Lately, we have seen an increasing number of tax fraud cases and identify theft. ATBS is committed to providing you with a tax and accounting experience that protects your personal information. We have built a world-class company with our client’s security in mind and our employees are trained on ATBS- specific security policies and procedures. As a team, we work diligently to protect the integrity of your personal information by employing the following standards: Web Encryption ATBS uses “https” [Hypertext Transfer Protocol over Secure Socket Layer] which was designed by Netscape and gives authentication and encryption for security-sensitive communication. Once you login to the ATBS Secure Client Portal, you will see a key or lock appear in your browser URL. This lock means the information cannot be accessed by anyone other than you and ATBS. Extensive Background Checks ATBS conducts a criminal background check and a financial background check on every team member. We require every employee to log-off at night and remove sensitive paperwork from his or her desks and personal workstations. Partnerships ATBS has world-class partnerships that use the highest level of security available to help protect our networks and data. Document Management We employ regular shredding processes and use a bonded shredding company to ensure all sensitive paperwork is carefully disposed of. Passwords and Automatic Logoff Employee passwords are changed regularly to ensure access to client information is secure. If an employee takes no action on their computer for several minutes, they will be locked out of their computer and a user name and unique password will unlock their system. Audits The IRS and a financial services firm that adheres to the highest security measures have audited ATBS. In both cases, ATBS was found to have secure systems and secure processes. We live in a digital world and personal information can be compromised. It’s important to ask your financial institution how your personal information is secured. With everything we are doing to protect your information, please remember that it is important to take precautions to protect your personal information on your end. Please do not hesitate to ask your ATBS business consultant about data security. ATBS appreciates this opportunity to work with you. Image source - https://www.flickr.com/photos/neccorp/

With temperatures in the triple digits in some parts of the country, heat-related illnesses such as dehydration are more of a risk. What you may not know, however, is that being dehydrated while driving can be as dangerous as being drunk, according to a study published in the scientific journal Physiology and Behavior, featured in the Wall Street Journal. Researchers at Loughborough University in England conducted simulated driving tests with participants that were both hydrated and dehydrated. The tests included two hours of driving on a simulator with various obstacles including bends, rumble strips, and slow-moving vehicles that needed to be passed. On the first day participants were given a full cup of water to drink per hour. Researchers counted 47 driving incidents on this day. On the next day of the study, participants were only given a few sips of water each hour and the number of driving incidents, including lane drifting and late braking, increased to 101. Why did this happen? When we are dehydrated, our brain function becomes reserved. This can lead to a range of issues that impact mental clarity, reaction time, muscle function, and even our mood. Dehydration also affects your blood volume causing headaches and dizziness. Some drivers try not to consume much water on the road for fear that they will have to stop to use the restroom too frequently. But the symptoms caused by dehydration are too dangerous to ignore. Another mistake drivers make is blasting the A/C when they start to feel tired or sluggish. If you are feeling fatigued because you are dehydrated, the A/C will dehydrate you even more (removed “out). Your body is considered dehydrated when it loses two percent of its weight in water. However, negative effects can start to occur after just a one percent loss. A sure way to tell if you are dehydrated is by the color of your urine. It should be mostly clear and if too yellow, it can indicate that you need more fluids. Traveling at higher elevations or extremely hot temperatures increases your chance of dehydration. There is no magic number for how many ounces of water you need to drink in a day, but you should be drinking plenty of water before and during your long trips. Sports drinks that include electrolytes are also good if you become severely dehydrated. Most importantly, don’t worry about taking breaks to use the restroom and fill up on water. It’s better to take a little extra time than to possibly put yourself and others in danger.

