HEADING INTO OVERLOAD

Distracted Driving?

BILLBOARDS.   AIRPLANES PULLING BANNERS.   CONSTRUCTION/LAW ENFORCEMENT LIGHTS.  

 I do not have to think about taking a drink, or eating a sandwhich.  I do not have to look at what I am eating.  Turning the station on the radio is a no brainer too.   We drive more miles in a day than most people drive in a month.  Driving is all we do.  We know our trucks and we know the roads.  There is a time when we can multi task and a time not to, and we know the difference.
The 55 mph speed limit makes me drowsey....We are used to driving speed limits of 60-75 mph and to drop to 55 for an extended length of time is hazardous.  I smoke. I smoke the most doing 55 because it gives me something to do to keep me awake.  Telling me I cannot smoke while I am driving....well those are fighting words and I will step up.
Driving is not like a 9-5 desk job, or a factory job.  Expediting is even worse.  We are on time sensitive loads, we cannot pull over any time we want a smoke or something to eat.  For us to pull over for a sandwhich or a smoke takes at least 1/2 hour, it also does not stop our 14 hr clock.  Communicating with dispatch:  if I have to pull over and use the QC to communicate, that load I am on could be sitting for an hour waiting for someone to get back to me....IF they even do.
You want us to drive keeping our hands on the wheel and eyes on the road for the long hours we drive....that would turn us into road zombies.
All these rules and regulations are not going to do anything but add more stress and pressure to an industry already carrying a heavy load and you know what happens when you OVERLOAD!
New HOS??   Our hands are so tied right now we cannot stear!!  You cannot make this a 40 hr a week..9-5 job.   Trying to overhaul the trucking industry is a never ending job.  There is such a thing as overdoing something.  IF IT WORKS, DON'T MESS WITH IT!!
 There is only so much an industry can take and if they keep adding to what we already deal with, they are going to push drivers to the point of driving these trucks straight up the anal retentive cheeks of America.   " Sorry America, we were distracted by your controlling bullshit"!

Keeping Records for the IRS

Keeping records on the truck can be very simple.  A loose leaf note book and 12 clear sleeves works wonders.  Lable the sleeves January thru December.  Each month put all the receipts and your log copies for that month into the corresponding sleeve.   At the end of the month tally your recepts.  On the front of the sleeve write the # of days you were out, how many miles you drove,  list your expenses individually,  write down your revenue for the month as well.  At the end of the year you will have all the information at a glance.  Tally your totals for the year and there you have it.  Use a white sticky lable on the binder of the folder to write the year and your name and unit #.  It is ready for your accountant or tax preparer, and you can place it on a book shelf for safe keeping if it's needed in the future... an audit for example. 

Anything you purchase and put on your truck is tax deductable, so save all of your receipts.  Even movies, books, ect...for entertainment.  Motel costs, clothing, shoes, boots, office supplies, etc...

It is a good way to keep track of your receipts and yearly information.  It fits nicely into a briefcase too. :)

Expediters by Accident

In 2005,  we applied on line to attend a truck driver training school in Indianapolis.  We thought we were signing on to PAM or USA...was expecting to go to classes, learn to drive and maintain a big rig and get our class A.  Our applications in reality, were what we considered at the time "shanghyed" by Expedite Solutions.  Although we were not lied to, and everything was explained to us up front, we really had no idea what we had gotten ourselves into.  We took the advice of the "school", rented a computer, phone, and paid for the accounting service. We also had a mandatory drivers savings plan.  We thought we were doing everything possible to have a successful business of our own.     We went thru the training and upon completion were leased to Panther.

 We were flat broke in the beginning and drew advances to live on until our pay started coming in.  We ran hard. We took everyload offered to us. Only went out of service when we had to reset 34 DOT hrs/ or was broke down.  We revenued over $50,000 in the first 6 months.

Now,  that sounds like alot of money.  And, it is.  We should have been on top of the world.  Would have been except for a couple of things.  By the time the deductions  ( tuition, advances, fuel, computer, phone, accounting services and drivers savings plan) were taken out, we ended up with a grand total of $3,000 in our bank for 6 months of hard work.    We lost EVERYTHING except our personal vehicle (which was broken into while we were on the road).   Needless to say, we resigned from Expedite Solutions and thru Panther hired on with another truck owner.  Things went down hill from there.

We learned alot that first year.  That was 6 years ago.  We have been through truck owners who wouldn't pay, trucks that wouldn't stay running, carriers who don't pay enough to keep running (and pay our bills), and carriers who couldn't keep us loaded. Why are we still here?   We love it!!   From time to time I check online and newspaper classifieds for other employment.....what a joke!!  

My Husband gave up a Tyson pension, insurance, and 401K  to do what what we do.  I have managed real- estate, been a business consultant ,waited tables, cleaned houses professionally, worked with outreach programs  and even have my own business.  We rarely get to see or spend time with our 4 adult children and 14 (2 more on the way) grandchildren, and at times the loads still are not there, the trucks still break down, the miles get longer, and we are getting older.

 Though we originally did not set out to be Expediters and the industry is not consistant,  we cannot imagine doing anything else.

THE FREE SPEACH WEB SITE IS NOT DEAD

"Many people do not  know what the liberty of free speach really is, or what freedom of speach even means.  Freedom of Speach is not a free ticket to intimidate, mainipulate, degrade, or in general tare someone apart. To use it as such... is just showing ignorance and being abusive of the liberty". There are limitations to everything....including freedom. With any form of freedom, comes responsibility.   

 Manners, and knowing how to treat people play an important role in any public forum. A forum that allows freedom in speaking is allowing you to agree or disagree.  It is allowing you to speak about anything you wish.  EXAMPLE:  In some places you cannot speak about religion, politics or leaders. 

Censorship in this case, is not preventing the subject spoken about, but the WAY in which the freedom of speach is being used.  A public forum has the responsiblilty to protect the liberty and integrity of the freedom of speach.

" You have to stand for something, or you will fall for anything". 

                                                                                                RL MICHAEL
                                                                                                        aka
                                                                                                    GYPSIE