Thin Ice
This weekend I observed the ice fishermen in Gladstone, MI. Some of the 
fishermen left their trucks on dry land and walked as much as a mile out to their ice shanties. Some used snowmobiles, or 4 wheelers with trailers. I did not see any pick up trucks over the deeper water. In prior years you would see large pick up trucks parked out at the shanties. The ice must be thinner this year, and they know it.
It reminded me of the trucking industry. The fishermen were all going after the same fish. Trucking companies often compete for the same customers. Fishermen may not share all of their secrets. If I am catching a lot of fish with a specific lure, I may not tell my competitors. There is a cooperative spirit when it comes to safety. No one wants to see a fellow fisherman fall through the ice. Just like we do not want to see our competitors involved in fatal accidents.
There are the basics. People need to know how much ice that it takes to support a person. How much ice 
does it take to support an snowmobile? How much more does it take to support a truck? Information on the actual ice conditions are constantly shared. Safety comes first.
There is a risk reward ratio. If you fall through deep ice, you could die. That is not a risk worth taking. Ice in shallow water may not be as thick as the ice in deeper water. You may fall through the ice into water that is 2 feet deep. It isn't a pleasant thing. That water is cold. Your day of fishing is probably over, but you're going to live through it.
Trucking has 2 basic concepts that you want to know. You need to know your break even point. What do I need to get to make this worth while? For an owner operator just starting out, you will need to know your 
fixed and variable costs. You will need to know how much revenue it will take to net more profit as an owner operator than you can earn as a company driver. Weigh options like working percentage vs. flat mileage. Knowing your break even point is like knowing how much ice it will take to support you. It is the very least that you need to know.
Know what risk you are willing to take for a bigger reward. There may be bigger fish in the deeper water, but the cost of falling through the ice is greater. The thickness of the ice (margins) may be thinner in the shallower water. The chances of falling through are greater. The cost of failure is lower. Knowledge and planning are the great equalizers. Learn from those more experienced. Use technology. Be smart abut risk management. Remember that safety is priority. One bad accident can put both the ice fisherman, or the owner operator out of business.