Being on the road for days and weeks at a time can become quite lonely. That’s why many owner-operators choose to have a co-pilot – and not of the human variety. There are many benefits to having a “truck pet” both for you and your pet. Here are a few things to keep in mind when trucking with animal companions. 1. Stock up on food and water This may seem like a no-brainer, but it’s important to have enough food and bottled water for your pet when you’re traveling. If you’ll be gone for long periods of time, it may be hard to find stores that carry quality pet food while on the road. Not to mention some of the better pet stores may not have the best truck access. If you can afford it, try to purchase several bags of a higher-end pet food without fillers. The best option is all-organic food. For dogs with allergies or a sensitive stomach, try a grain-free formula. This will ensure that your pets stay healthy, happy, and comfortable both at home and in the truck. 2. Schedule regular vet visits and consider pet insurance Trucking is a hazardous profession and trucking with pets could put them at risk of an injury from an accident. Consider purchasing pet insurance so that your bank account isn’t completely drained from an emergency veterinary visit. A couple of the top-rated pet insurance companies are Healthy Paws and Fetch. Your veterinarian will also be able to recommend an insurance plan that is best for your pet. Aside from pet insurance, don’t forget to have your pet examined by the vet once a year. Since truck pets travel all over the country, check with your vet to make sure your pets have all of the medications and vaccinations they need for different climates and regions. Keep your pet’s medical records and vaccination history with you at all times in case an unexpected trip to the vet is needed. 3. Keep your pets safe and comfortable You would never let your child ride in a truck without a car seat or seatbelt so why let a pet ride unrestrained? Even if you never get into an accident, simply slamming on the brakes could seriously injure a pet. There are a number of different options for keeping pets safely restrained in their seat while traveling. Whether it’s a kennel or a harness that attaches to a seat belt, research the options available for your pet before taking him on the road. When your truck is not moving, make sure your pet has a soft, warm place to sleep. A kennel or pet bed with soft towels and blankets is a perfect spot for a dog or cat to sleep. If you have a small animal, you may want to consider purchasing a sweater or coat to keep them warm on cold winter nights. Always take your pets with you when you are away from your truck for extended periods of time. A truck that’s not running is susceptible to getting much too hot in the summer and way too cold in the winter for your four-legged furry friends. Are you a smoker? Now is the time to quit. If you have a pet in your truck with you, the second-hand smoke can put their health in jeopardy. Think of the life of your beloved pet and use it as motivation to quit smoking. 4. Let your pets out of the truck frequently Being cooped up in a truck for many hours at a time can make your pets restless. Make sure you give them enough breaks during the day for potty time, playing, and exercise. If you have a cat, get a scratching board, and for all pets, make sure they have a few toys they can play with while you’re driving. Purchase a sturdy, comfortable harness and leash, and take your pets for walks and play time outside of the truck a few times a day. Not only will this help get your pet’s energy out, it’s also good for you! Oh and one more thing… don’t forget to clean up after your pet on your breaks. No one likes to step on an unexpected surprise at the truck stop! 5. Keep track of your dog’s expenses Do you have a truck dog that is on the road with you 100% of the time? Does your dog bark and alert you if someone is coming near the truck? If you answered yes to these questions, your dog’s expenses may be tax deductible. Check with your ATBS Business Consultant for more information, and hold on to all of your dog-related receipts so the deductions can be applied at the end of the year. Having a pet as your trucking companion comes with many rewards, but also great responsibility. Ensuring that your pet is well cared for will result in many years of happy travels together.

This article was originally featured on TeamRunSmart.com . There has been a huge push in recent years for trucks, buses, and other vehicles to switch from diesel and gasoline to compressed natural gas (CNG). There are many benefits to CNG. CNG is produced both domestically and worldwide at a relatively low cost and it burns cleaner than diesel fuels. Over the recent decade, as climate change has moved to the forefront of political debates, CNG vehicles have been introduced in the mass market. Today many city buses, taxis, and trucks run on CNG. Commercial truckers have been slower to adapt to CNG. Trucks with CNG engines are more expensive, fueling stations are scarce around the country, and  mileage is less than diesel-fueled trucks . As the push towards greener fuels and a more sustainable environment continues over the next decade, it is important to know a few facts about making the switch to CNG. Natural gas may not be for you.  While you may strive to be more environmentally friendly, switching to CNG might not be the answer you’ve been waiting for your entire career. You need to consider your truck range, specific lanes you operate in, maintenance service requirements, and adequate refueling support throughout your routes. Not to mention the initial investment costs. Safety should be top priority.  Making the switch, especially in larger fleets, takes time. The safety of both drivers and shop personnel should be the top priority. You can’t cut corners when switching to a new fuel and new technology. It takes time to learn the best practices and share them amongst your staff. Map CNG refueling stations.  CNG-fueled truck growth is slower than expected thus refueling stations are few and far behind in certain areas of the country.  As you can see in the CNG Now location map , most CNG refueling stations are heavily located in more urban areas on the East and West coasts. The Northeast and Rocky Mountain states have very few stations making routes in those areas of the country hard to accomplish without the possibility of refueling. Technicians need to be trained.  Natural gas-powered engines are built differently than diesel engines. It is important that your technician knows how to troubleshoot or fix an engine when a truck goes down at 3 am in the middle of nowhere. It takes time to train staff or find a trusted technician to work on your truck when it’s in trouble, so make sure you have a plan just in case. CNG could save you money in the long run.  On average, CNG is cheaper than Diesel. The current national average for  CNG is $2.11 per gallon  whereas a gallon of diesel averages at $2.49. The cost of fuel varies a great deal. Sometimes it’s super cheap, but other times it is expensive. The cost of CNG has been relatively stable over the recent years. To calculate your possible annual savings based on your unique factors you can try the  Compressed Natural Gas Savings Calculator . “Certain things about one's savings must be taken into account when considering CNG, such as truck lifecycle within the fleet, overall lifetime maintenance costs, and fueling network options nearby,” said  Jimmy Nevarez, Team Run Smart Pro . While the benefits for switching to CNG include being more environmentally friendly and less expensive, the costs and scarce fueling stations across the country might be enough to dissuade you from making the switch. If you’re considering making the switch to CNG it is important to do your research and ask other drivers or fleet owners about their experiences with CNG-powered trucks. Once you’ve gathered enough evidence, you should be able to make the best decision for you and your business.

Spring is officially here and the tax deadline will soon be in our rearview mirror. No matter if your taxes have been done for weeks or you are still working to beat the deadline, now is the perfect time to start spring cleaning your finances. By following these five tips you can be well on your way to adding money back into your bank account in 2016. Look for recurring debts Each year it seems like most of us are always signing up for at least one subscription based service. As the first step in your spring cleaning process, login to your bank account and browse through your statement. Do you see any recurring expenses that you no longer have a need for? If you do, then make sure you cancel them because that is money right back in your pocket. Review your insurance policies It’s pretty common that once we take out an insurance policy we forget all about it. The money is drafted from our account each month and nothing else happens. The problem with this is that there is a lot of competition within the insurance industry. Companies are fighting for customers and you never know when you might be able to receive the same level of coverage for a lower monthly premium. Use this time to price shop the competition and see if you can get a lower rate somewhere else. Contribute to an IRA Will you be receiving a tax refund this year? If you are, then this is a great opportunity to fund an IRA. The contribution limits for this year are $5,500 ($6,500 for anyone 50 years or older). Don’t forget that any contribution you make is tax deductible on your 2016 taxes. Also Read: How Aggressive Should I Be With My Retirement Planning? Knock out your debt If you have found yourself struggling with debt, then now is the perfect time to start working towards eliminating it. If you need a little help getting started with the process, take a look at The Avalanche Method. With this you will prioritize your debts by their interest rate. Start by paying off the debt that has the highest rate and then move on to the next highest debt until you are debt free. Another popular method is The Snowball Method, where you will start with the debt with the lowest balance and move on to the next highest balance until everything is paid off. Start your tax planning for 2016 Don’t wait until the end of the year to start planning for next year’s taxes. If you are a company driver that receives a W-2 make sure that your W-4 form is up to date. If you get married or have kids then your allowances will have changed. This is also a good time to start making charitable donations, which will help lower your taxable income. The bottom line Spring is not just a good time to clean out your truck and house, it’s also a great time to start going over your finances. By following these five tips you will be well on your way to a more fiscally responsible you in 2016. Image Source - https://www.flickr.com/photos/meddygarnet/

If you ever hope to retire and live off your savings, you need to be sure that you will have enough money to do so, and that your funds are safe and earning enough as you age. Experts recommend being prepared to have sufficient resources to generate between 70-90 percent of your earning power to carry you through retirement. Now, if you are one of the very lucky few who can manage to stash away at least $1,000,000 prior to your retirement, you can probably live quite comfortably just off of the 4-5 percent interest it generates each year, while drawing down the principal a bit at a time, if necessary. Since that possibility is relatively out of reach for most of us, planning and budgeting for retirement is a necessity that generally takes a great deal of thought and attention over the course of our working lives. Unfortunately, many Americans are negotiating their debts and have low confidence that they will be financially secure once they do retire – about 22 percent do not save at all for retirement and almost 40 percent have saved less than $50,000. These people face difficult challenges in their later years as they confront the possibility of being unable to afford the basic necessities of life, much less the small luxuries that the dream of retirement offers. But the question of how aggressive to be in planning one’s retirement is entirely individualistic and will be based upon: Your age at the time you begin saving for retirement – 40 years of saving beats 20 years. How much you already have put away for retirement as well as the sum total of all your assets. How much you earn and can afford to save each year for retirement versus how much you need to meet your financial obligations. What the return is on each of your savings investments and how they might fluctuate over time. What your projected needs will be after retirement – where and how you intend to live and even how long. However, there are some accepted rules of thumb worth considering, regardless of how you have addressed the above. For instance, the U.S. Department of Labor suggests that you: Start saving for retirement as young as possible, but start whenever you can – time is critical. Start small if necessary – even small investments can reap large rewards over time. Use automatic deductions from your payroll, whenever possible, in order to save regularly. Don’t borrow from your retirement account(s). Financial planners also offer some suggestions about how to manage your retirement investments: 401K plans and Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs) should make up the bulk of your retirement investments. Pensions and Annuities, if available, should also make up a sizable percentage of your post-working