By Juhlian Pimping from SafetyCulture Whether you run a trucking company, a taxi company, or a car rental, you should not neglect proper fleet maintenance. Fleet maintenance is the practice of keeping your service vehicles in good condition to avoid vehicular breakdowns. It is a systematic approach to preventive vehicle maintenance that involves planning, scheduling, analysis, and execution. Here are the top 3 reasons why fleet maintenance is important: Keeps your drivers safe Driver safety is an important aspect of any operation. Management must take all of the necessary steps to ensure that the risk of preventable road accidents are reduced. Some of the leading causes of crashes include worn tires and blowouts, faulty brakes, and steering/suspension issues, all of which can be remedied by proper fleet maintenance. Depending on your operational needs, preventive maintenance can be time-based (once every year), or after reaching a set mileage per vehicle. Reduces operational cost Preventive maintenance costs are significantly lower compared to reactive repairs. Paying for the repercussions of poor fleet maintenance costs even more than the two combined. According to OSHA, “motor vehicle crashes cost employers $60 billion annually in medical care, legal expenses, property damage, and lost productivity.” Perform vehicle inspections to identify maintenance and repair opportunities before they become a serious problem to avoid downtimes and improve your adherence to operational schedules. Boosts productivity and manages business downtime Business downtimes can cause a domino effect that leaves your operation reeling. Trying to make up for a missed delivery or appointment because your fleet truck broke down can delay the fulfillment of succeeding obligations down the line. When you fail to deliver a product or service to an expectant client as scheduled, your reputation and brand trust suffers. Keeping your fleet in good working condition all-year round helps you avoid operational delays and maximize your productivity. As a business owner, there are many business variables that you cannot steer in your favor. Proper fleet maintenance is not one of them. It reduces the likelihood of accidents caused by vehicular malfunction and keeps your drivers safe. It saves you money by addressing the “little problems” before they turn into big ones. Ultimately, your business becomes more efficient overall with proper fleet maintenance. A vehicle maintenance log can help you record the condition and repair work performed on an individual vehicle. This can help you manage preventive maintenance schedules, prioritize specific vehicles, and triage issues that need immediate resolution. This article was written by Juhlian Pimping of SafetyCulture, a software company that enables businesses to perform inspections using digital checklists. Infographic Link: https://safetyculture.com/wp-content/media/2019/02/Fleet-Maintenance-Infographic-Blog-Post.png

Kevin Kocmich was one of three finalists for the 2018 Owner-Operator of the Year award. This was the third time Kevin has been nominated for the award. Kevin has been an ATBS client since 2018. Recently, we reached out to ask him a few questions about the nomination and his experience working with ATBS. ATBS: What goes into the decision making for the Owner-Operator of the Year Award? Kevin: The Owner-Operator of the Year Award is the biggest award a truck driver can get. It’s not just a safety award. You are given an intense background check where you are judged on multiple factors. You have to have a minimum of a million miles without any load claims, tickets, or ever being put out of service. You also have to turn in five years of back taxes where they look at how productive you have been, what you own, how often you trade, and how often you have changed companies. They also look at miscellaneous things like where you drive, your CSA score, whether you have been in the military, or any other public service. ATBS: What have you done to be nominated for the award three times? Kevin: I have driven three and a half million miles all accident-free. I have a clean record without any tickets or ever being put out of service. I have a CSA score of zero and I have been a member of OOIDA for 28 years. ATBS: How long have you been an ATBS client? Kevin: I have been an ATBS client for one year. ATBS: What’s the most useful part of the service ATBS provides? Kevin: The most useful part is learning about deductions you can claim that you haven’t before. It was nice to be able to lower my taxable income and pay less in taxes this year. I also like having all of my records on one account. ATBS: What do you like most about working with ATBS? Kevin: The first thing, is ATBS is very trustworthy. I also like how easy it is to get you guys all of my paperwork and receipts. As I mentioned earlier, I like having everything on one account so I don’t have to ask every time I want to see my profit and loss statement. It’s also nice that every time I have any questions I get a phone call or email back with an answer very promptly. ATBS: If somebody was to ask you if they should use ATBS, what would you say to them? Kevin: I would say definitely. ATBS is very easy to use, they are trustworthy and whenever you ask a question you always get an answer. We want to thank Kevin for taking the time to answer a few of our questions. ATBS is proud to be able to work with such a successful and accomplished owner-operator. Hopefully, we can continue our partnership for many years to come.

The trucking industry has about 80,000 fewer available drivers today compared to a year ago. Currently, the OTR truckload driver count is at its lowest point since September of 2012. Knowing this, it comes as no surprise that many fleets are having trouble finding enough drivers. We took a look at some of the biggest factors that are causing the truck driver count to decrease and have some recommendations for what fleets can do to try and combat the limited driver supply. COVID-19 & the Aging Demographics of Drivers One of the leading causes of truck drivers getting out of the industry during the pandemic was the pandemic itself. The trucking industry saw a surge in retirements among older drivers who were at-risk of facing serious complications if they happened to contract the virus. Many who were close to retirement didn’t feel as though the health risks were worth continuing to work for a few additional years. Even prior to the pandemic, trucking was already dealing with issues of drivers retiring. According to the National Transportation Institute (NTI), retirement accounts for 54% of the lack of drivers. It seems as older drivers retire, the younger pool of drivers entering the industry is not large enough to make up for the exits. The problem is only going to be fixed with creative solutions for recruiting younger people into the industry. The median age of over-the-road truck drivers is 46 while the median age of a private fleet driver is 57. Both of which are well older than the average age (42) of U.S. workers as a whole. To compound the problem, ATA also lists the average age of a new driver training to enter the trucking industry is 35. Unemployment Benefits/PPP Loans With several trucking companies going out of business during the peak of the pandemic in 2020, combined with layoffs forced by COVID-19, many truck drivers began receiving unemployment benefits. Despite a recent rebound in employment numbers in the trucking industry, nearly 1.4 million people in the trucking industry remain unemployed according to the August 2020 report by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. This is an increase of nearly 800,000 (136%) year over year when comparing the numbers from August 2019. The U.S. unemployment rate peaked in 2020 during the month of April at 14.7%. But with Coronavirus cases increasing again and lockdowns being considered in many parts of the country, it’s hard to tell whether or not the US will reach that point again. With enhanced unemployment benefits, stimulus checks, and a federal stimulus package that included PPP loans for small businesses, many made the decision to accept these benefits instead of risking their health driving during the pandemic. Many drivers even discovered that with the increase in unemployment pay during the peak of the pandemic, they were actually taking home a comparable amount of money to what they were making driving, while also minimizing their risk of contracting the virus. Additionally, it’s estimated that 105,800 trucking companies received PPP loans, which saved a reported 737,773 jobs in trucking, according to an analysis by FTR Transportation Intelligence. However, it’s unclear how many of these drivers and companies whose jobs are being supported by PPP loans are continuing to run. The Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse The trucking industry saw thousands of drivers exit after the Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse went live in January. The Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse is a new database that contains information pertaining to violations of the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) controlled substances (drug) and alcohol testing program for holders of CDLs. The Clearinghouse provides FMCSA and employers the necessary tools to identify drivers who are prohibited from operating a CMV based on DOT drug and alcohol program violations and ensure that such drivers receive the required evaluation and treatment before operating a CMV on public roads. The CDL Drug & Alcohol Clearinghouse removed 40,000 drivers, about one percent of the driving force, from January to September due to failed drug test results, most of which were from marijuana use. Of this group, about 80% have not yet started the return-to-duty process. If the Department of Health and Human Services publishes a hair follicle testing rule, it’s estimated that five to 10 times as many drivers will become ineligible for employment. However, many large fleets have already adopted hair follicle drug testing. CDL Schools Being Closed Another contributing factor to the current lack of drivers is that fewer drivers have been going through training schools due to limited seating capacity from social distancing. Driver schools are graduating 30% to 40% fewer drivers, and it’s estimated this will result in tens of thousands of drivers not entering the labor pool this year. Furthermore, 71% of fleets halted training programs, according to an NTI survey. In 17 states, the backlog to get a commercial learner's permit is 30-90 days, with social distancing and COVID-19 prevention measures causing delays. About 20% of truck schools are still closed, and the remainder are graduating fewer students due to social distancing. It’s unclear how many of these schools are just closed temporarily and how many have been closed permanently. Rates & Pay Increasing in the Spot Market Due to the decrease in truck capacity, spot market rates have increased to near-record highs over the past several months. According to DAT Freight and Analytics, the national average for van rates set a record high, hitting $2.38 in September. This is six cents higher than the previous high mark set in June 2018. This has caused many drivers to obtain their own operating authority to try their hand in the spot market. These drivers aren’t leaving the trucking industry altogether but they are leaving the pool of drivers available to be brought on by fleets and carriers. According to FTR, the third quarter saw new motor carrier registrations increase by nearly 10,000, which is an all-time record. As mentioned earlier, with cases increasing and the threat of stricter lockdowns across the country, who knows what will happen to the spot market over the next couple of months. Drivers who recently obtained their own authority could be looking for work with a carrier sometime soon. What Can Fleets do to Bring Drivers Back? Unfortunately, a lot of the problems laid out above are out of the control of the fleet. There are going to be drivers who aren’t going to come back until they feel safe from the virus. Many fleets have already implemented increased safety protocols for their drivers in order to decrease the health risks they face when on the road. But for some drivers, this isn’t enough, and they will stay off the road until a vaccine is available and the threat of the virus has significantly decreased. Additionally, fleets have little control over drivers being lost due to the Drug and Alcohol Clearing House and drivers not being added due to CDL Schools being closed. However, there are still things fleets can do to recruit drivers. Even though capacity is low, there are still drivers out there, but the recruiting battle to land these drivers will likely be fierce heading into Q1 2021. CCJ recently released an article written by Richard Stocking, the former president and CEO of a large trucking company, and who is currently the founder and CEO of a transportation consulting firm that helps fleets with strategic operational improvements and M&A activity. In his article, Stocking lists out a few strategies fleets can consider using to improve their recruiting. Here is a summary of those points: Update your business model to embrace a younger and more diverse workforce. Predictable work. Predictable pay. More home time. It’s time for carriers to start thinking differently to improve efficiency for drivers (Richard goes in-depth on this point in the article). Shippers and receivers need to be part of the solution by keeping their commitments. Stay focused. Just because we’ve done something one way for decades doesn’t mean we should keep doing it that way. The current freight and rate environment has given us an opportunity to push for improvements on behalf of our drivers. You can read the full article by clicking here. Think about these different strategies and see how you can implement them into your own driver recruiting and retention strategy. Truck driver capacity was a problem long before the pandemic and will continue to be a problem after the pandemic as well.

There will always be several factors you have minimal control over with your expenses, but fuel is one thing that you can control (to a certain degree). Here are some things that you can do to reduce your fuel costs right away: Check your RPMs. Many times you hear the advice to lower your speed to save fuel. However, if your truck is geared to operate at high speeds then you need to be running at those high speeds. Play around with different RPMs to determine where your sweet spot is and try to operate in that range of RPM. Make sure your tires are inflated to the proper levels. Having improperly inflated tires can increase the amount of rolling resistance that you have and reduce your fuel mileage. Use Progressive shifting. Shift at low RPMS in order to reduce the amount of fuel used between switching gears. Cut idle time. If you know it’s going to be hot over your 10-hour break, it may be cheaper for you to go park at a movie theater and see a movie for 2 to 3 hours than to idle for the same amount of time (keep in mind that this reduces wear and tear on your truck as well). Here are some additional ways you can boost fuel mileage. Some examples require an investment, but often times pay for themselves over the course of the year. Consider getting an APU. If you are leasing your truck make sure that the lease paperwork allows you to have an APU installed in your truck. This can save you a significant amount of money both in fuel and in maintenance. Consider purchasing low rolling resistance tires. The more surface area you have on the road, the more friction you have and the more fuel you burn. Purchase trailer skirts. Trailer skirts can help reduce your air resistance, but only if you own your own trailer should you consider this option. There are several types of wind resistance upgrades that you purchase for your truck or trailer. I recommend that you find the solutions that work best for you. