You see and hear all sorts of ads on how car insurance companies can save you money over the competitor.  But what about the trucking business?  How do you know you are getting the best deal available?  Well, read on for some helpful information to assist in your insurance decision making.

At the top of my list is dealing with a reputable Insurance Agent.   

To find a reputable agent, ask other truckers who they use and what they think of their insurance and agent.  Dealing with someone in your own community is preferred.  There are quite a few “independent agents” in every area around the country to choose from that will deal with a variety of insurance companies.  You also one an agent that has experience with trucking insurance.  

To check up on the reputation of an agent do a search in your state by entering your state initials, i.e. WI for Wisconsin, and Insurance Commissioner (WI Insurance Commissioner).  This should give you a start to find your information on-line about any agent or a number you can call in the Commissioners office.

Now that you have found an agent, ask for a coverages and premiums comparison from several different insurance companies your agent deals with.  Your driving record will also factor in for the bottom-line premium.   Have your current insurance information handy for when you talk with the agent.  They will undoubtedly have a list of questions concerning your current coverage.  Also think about and mention any changes you may want to consider making to your coverage.

If you already have or are thinking about buying your own trailer, mention this fact to the agent for your premium quote.  

Ask if the agent will give you a package deal by offering them your personal business for your home and auto coverages, plus any “toys” you may have stashed in your garage or storage building such as snow mobiles, motor cycles, goats, ATVs, and so on.    Most insurance companies have packaged plans for personal insurance coverages that you can take advantage of and save some money in the process.

Ask for the best deal they can possibly give you and tell them you are shopping around so they know you are serious and mean business.  Ask about premium payment plans and what they are and the cost you.  Sometimes if you have a monthly automatic electronic funds transfer (EFT) for your premium you can save some money.  And sometimes if you pay your insurance annually, you get a bigger break.  But ask before you commit to anything.

The higher deductible you take the lower your premium can go.  You decide what is right for you concerning the deductible.  A quick definition for deductible is what you can afford to spend out of your own pocket in the event of an accident.  Some people have more money set aside just for this so they would want to take a higher deductible to lower their premium.  Or you can figure what you save by taking a higher deductible and put it in the bank.  You decide what is right for you and your budget.

Insurance is a necessary thing to have and you want to get the best deal you can for your trucking business.  Also review your insurance coverages on an annual basis for any changes you want to make.  You sometimes can’t prevent someone else from hitting you and having good insurance coverage will help you transition through the claim process a little better.

Easy Truckin is brought to you by Easy Trucking Software. We hope you enjoy it.

You can approach this process two different ways.  You can do an internet search to find a company that will help you through this process, for a fee of course, or you can do it yourself and save yourself some money.

My internet search using “usdot numbers” found 3 companies ready to help collect my information, do the necessary paperwork filing, and help me with my insurance needs.  All for a fee of course. 

Or you can visit http://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/reg-forms  for instructions and to get the necessary forms to get you started for a do-it-yourself.

The 6 Steps For Authority are:

1. Applicant submits the OP-1 and/or OP-1(P) and/or OP-1(FF)   
2. Applicant receives MC or FF number. 
3. 10-day protest period 
4. Insurance Company files form(s) with FMCSA. 
5. Applicant or Process Agent files Form BOC-3 with FMCSA. 
6. Applicant begins operation AFTER receiving certificate, permit or license for Operating Authority from FMCSA. 

REMEMBER - REFUNDS ARE NOT PERMITTED. 

Each type of Operating Authority requires an additional $300 fee. For example, an application for both Motor Common Carrier of Property and Motor Common Carrier of Household Goods will require two $300 fees for a total of $600. Multiple fees can be combined into one single payment. 

The FMCSA reserves the right to discontinue processing any application for which insufficient payment is received. 

Below are the different types of Operating Authorities and each comes with a $300 fee:

• Motor Common Carrier of Property (except Household Goods) 
• Motor Contract Carrier of Property (except Household Goods) 
• Motor Common Carrier of Household Goods 
• Motor Contract Carrier of Household Goods
• Broker of Property (except Household Goods)
• Broker of Household Goods
• United States-based Enterprise Carrier of International Cargo (except Household Goods)
• United States-based Enterprise Carrier of International Household Good

Interstate authority is REQUIRED by the FMCSA (Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration) for all motor vehicles operating for-hire and transporting freight or passengers across state lines. 

What is INTERSTATE AUTHORITY? 