income. The younger you are, the more aggressive your investments should be. If you are 30, put 30% of your money in low-risk, low-interest investments like money market accounts and government securities, and 70% in stocks, or stock funds, that offer a higher rate of return. Adjust your portfolio regularly, moving away from risk and into security as you grow older. By age 65, invest only 35 percent of your money in higher risk instruments and 65 percent in lower risk investments like Certificates of Deposit (CDs) and Bonds. Remember that your Social Security is also an investment that you have made for retirement over your working life, and will likely average around 40 percent of your retirement income. The later you begin receiving your Old Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance (OASDI), i.e. Social Security checks, the larger each one will be. Talk to a qualified financial planner and get some professional advice concerning your credit deficit and retirement strategy. And no matter how old you are, begin saving whatever you can, today. Your Golden Years will be here sooner than you think.

Credit cards can be extremely appealing to a lot of people. Card issuers are offering consumers larger sign-up bonuses than they ever have before. In addition, the ability to earn travel rewards or cash back on each purchase is hard to pass up. The problem is that unless you are careful and responsible, you can get in over your head. You can start making purchases with money that you do not have. This is what can lead to extreme credit card debt. The average US household is carrying $2,700 worth of credit card debt and that number is only rising. While this statistic is a little frightening, it’s not all that surprising. Over the past 13 years the total cost of living in the US has risen 29% while the growth of incomes has only risen 26%. That leaves the average American struggling to keep pace with how much things cost today. Your credit card debt is costing you more than you think If you are one of the millions that currently carry a credit card balance, you should know that your total balance might not be telling you the whole story. Each month that you are rolling over a balance on your credit card, you are accruing finance charges. Depending on the size of your balance, this could mean thousands of dollars more that you are paying for what you might have thought were insignificant purchases. One of the biggest mistakes that many people make is only making the minimum payment on their outstanding credit card balance. This is a very costly mistake and here is why: Let’s assume that you have an outstanding balance of $4,800. Depending on the credit card issuer, the minimum payment would be around $100. If you were to just pay the minimum payment each month, it would take you nearly 18 years to pay your balance. It would also mean that your $4,800 balance would actually cost over $10,000 once you factor in interest each month. Avoiding the Credit Card Debt Trap No one wants to end up paying an additional $5,200 if they don’t need to. In order to avoid this, it’s important to pay off your credit card debt as quickly as possible. One of the easiest ways to do this is by moving your balance to a credit card that offers 0% interest for an introductory period of time. There are quite a few cards that offer anywhere from 12 to 21 months of 0% interest. What this will do is give you time to pay off your debt without accruing any finance charges. If you choose to go the route of using a balance transfer card, then it’s important to have a plan in place so that you can pay off your balance before the promotional period expires. If you don’t, then you will be back to paying finance charges once again. The Bottom Line The next time you use your credit card, think about whether or not you are going to be able to pay off the charge before your payment due date. If you can’t, then finance charges will start accruing and what might have initially been a $20 purchase could quickly become much more expensive. Image Source - https://www.flickr.com/photos/59937401@N07/

Becoming an owner-operator is an exciting step in your trucking career. You now have the opportunity to be your own boss, make more money, pick your own loads, and choose when you want to take time off. However, this type of career isn’t for everybody. There are many things you have to consider before making the jump from company driver to owner-operator. Here are five things all truck drivers should know before owning a trucking company. Are you a self-employed truck driver that needs help with your taxes, accounting, or bookkeeping? Click here! Know how much it is going to cost Starting a trucking company isn’t a cheap investment. There are a lot of upfront costs you’ll have to pay before you’re able to start driving. Some of these costs include the down payment on your truck, your license, plates, insurance, and permit fees. After these initial costs, there are other expenses you will face each month. These include fuel, maintenance, food, etc. It is important you know how you are going to cover these costs before your business starts making money. The first six to 12 months will be difficult as you are trying to earn the money back that you spent on the initial investments. One of the things ATBS does with each of their clients is help create a profit plan. This will help you keep track of both your business expenses and personal expenses. This way you will know how much money you’ll need to make each month to break even and make a profit. The number one reason why new businesses fail