After fifteen years in the oilfield, Hank Steelman jumped into hotshot trucking with mechanical skills and zero business sense. After a year leased on and $18,000 saved, he rushed into his own authority, trusted the wrong broker, and got crushed by insurance, compliance mistakes, and disappearing freight. Three months later, he was back under the same carrier with $2,000 left—one step from becoming another failed operator.

Two years later, he did it right. With $30,000 banked, real broker relationships, and tight systems, his second launch stuck. That early failure turned into a multi-truck fleet across Texas and Oklahoma, hauling dedicated freight for shippers who value reliability over load-board chaos.

He wrote this book to keep good drivers from repeating his mistakes—a straight roadmap to building capital, avoiding New Entrant traps, and surviving year one. Today, his wife runs the books, their oldest son drives, and he helps drivers take control of their future without crashing first.