Any motor vehicle or freight broker operating for hire across state lines. In other words, if you’re operating (for-hire) outside the state your business is located then you need ICC Interstate Authority.

Everyone who files for ICC Interstate Authority is required by the FMCSA to have a BOC-3 with current “process agents” in every state traveling through or conducting business.

What is the BOC-3 and tell me again why I need one?

The BOC-3 is the form that is used by the FMCSA to list the “process agents” in all states.  The “process agents” will act as a representative to forward legal / court documents in any proceeding that might be brought against your company. A “blanket coverage” is having process agents listed in all 50 states. 

Without a BOC-3 on file with the FMCSA, you cannot receive a Certificate of Authority. 

This is a quick overview and very basic of what is all involved.  Everything comes with a price tag, you decide what you are willing to pay or not pay for.

Remember that you are working with a branch of the government, so have patience.    

Easy Truckin is brought to you by Easy Trucking Software. We hope you enjoy it.

That is a pretty nice idea though, read and grow rich.  I like it, but that’s not what actually will happen or we would all be rich.

To improve your financial condition you need to work at.

If you don’t like your current job with the trucking company you are working for, scout around for a new employer.  There are many other trucking companies around the country that may be looking for a driver just like you.  Heck, there are ads in trucking magazines all the time looking for truckers.   Call around and ask trucking companies what they have to offer you.  This is especially true if you have an impeccable driving record and can prove it.  Negotiate for better pay / benefits.  If you don’t ask, you don’t get.

Word of mouth is a power thing.  Ask other truckers where they work and what they have to say about their employer and how long they have worked there.  

Keep in mind that some people like to complain for the sake of complaining, so weigh your information carefully before making any employment decisions.

Now that you have a little extra money in your pocket, put it aside in a savings account someplace.  Spending the surplus as fast as as you make it may be a lot of fun and provide some good times, but it doesn’t provide you with any financial security.  Money in a savings account to fall back on provides you with some peace of mind and security if you were to suddenly be without a job due to health issues or layoffs. 

Shop around to different financial institutions that will pay you some interest on your money, regardless of amount.  I recently started a savings and checking account on-line with ING and earn 1.5% on my checking balance and 2.75% on my savings balance.  Check them out and decide for yourself if this is right for you.  Having your savings account a little less accessible is sometimes a good thing.  The likelihood of spending the money is reduced and forces you to really think about every purchase you want to make using your savings

An extra $5 or $10 here and there all add up over time and suddenly you have $100, then $1,000 and then who knows how much.  You get the idea, but you need to start.

What about all that change that rattles around inside your truck.  Gather it all together in one place and periodically cash it in and put it into a savings account.  You’d be surprised at how fast all that change adds up.  I’ve heard of people taking a nice vacation on just what they saved over a couple years in change.

Have a goal for your savings also helps you get more disciplined with your spending.  Pick out a realistic goal and begin saving for it.  Have a picture of your goal so you can see it from time to time and anticipate having it.   

Make a plan and then work your plan to achieve your goal.   

Easy Truckin is brought to you by Easy Trucking Software. We hope you enjoy it.

Just when times get tougher and you are ready to throw in the towel and quit, along comes a terrific trucking success story.  It goes like this…..

A 30 something woman, Krystal Vierkant from Waite Park, MN grossed more than $11 million in 2007.  Did that number get your attention because it sure did mine.  Her business now operates nine semis of its own, brokers loads and repairs rigs for independent truckers, leases trailers to them, runs a waste disposal operation and wholesales decorative rock to landscapers.  That is one ambitious woman.  But I’m getting ahead of myself with her story.   Let’s go back to the beginning.

Back 6 years ago Krystal was bored and looking for a challenge.  She had dropped out of college and had jobs as a bookkeeper and an officer manager with two trucking companies and as a teller in a bank.  

She was looking to add a few bucks to her income when she bought a semitrailer truck and hired a friend to drive it.  She had heard of a local trucking company in bankruptcy and negotiated a deal to take over payments on a semi.  She was familiar with the sand, dirt, gravel and rock business since that is what the trucking companies she had worked for did.  She knew what she was getting into and how it all worked. 

That was the beginning.  She found her entrepreneurial spirit and you already know the rest of the story.

Krystal is just one of many trucking success stories you hear about.  She found her niche and capitalized on it.  Would you know a good opportunity when you see one?  Knowing what you are good at and what your goals are is key.  Saying I want more money is pretty broad.  You need a plan to get you what you want.  Just like a road map to get you from shipper to receiver, you need a plan.