is due to inadequate cash flow. Before you get started with your business, make sure you’re ready for this investment. Know how you are going to be taxed One of the biggest differences between company drivers and owner-operators is the way they are taxed. Many first-time owner-operators don’t realize they will have to start paying taxes on a quarterly basis rather than having taxes automatically withheld from their paycheck by an employer. ATBS recommends that drivers set aside between 25 and 30 percent of their weekly income for quarterly taxes. This means you should keep all business receipts and documentation so that you are able to easily track your earnings. Know who your customers are going to be When you start your own trucking company, chances are you will lease on to a carrier. This means they will provide you with potential customers rather than you having to go out and find them on your own. This doesn’t mean it’s still not important to know who your ideal customer will be. First off, your customer will be determined by what type of operation you are. The type of customer a flatbed trucker will be delivering to will likely be different than that of a dry van driver. When you know your operation, you will know who your typical customer is going to be. You will also want to determine how you can create value to your customer. Know what you do best and use that to your advantage. While being leased on to a carrier, you may have little control over the rates. However, you are able to determine other things about your operation that make you stand out from the crowd. When you have decided how you are going to be unique, you will be able to find, and keep, customers who like how you operate your business. Know the rules you have to comply with Before you get started as an owner-operator, you’re going to need to know the rules and regulations you’ll need to comply with. Your truck must meet CSA safety standards in order to keep your business from being shut down. Each driver is required to have a working Electronic Logging Device (ELD) in their truck. This will help you keep track of your Hours of Service each week. Finally, the CSA has a list of physical qualifications you must pass in order to qualify as a fit driver. It is necessary for any owner-operator to know all of these rules and regulations before they begin driving. Know that owning a trucking company is hard work Owning a trucking company is a lot of work. That’s not much of a secret. You spend a majority of your time behind the wheel, and when you’re done for the day all you want to do is relax. But as an owner-operator, you’re also a small business owner. That means no matter how tired you might be, you still have a business to run. Outsourcing some of the day-to-day tasks will help reduce your workload and allow you to focus on what you love...driving your truck. ATBS has helped over 150,000 owner-operators with their accounting, bookkeeping and tax preparation. If you’d like to learn more about how we can help you get your business off on the right foot, give us a call at 866-920-2827.

Not only are most Americans' refrigerators and cupboards full of junk food, but so are our highways. While driving the highways across the country, how many signs do you see for healthy food options? Probably not many if at all! Truck stops are full of McDonalds, Chick-fil-As, and Taco Bells among others. Not only are most of the food options full of empty calories that cause weight gain, they are mainly comprised of carbohydrates and sugars. Carbohydrates and sugar aren’t entirely bad for you if you consume them within reason. However, if your afternoon snack consists of a Twinkie, bag of potato chips and a soda then you might have more problems than just your expanding waistline! A diet full of too much carbohydrates and sugar can lead to many health conditions such as obesity and diabetes. Too much sugar can also lead to sleepiness, which is obviously not good for you if you still have a 5 hour drive to your next off-load. When we feel tired and need a little mid-afternoon pick up, we have a tendency to reach for a can of soda or candy bar. The sugar gives us a quick burst of energy, but then it fizzles as quickly as it came, leaving us more tired than before. Several studies have indicated that protein-rich foods can increase cognitive performance and leave us feeling full longer. But how can I carry steak and fish with me while on the road? Protein can be found in a wide range of food products, not just animal meats. You’d be surprised what you can actually snack on while driving that doesn’t need a grill and freezer to stay fresh. Just grab a small cooler and fill it with ice and whatever might be your fancy from the below list of healthy, protein-rich snacks! 1. Fruit with Nut Butter No one can go wrong with the classic apple and peanut butter snack. Peanut butter contains about 8 grams of protein per 2 tablespoon serving. When buying peanut butter look for brands with little to no sugar. If peanut butter isn’t your thing or you’re allergic, almond butter is a great alternative. Nut butter also goes great with other fruit such as pears and bananas. 2. Veggies with Hummus or Nut Butter Hummus and vegetables go together just like apples and peanut butter. Want a super-easy way to eat vegetables and hummus? Place about 2 tablespoons of hummus in the bottom of a travel mug (preferably one without coffee as that might not taste so good!), and put a handful of vegetable sticks (carrots, celery, etc.) vertically into the hummus. Hummus contains protein, heart-healthy fats and lots of dietary fiber. 