How We Rate Trucking Services
Every rating on this site follows the same process: gather public data, verify it against multiple sources, and score each company on what actually matters to owner-operators and small fleets. No company can pay for a higher rating.
Our Principles
Data Over Opinions
Every score on this site is grounded in verifiable public data, not sales pitches or gut feelings. We pull from review platforms, regulatory databases, pricing disclosures, and real driver feedback to build a picture that holds up to scrutiny.
Independence First
No company can buy a better score. We review services regardless of whether they have an affiliate relationship with us, and we publish the same cons and warnings whether a company pays us referral fees or not.
Built for Small Operations
We evaluate everything through the lens of an owner-operator or small fleet running 1 to 10 trucks. Enterprise features that do not apply to your operation do not inflate a score. Pricing that only works at scale gets flagged, not praised.
How Ratings Work
Research & Data Collection
We gather information from public review platforms, government databases, company disclosures, and driver communities. Each review draws from at least 8 distinct sources to ensure no single data point drives the rating.
Weighted Evaluation
Every company is scored across four criteria: User Reviews & Reputation (40%), Pricing & Value (25%), Features & Tools (20%), and Category-Specific Factors (15%). The weights reflect what matters most when you are the one writing the check.
Review, Publish & Update
We write the full review, assign the score, and publish it. Reviews are revisited when pricing changes, major complaints surface, or a company makes significant updates. Every review shows its last-updated date.
Rating Scale
Every company receives a score from 1.0 to 5.0. We group these scores into tiers so you can quickly identify where a service stands relative to its competitors.
What We Evaluate
What real drivers and fleet owners say about a service carries more weight than anything else in our scoring. We aggregate ratings from Google Reviews, Trustpilot, the Better Business Bureau, Apple App Store, Google Play, Capterra, and G2. When a company scores 4.5 stars on one platform and 1.7 on another, we do not average the numbers and move on. We dig into why the gap exists and what it means for you.
We also monitor trucking-specific forums and communities where owner-operators discuss their actual experiences. A driver posting about a billing dispute on a trucking forum has no incentive to exaggerate. That kind of unfiltered feedback is harder to find but more valuable than polished review-site testimonials.
BBB accreditation status, complaint volume, and complaint resolution patterns factor into this score as well. A company that receives complaints is normal. A company that consistently fails to resolve them is a red flag we quantify.
We compare what a service costs against what it delivers, measured against the alternatives in its category. This means looking beyond the headline price. Factoring rates mean nothing without understanding reserve holdbacks, ACH fees, and monthly minimums. A fuel card advertising 50 cents per gallon savings is misleading if the network only covers 12 states.
For categories where pricing is publicly available, we document specific numbers with dates and source them. Where pricing requires a quote, we note that and explain typical ranges based on market research and user reports. Every pricing section in our reviews includes a note on when the information was last verified.
We also account for hidden costs and contract terms. Early termination fees, automatic renewal clauses, minimum volume requirements, and equipment charges that only appear in the fine print all affect your real cost. We call these out explicitly in every review.
We evaluate each service's feature set against what an owner-operator or small fleet actually needs on a daily basis. This means distinguishing between core functionality that every provider in a category should offer and differentiating features that genuinely improve your operation.
For each category, we maintain a baseline feature checklist. ELD providers need FMCSA-registered hardware, HOS tracking, and DOT inspection mode. Factoring companies need same-day funding, broker credit checks, and transparent fee structures. When a provider falls short on basics, that matters more than having an impressive add-on.
We also evaluate mobile apps, integrations with other trucking tools, ease of setup, and the overall user experience. If your drivers cannot figure out the software without a week of training, that is a feature problem regardless of what the spec sheet says.
Each of the five service categories we cover has unique considerations that do not fit neatly into the general criteria above. Insurance carriers need AM Best financial strength ratings and claims-handling track records. ELD providers need FMCSA registration and compliance reliability. These factors are specific to the category and critical to getting the decision right.
This weight may seem low relative to the others, but its impact is concentrated. A factoring company with a great reputation and competitive pricing still fails if it cannot fund invoices on weekends when you need cash for fuel. An insurance carrier with perfect reviews is worthless if it does not write policies for new authorities. Category-specific factors act as the final filter that separates a strong general score from a genuinely good fit for your operation.
