B
- Back-haul
- The return load that brings a truck back toward home or its main lane after the head-haul. Read: How to Reduce Deadhead Miles →
- BOC-3
- A filing that names a process agent in each state to receive legal papers for a motor carrier. Required before authority is granted. Read: How Much Does It Cost to Start a Trucking Company? →
- Break-even rate
- The lowest rate per loaded mile that covers all your costs, including your own pay and fees. Use the Trucking Cost Per Mile Calculator →
- Broker
- A company that arranges freight between shippers and carriers and pays the carrier for the load. Read: How to Tell If a Load Rate Is Good →
C
- Cost per mile (CPM)
- Total monthly cost divided by all miles driven. The base number for pricing every load. Use the Trucking Cost Per Mile Calculator →
D
- Deadhead
- Miles driven with an empty trailer, usually to reach a pickup. Unpaid but costly. Use the Deadhead Miles Calculator →
- DEF
- Diesel exhaust fluid, used by modern diesel engines at about 2–3% of fuel burned. Use the Truck Fuel Cost Calculator →
- Detention
- Pay for time spent waiting at a shipper or receiver beyond the free time agreed, often two hours. Read: How to Tell If a Load Rate Is Good →
- Dispatcher
- A person or service that finds and books loads for a carrier, usually for a percentage of gross or a flat fee. Use the Truck Dispatcher Fee Calculator →
E
- ELD
- Electronic logging device. Records driving time for hours-of-service rules, and miles by state for IFTA. Read: IFTA Explained: How Quarterly Fuel Tax Works →
F
- Factoring
- Selling unpaid freight invoices to a factoring company for immediate cash, minus a fee. Use the Freight Factoring Calculator →
- Form 2290
- The IRS heavy vehicle use tax return for trucks of 55,000 lbs or more, up to $550 a year. Read: How Much Does It Cost to Start a Trucking Company? →
H
- Head-haul
- The outbound, usually better-paying, load in a round trip. Read: How to Tell If a Load Rate Is Good →
- Hours of service (HOS)
- Federal rules limiting driving and on-duty time. Being subject to them qualifies drivers for the 80% per diem deduction. Read: Truck Driver Per Diem in 2026: How It Works →
I
- IFTA
- International Fuel Tax Agreement. One quarterly fuel tax return shared among all member states. Use the IFTA Fuel Tax Calculator →
- IRP
- International Registration Plan. Apportioned plates that split registration fees by miles driven in each state. Read: How Much Does It Cost to Start a Trucking Company? →
L
- Lease-purchase
- An agreement to lease a truck, often from a carrier, with the option to own it at the end. Use the Semi Truck Loan Calculator →
- Lumper
- A worker paid to load or unload freight at a warehouse. Usually reimbursed by the broker with a receipt. Use the Load Profit Calculator →
M
- MC number
- Operating authority from FMCSA that lets a carrier haul regulated freight for hire. Filing costs $300. Read: How Much Does It Cost to Start a Trucking Company? →
N
- Non-recourse factoring
- Factoring where the factor absorbs losses from unpaid invoices, usually only when a broker is insolvent. Read: Recourse vs Non-Recourse Factoring for Truckers →
O
- Owner-operator
- A driver who owns or leases their truck and runs it as a business, under their own authority or leased to a carrier. Use the Owner-Operator Income Calculator →
P
- Per diem
- A daily meal allowance. In 2026, $80 a day for transportation workers, 80% deductible. Use the Truck Driver Per Diem Calculator →
R
- Rate per mile (RPM)
- Load pay divided by miles. Compare it on total miles (loaded + deadhead) for a fair picture. Use the Load Profit Calculator →
- Recourse factoring
- Factoring where you must buy back invoices the broker doesn't pay. Lower fees, more risk. Read: Recourse vs Non-Recourse Factoring for Truckers →
S
- Self-employment tax
- Social Security and Medicare tax for the self-employed: 15.3% on 92.35% of net profit. Read: Owner-Operator Taxes: A Plain-English Guide →
U
- UCR
- Unified Carrier Registration. An annual fee for interstate carriers, based on fleet size. Read: How Much Does It Cost to Start a Trucking Company? →
- USDOT number
- A free identifier from FMCSA that every interstate commercial carrier must display. Read: How Much Does It Cost to Start a Trucking Company? →