3. Hard Boiled Eggs The “incredible-edible egg” is an excellent source of protein and very easy to munch on while driving. One egg has about 5-6 grams of protein and is only about 70 calories. Many truck stops and variety stores offer hard boiled eggs in pouches or you can make your own at home and keep them on ice. 4. Nuts Nuts make great portable snacks, but make sure you eat them in moderation as their calorie count can add up quickly. One ounce of almonds, or about 12 nuts, has 184 calories and contains healthy omega-9 fatty acids. Other great options are walnuts and pistachios (the nut not the ice cream). 5. Trail Mix Trail mix is another easy to eat and healthy option. Grocery stores sell a wide variety of types and you can often make your own by combining your favorite nuts, granola, and dried fruits. If you buy prepackaged trail mix, just make sure to read the nutrition labels. What you may think is healthy, might not be. Go for a trail mix with lots of natural or lightly salted nuts and dried fruit. 6. Yogurt (or Cottage Cheese) with Granola and/or Berries Are you looking to get your protein fix fast? A cup of Greek yogurt contains upwards of 17 grams of protein! Choose plain (way less sugar) and add a little granola and/or some fresh or frozen berries. Strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, and blueberries are all low-glycemic fruit and contain many vitamins. Not a fan of yogurt? Try cottage cheese! 7. Deli Roll Ups or Veggie Wraps Deli meats and cheeses are easy to purchase at a grocery store and can be stored in a cooler with ice. Sandwiches no longer need to be made with bread. Just pick one or two meats (turkey, chicken or ham work great) with one slice of cheese and roll it up and eat it. If you want to add a little color to the sandwich, roll it up in a piece of lettuce and add a slice of tomato or your favorite veggies. Alternately, you can fill a mini-pita pocket or wrap with a bunch of your favorite veggies for a nutrient-packed sandwich option. You can prep for this snack in advance by buying precut veggies or cut them up yourself prior to leaving your home or truck stop. 8. Beef or Turkey Jerky Beef or Turkey Jerky can actually be healthy for you! Plus it’s super easy to buy on the road and doesn’t need to be kept cool. Just make sure to avoid the sodium and sugar heavy brands as those can become rather unhealthy quickly. The low-sodium and natural brands are a great source of protein with a one ounce serving containing 9 grams of protein! 9. Tuna Pouch Tuna now comes in easy-to-eat portable pouches. You don’t need to drain the excessive water and each pouch packs about 16 grams of protein. The healthy Omega-3 fatty acids in the tuna fish may reduce coronary heart disease too. 10. Mini Cheese Plates Cut up a small piece of cheddar cheese or even a sting cheese stick and put it in a small cup or bowl. Add in a few almonds or walnuts and a few slices of apple or berries and you have yourself a quick and healthy snack. Cheddar cheese is high in protein and calcium. Eating healthy on the road shouldn’t be hard. With a little prep work and a cooler of ice, you can bring along a few healthy and delicious snacks, that are good for your heart, friendly to your waistline, and will help keep you alert longer. Be sure to consult a healthcare professional before starting a new health regimen. Source image 1: https://www.flickr.com/photos/serdal/ Source image 2: https://www.flickr.com/photos/the-travelling-bum/ Source image 3: https://www.flickr.com/photos/heatherjoan/ Source image 4: https://www.flickr.com/photos/andreelau/

As a lease-purchase owner-operator, there are many things to consider when deciding what company to lease onto. Even though you are technically the boss of your own trucking company, the carrier that you pull for still has an effect on your career. You want to make sure that you’re happy with the trucking company you are driving for and that they are allowing you to be successful. Whether you are a first-time lease-purchase owner-operator or you have been one for a while, consider these things when deciding which lease-purchase trucking companies are worth driving for. Where do they typically run? When deciding what trucking company to drive for, you will want to align what part of the country you want to drive with the part of the country the carrier specializes in. If you want to drive along the west coast in order to be close to home, it would not be beneficial to lease onto a carrier that typically hauls freight in the south. Even though you would be able to find loads in most of the country, your options would be slim compared to a carrier that focuses on your preferred area. What type of operation do they run? The type of operation is another decision that you should make early in the decision-making process. This will help simplify your search and minimize the number of trucking companies you have to choose from. The three most common types of trucking operations are dry-van, reefer (refrigerated), and flatbed. Each type of trucking operation has its own pros and cons so it will be worth researching what works best for you. Also, as a lease-purchase owner-operator, chances are you already have experience with at least one of these trucking operations. Use that experience to help you make your decision. Simply put, if you want to haul a dry van, look for a carrier that specializes in dry vans. How many miles do you expect to get? The number of miles you can expect to run will be determined by you and the trucking company you are leased on to. As an owner-operator, you choose your own schedule, so