Category-Specific Factors
Factoring
What we emphasize:
- Funding speed and availability, including whether same-day and weekend funding are supported
- Contract flexibility, including minimum volume requirements, duration lock-ins, and termination terms
- Advance rates and reserve holdback percentages, which directly affect your cash flow
- Non-recourse options and how the company handles disputed or unpaid invoices
Fuel Cards
What we emphasize:
- Fuel network size and geographic coverage, measured by number of participating truck stops
- Actual discount structure: cents-per-gallon, cost-plus, or percentage-based savings
- Fee transparency, including transaction fees, monthly card fees, and out-of-network penalties
- Integration with IFTA reporting, fleet management tools, and spending controls
Insurance
What we emphasize:
- AM Best financial strength rating, which indicates the carrier's ability to pay claims
- Willingness to insure new authorities (under 2 years) and owner-operators
- Coverage types: primary liability, physical damage, cargo, non-trucking liability, and occupational accident
- Claims handling reputation and turnaround, based on state complaint ratios and driver experiences
ELDs
What we emphasize:
- FMCSA registration status and ongoing compliance with 49 CFR Part 395 Subpart B
- Hardware reliability and driver ease-of-use, because frustrating devices create compliance risk
- Data accuracy for HOS tracking, DVIR completion, and IFTA reporting
- Contract terms and hardware ownership, including what happens if you cancel
Load Boards
What we emphasize:
- Load volume and lane coverage, which determines whether the board has freight where you run
- Rate transparency and negotiation tools, including historical lane data and broker credit checks
- Fraud protection measures against fake loads, double-brokering, and non-paying brokers
- Cost structure relative to value, especially per-user subscription models that scale with fleet size
Where Our Data Comes From
Google Reviews, Trustpilot & BBB
Aggregated public ratings and complaint histories that show how real customers experience each company over time.
App Store & Google Play Ratings
Download counts and user ratings for mobile apps, which reveal how well a service works for drivers in the cab every day.
Capterra & G2
Professional review platforms where verified users evaluate software features, support quality, and value for money in detailed structured reviews.
FMCSA SAFER System & DOT Databases
Federal registration data, safety records, and compliance information pulled directly from government sources, including the FMCSA registered ELD list.
Company Disclosures & Documentation
Pricing pages, terms of service, contract documents, and product specifications sourced directly from each provider and date-stamped for accuracy.
Trucking Forums & Driver Communities
Unfiltered feedback from owner-operators and fleet owners discussing real experiences in communities where there is no incentive to sugarcoat.
Transparency & Independence
How We Make Money
Small Fleet HQ earns revenue through affiliate relationships with some of the companies we review. When you click a link on our site and sign up for a service, we may receive a referral fee from that provider. This is how we keep the site free and fund the research behind every review.
We want to be direct about this: affiliate relationships do not determine ratings. We review companies that have no affiliate relationship with us, and we publish critical findings about companies that do pay us. If a company has problems, we document them regardless of our business relationship.
What We Do Not Do
- We do not accept payment in exchange for higher scores or more favorable review language
- We do not suppress negative findings about affiliate partners
- We do not publish reviews written or edited by the companies being reviewed
- We do not guarantee placement in comparison tables based on advertising fees
- We do not provide insurance quotes, financial advice, or legal counsel — we are an educational resource, not a licensed advisor
- We do not remove reviews when companies threaten to end affiliate relationships
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a company pay for a higher rating?
No. Scores are determined by our weighted evaluation criteria applied to public data. Some companies on this site have affiliate relationships with us and some do not. Both groups are scored using the same methodology. We have given low scores to affiliate partners and high scores to companies we have no business relationship with.
How often are reviews updated?
We revisit reviews when material changes occur: pricing updates, significant new complaints, product launches, or regulatory changes. Every review displays a last-updated date so you know how current the information is.
Why do you use a 5-point scale instead of stars or letter grades?
A 5-point scale gives us enough resolution to differentiate between similar services without creating false precision. The difference between a 3.8 and a 4.2 is meaningful and explainable. We pair the numerical score with tier labels so you can see at a glance where a company stands.
How do you handle companies with very different ratings across platforms?
We investigate the gap rather than averaging it away. A company with 4.5 stars on Capterra and 1.7 on Trustpilot is telling two different stories to two different audiences. We explain what each platform measures, why the scores diverge, and what that pattern means for your decision.
Do you review every company in each category?
We focus on the services most relevant to owner-operators and small fleets with 1 to 10 trucks. We currently cover 35+ companies across 5 categories and are actively expanding coverage. If a major provider is missing, it is likely in our research pipeline.
What should I do if I disagree with a rating?
We welcome feedback. If you have experience with a service that contradicts our review, we want to hear about it. Reader feedback has led to review updates in the past. Contact us with specifics and we will investigate.
Are your calculators connected to the ratings?
Our interactive calculators are standalone tools designed to help you estimate costs, compare options, and make financial decisions. They use industry benchmarks and publicly available data. Calculator results are not influenced by which companies we review or recommend.
Why do some reviews seem harsh?
Because protecting your money matters more than protecting a company's feelings. If a provider has a pattern of contract disputes, billing complaints, or poor customer service, we document it in plain language. An honest warning before you sign a contract is worth more than a polished review that glosses over problems you will discover the hard way.
Find the Right Service for Your Operation
The information on this site is for educational purposes only and does not constitute financial, insurance, or legal advice. We encourage you to verify all details directly with service providers and consult licensed professionals before making business decisions.