Jamie Hagen Gets Real About Freight, Fuel Prices, Safety, and Small-Fleet Survival

Jamie Hagen Gets Real About Freight, Fuel Prices, Safety, and Small-Fleet Survival

From HDT Talks Trucking by hdtpodcasts@bobit.com

May 28, 2026 · 19 min · Season 13 · Episode 13

About this episode

Jamie Hagen discusses the challenges and opportunities facing small trucking fleets today.

Running a small trucking fleet right now isn’t easy, especially right now. And Jamie Hagen doesn’t sugarcoat it. In this episode of HDT Talks Trucking, the Hell Bent Xpress owner joins HDT’s Jack Roberts for a real-world conversation about what small fleets are dealing with today: weak freight rates, rising costs, compliance headaches, nuclear verdicts, and the constant balancing act of staying profitable. But it’s not all doom and gloom. Jamie also talks about why he’s still investing, what separates strong fleets from struggling ones, and why he believes opportunities are coming for carriers that can weather the storm. If you’re an owner-operator, small fleet owner, or just trying to keep up with where trucking is headed, this is a conversation worth hearing. Learn more about Jamie: How A Social Media Influencer Grew From Owner-Operator to a Small Fleet -- https://www.truckinginfo.com/articles/how-a-social-media-influencer-grew-from-owner-operator-to-small-fleet Learn more about the Supreme Court ruling on brokers discussed in the interview: How the Supreme Court Broker Liability Ruling Could Reshape Trucking’s Safety Landscape…

People in this episode

Host: Jack Roberts

Guest: Jamie Hagen

Topics covered

  • small trucking fleet
  • freight rates
  • fuel prices
  • safety
  • profitability
  • compliance
  • trucking industry

Keywords

  • trucking
  • small fleet
  • freight rates
  • fuel prices
  • safety
  • compliance
  • nuclear verdicts
  • profitability
  • owner-operator

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Hell Bent Xpress, Supreme Court, truckinginfo.com

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