you will have the most control over how many miles you run. However, the type of freight and areas the company hauls will have a big impact on your miles. If you like lower miles, choose a company that has a short length of haul with many regional runs. Large pools of dropped trailers will also help you be efficient in this type of operation. If you like longer lengths of hauls with more miles, choose a carrier that hauls more transcontinental freight. These are often refrigerated carriers. If you like physical exercise and high involvement loads, you may choose a flatbed carrier where miles are much lower. How much do you expect to make? Similar to the number of miles you expect to run, the amount of money that you expect to make is also controlled by you and the carrier. You control how much money you make by choosing what loads you haul. The carrier controls how much you make through either a cost per mile (CPM) lease or a percentage lease. A CPM lease sets the exact amount of money that you get paid for each mile you drive. For simplicity, let’s imagine you drive 1,000 miles at $1/ mile, you earn $1,000. A percentage lease gives you a percentage of the revenue you earned from hauling the freight. If the freight you haul earns $1,000 and you earn 70% of that revenue for yourself, you earned $700. As a lease-purchase owner-operator, you should know that it is not just about how much money you earn, but also how much money you spend. There are many expenses that go into being an owner-operator and we go over many of these expenses in our “5 Biggest Owner-Operator Expenses” article. What are some of the incentives? The last thing to consider when trying to decide what trucking company to drive for is the incentives offered. These incentives are used by trucking companies to get drivers to select their company over the competition. Different incentives that are sometimes offered to drivers are sign-on bonuses, a zero money down payment on the truck, fuel discounts, maintenance discounts, referral bonuses, etc. Many trucking companies offer similar incentives so your decision should not be made solely on this. If you’re having a hard time deciding between two or three companies, take a look at the incentives and see which company offers the most, or the best incentives. This may help make your final decision. Are you ready to choose your lease-purchase trucking company? Keep these things in mind the next time you are deciding what trucking company to drive for. These decisions will help you be a successful driver and more importantly, a happy driver. If you have any questions about your decision-making process, feel free to give ATBS a call at 866-920-2827, or visit our website at www.atbs.com.

By: Mike Hosted, VP, ATBS From May 2020 until April 2022, we saw the biggest and longest freight boom in the history of trucking. Most great freight cycles are here and gone in 6 to 12 months, but because of many extraordinary factors like the COVID-19 Pandemic and government stimulus, this past booming freight cycle lasted two years! This caused an unprecedented number of ICs and trucking companies to obtain their own authority and move to the spot market to cash in on the record freight volumes and rates. However, as we stated in our article back in April, “the times were a changin”. Since April, we’ve seen: Fuel spike to nearly all-time highs. High volumes and rates in the spot market evaporate to pre-COVID levels. Maintenance costs continue to soar and parts remain scarce, which is causing much longer than normal downtime for repairs. Purchasing a new or used truck continue to be unbelievably expensive. AB5 became codified in California. Labor shortages causing headaches and delays at shippers and receivers. And now, contract rates are starting to drop. What a list of hurdles and changes! For the seasoned veterans out there, you know that trucking is cyclical and will always have its ups and downs. However, this last freight boom brought many new faces into the IC world of trucking. Those newer folks have never seen a downturn and therefore may not know how to manage their business in a down market. Yes, some will fail and go back to being a company driver or even leave the industry altogether. However, for those who want the American Dream of owning their own business… now is the time to dig in and make your business as efficient as possible while taking some extra steps to ensure success! It’s really time to get back to the basics. Any football fan can relate that it’s time to focus on “blocking and tackling” to push your business forward. Getting back to business fundamentals 101 will not only keep you afloat now, but set you up for even better success when freight gets back to great levels in the future! So what can you do right away? Don’t Panic, Rates are Down Everywhere The grass isn't greener on the other side and changing carriers is extremely expensive when you factor in downtime. Expand your area of operation and go places others don’t want to. A significant number of drivers now have the mindset that they won’t go to certain areas of the country. That can really shrink the availability of good-paying loads. Re-explore and be open to going into more difficult markets while having an understanding of your cost per mile and the time it takes to get in and out of there. Understand Your Profit Plan and Update Your Numbers. Now is the perfect time to take a step back and evaluate your profit plan. Putting together your revenue forecast, fixed costs, and variable expenses can help you identify where to make financial changes quickly. If it is done correctly, you can also understand your break-even point, or how much revenue you need to generate to pay your trucking and home bills. You can also identify your needed tax savings quickly to make sure you don’t fall behind with Uncle Sam. Reduce Your Biggest Cost Right Away! Fuel is the highest cost for almost every truck. Luckily, it’s also the cost you can control the most. Habits and the latest fuel technology are quick additions to reduce your biggest cost. Remember every dollar you save on fuel goes directly into your pocket! What do you need to set up for more long-term success? Monthly Financials (P&Ls) A good business always tracks its financials and monitors them at least monthly. Now that you’ve set up your new profit plan and know what it takes to be successful, make sure you have a scorecard to monitor your progress. A profit and loss statement can be compared to your profit plan to make sure you are reaching your revenue and expense goals to hit the bottom line you need to achieve your own personal success. Change Your Revenue Mindset Consider running lanes and routes you haven’t previously. Don’t just focus on the highest rate per mile; focus on generating the most revenue per day over a sustained number of days. This may include accepting some substandard rates that get you into a market where rates are higher. Don’t sit and wait (layover) hoping for a better rate the next day. The average O/O has business and personal fixed costs of $240/day. If you sit two days waiting for a load that pays more per mile, you’ve dug yourself a hole of $480 that is harder to get out of. Make Sure You are Saving Enough for Repairs Maintenance is the #1 reason for IC failure. It’s not always the cost of the repair itself that causes a business to fail, but often can be the extended downtime associated with the repair where you still have fixed costs and home bills to pay without generating revenue. You need to make sure you have an in-depth and personalized maintenance plan for your truck. Our average IC is saving between 12-14 cents per mile. Be More Frugal Sometimes the best way to have better cash flow in tough times is to really really watch your spending. Shop around for the best price on fuel. With a carrier, that is often what the fuel routing software tells you. Check on your insurances to make sure they are appropriately assessing the value of your truck. Most importantly, when times are tough, be frugal with personal spending on the road. Eating at restaurants has become very expensive and is a great way to increase spending quickly! The bottom line is that things in trucking took a major downturn here in the last six or seven months. For some of us, this is just another cyclical event that we’ve been through before, and we’ll survive this one too. For those of you who are newer to this world, we need to focus on getting back to the basics. Tighten your financial belt, start making changes today, have a more in-depth long-term plan, and work a little harder. Tough times can easily be defeated with hard work, and it will always set us up for better success when things turn around like they always do! At ATBS, we have worked with owner-operators for almost 25 years with the purpose of helping our clients become more successful business people and save money on taxes. If you feel alone and down about the market, give us a call and we will fight with you to come out of this stronger than ever. Ready to get started? Visit www.atbs.com or call (866) 920-2827.

Recently, I had the privilege of getting an inside look at how ATBS, a corporate tax and consulting company, functions. Being a truck driver, I definitely felt out of my element, however, I did see how this professional corporate atmosphere may appeal to certain people. Today, I will talk about these demographics and how they interact with each other. This is just a personal observation, but office workers are more likely to have a formal education, as opposed to drivers who usually don’t. Generally speaking, people who go to college tend to have more liberal/ progressive values, as do people who live in cities. This contrasts with the average driver, who tends to be blue-collar and holds traditional, conservative values. Why highlight these values? To better understand our coworkers and customers, we should acknowledge and celebrate our differences. This is what’s at the heart of the value of diversity. A shared goal we have is to grow together and create a thriving business that serves our community. Any feelings of animosity or disdain should be acknowledged and released, keeping in mind our shared goal of cooperation. Remembering that it’s “us versus the problem” helps reinforce this notion. To combat any team or tribal biases, it’s good to keep respect in mind. Specifically, respect for someone’s freedom to choose their values and beliefs without the need to persuade them otherwise. Respect and acceptance with a desire to serve is how I choose to show up for my customers. Genuinely empathizing with each other's values, will encourage a better relationship with everyone we do business with. I appreciate ATBS for making the effort to better connect with its customers. They play a vital role in ensuring the success of my business, so that I may continue to provide excellent service to my customers. Thank you for taking the time to read this and remember: United we stand, divided we fall. Sources: https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/2016/04/26/a-wider-ideological-gap-between-more-and-less-educated-adults/ https://www.zippia.com/professional-truck-driver-jobs/demographics/