy to get caught up in the work—book the load, drive the miles, collect the check—and convince yourself you’re running a business. But if you’re not making a true profit, you’re just driving your own truck for wages. That’s not entrepreneurship. That’s glorified employment with a lot more risk.
So this month, as we gear up for summer freight swings and take time to honor hardworking dads (maybe that’s you) on Father’s Day, give yourself a reality check: Are you actually running a business, or did you just buy yourself a job?
Let’s dig in.
Five Truths Every Business Owner Needs to Grasp
- A business exists to make money. Not to make you feel good or look important. Make profit the goal.
- Profit is what’s left after you pay yourself. If you’re only earning a driver’s wage, you’re not profitable.
- There are only two ways to grow profit: increase income or decrease expenses. Do both. Every day.
- Revenue is not success. A million dollars in revenue means nothing if your expenses are $1.1 million.
- In trucking, your biggest expense targets are fuel, maintenance, and taxes. Attack those hard with tools like FuelGauges and ProfitGauges.
Action Plan
- Run your numbers in ProfitGauges. If you don’t know your true profit, you can’t improve it.
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Audit your expenses. Use FuelGauges to track fuel efficiency and look for waste.
Recalculate your pay. Are you paying yourself a driver wage or a business owner’s cut? - Check your rate strategy. Know how supply and demand affect your lanes. Time to learn if you haven’t.
- Tune in to the AudioRoad Network. We talk business every day. Call in. Ask questions. Challenge what you’re doing. The only way to grow is to stay plugged in and keep learning.
Ask Yourself
- Am I in business, or did I just create a job with more headaches?
- When’s the last time I made a decision based purely on profitability?
- What’s the one expense I’ve been ignoring that’s killing my bottom line?
Closing Thought: Don’t overcomplicate it. Profit isn’t a dirty word—it’s your scoreboard. Want to change your life, buy back your time, and build a business that actually works for you? Start by doing the math.
