Greatest Hits – Did You Know Kevin Rutherford Nearly Went Bankrupt?

Описание: What do you do after running 11 trucks nearly bankrupts you?

If you’re Kevin Rutherford, you build the industry’s most trusted voice for small fleet owners and owner-operators.

In this Greatest Hits episode of Freight Nation: A Trucking Podcast, Kevin sits down with host Brent Hutto for a deep dive into how personal pain became professional purpose. From growing up around trucks to reluctantly buying his first rig at 21, Kevin’s path was anything but smooth. He scaled quickly, up to 11 trucks, but did so without the systems or financial visibility needed to sustain growth. The result was crushing debt, missed paychecks, and a wake-up call from reality.

Rather than file for bankruptcy, Kevin chose a different route: accountability, discipline, and education. Over four years, he paid off every cent he owed and discovered a new mission, which was to help others avoid the same fate. That mission became Let’s Truck.

Brent and Kevin explore Kevin’s transition from driver to writer to SiriusXM radio host, where his blunt, no-nonsense advice made him a fan-favorite. They also reveal a big announcement about the return of the Certified Master Carrier program at the Mid-America Truck Show, a solid proof that Kevin’s legacy of helping drivers thrive is still going strong.

What You’ll Learn:
Why Kevin rejected bankruptcy despite $60,000 in debt
The real reason so few resources exist for owner-operators
How Let's Truck was born from personal financial failure
Why being blunt (even if unpopular) earns trust in trucking
How public speaking became Kevin’s unexpected superpower
What’s next for the Certified Master Carrier program at MATS

Chapters:
00:00 – Welcome to Freight Nation: Brent Introduces Kevin Rutherford
01:35 – A 25-Year Friendship and Why Kevin Matters in Trucking
05:40 – Why There’s So Little Help for Owner-Operators
11:44 – Kevin’s Family Background in Trucking
13:26 – From 1 Truck to 11, and Financial Collapse
17:07 – Choosing Not to File Bankruptcy and Paying Off $60k
18:58 – Building Let’s Truck and ProfitGauges from His Turnaround
24:25 – How a Magazine Article Led to a SiriusXM Career
36:02 – Kevin’s Public Speaking Fear and How It Became His Superpower
43:00 – CMC Relaunch: Certified Master Carrier Returns at MATS
45:13 – Why This Partnership with Truckstop and MATS Matters

Kevin Rutherford is a third-generation owner-operator who started his trucking journey at 21 and quickly grew a fleet of 11 trucks, learning hard lessons about business the tough way.

After clawing his way out of debt, he turned his experience into purpose, becoming the trusted voice behind Let’s Truck, a platform that has helped thousands of owner-operators improve their operations and profitability.

Kevin spent over 15 years as the host of SiriusXM’s Trucking Business & Beyond, and his no-nonsense advice earned him a loyal following across the country. He’s also a passionate advocate for driver health, leading conversations on wellness through his show Destination Health.

His work has been featured in top industry outlets like Overdrive Magazine, Pro Trucker, and the Partners in Business series. Whether he’s speaking at events or answering calls from the road, Kevin’s mission is simple: to help truckers run smarter, healthier, and more successful businesses.