Her plan was to work her full-time day job and use her lunch time and breaks to hustle loads for her truck.  She spent her evenings handling billings and other paperwork.  Sleep, what was that.  She averaged 4 hours a night.  

Word of mouth spread quickly and Owner Operators were asking her to broker for them too.  By the end of her first year she had six “dedicated” truckers working solely with her brokerage company.  This company now accounts for 90 percent of her revenue.

Other opportunities opened up and she next started the trailer leasing business.  Then she was on to her third business to offer repair services to the independent truckers.

By 2003 she quit her full-time bank job and devoted all her energies and attention to her businesses and would add 3 hours of sleep a night to her schedule.  For two years she sacrificed and worked herself hard to build her businesses.

As things slowed down in the construction business she started up a waste disposal operation that supplies containers to collect debris at remodeling sites as well as to the outdoor construction sites her truckers serve during the summer.

Was it all worth it, you tell me with a bottom line of grossing $11 million in 2007.  Six short years from being a teller wanting a little more money in her pocket to making millions.  I would say her hard work paid off.

Find your niche, make a plan, write down your goals and work your plan.   Go after your dreams.   

Easy Truckin is brought to you by Easy Trucking Software. We hope you enjoy it.

Here is a brief explanation of terms you will see when buying a computer.

Model - describes the type of computer you have.  Each manufacturer may put out several different models of the same computer with different features under different names and different prices.  You decide what you may or may not want to spend your money on. 

 

Mgf -  the manufacturer who has made the computer, i.e. Intel, Asus, Acer, One, Everex, Dell, HP, you get the idea.  Some of the names may not be familiar because they are sold by another company under another name.

Weight - how much does the computer weigh.  Desk top models may weigh more than laptops.  A laptop will be made more durable to withstand being carried around.  A desktop is designed to be on a desktop. 

Disp. Size - the display size of your monitor or screen you are working on.  The larger the screen the more you can expect to pay.  You decide on what your working needs are.  

Display - resolution size, i.e. 800X480, 1024X600, 1280X768, 1280X800, 1200X900.  The higher the resolution the better the quality of images on your screen.  Here again, you can expect to pay more for better quality.

Win OS - type of operating system - XP, Vista.  These are the most common for the average user.  Unless you have an Apple computer, then you are Linux.

CPU - Central Processing Unit, CPU for short, is the logic of your computer that runs the programs.  This is a chip that is part of your computer tower or laptop.

 

 

 

 

Speed in GHz - this has to do with your internet connection.  You can have the fastest connection possible and still be limited by the GHz, gigahertz, size you can handle in your computer. 

Storage size in GB (gigabytes) This is how memory is measured.  The more GB you have the more storage space that is available to you for programs, pictures, videos, whatever you are saving to your computer.  This is a picture of what memory can look like

 

RAM in GB (gigabytes)  Random-access memory, RAM, is measured in gigabytes (GB).  This is thehorsepower you have in your computer to process data.  If your computer seems to take a long time to logon, move from place to place or screen to screen, you may want more RAM in your computer to process your commands quicker.   This picture is of a RAM card.

Battery Life - If you are using a laptop, the battery life is something you will be interested in unless you plan on always having your laptop plugged in to an electrical supply.  Battery life is the amount of time you have to use your computer working strictly from the computer battery.  Your computer will alert you when you are running low on battery time, advising you to plug it in soon.

Is your head spinning yet?  This is just a little background info for you so the next time you are in an electronics store to buy a new computer (or just shopping around), you’ll know just a little bit more about what the salesperson is talking about.  

Buy the best computer for your needs based on product & manufacturer reputation, word of mouth recommendations, warranty and bang for your buck.  Don’t buy it because it’s the right color, you like the name or it’s the cheapest you can find.  You sometimes get what you pay for and if the deal is too good to be true, it probably is.

Word of mouth is also a high recommendation coming from trusted friends, co-workers or relatives.  Everyone will be more than happy to share their nightmare stories.  Look for the stories where your informant was very happy with the service and knowledge base of the sales staff and performance of the product.  Nothing like word of mouth to make or break your business.

For a cheap fix to get more more memory or faster response out of your current computer, consider adding more memory or RAM.  Check with a knowledgeable computer person for their input before having this done.

I hope you have found this information helpful.   

Easy Truckin is brought to you by Easy Trucking Software. We hope you enjoy it.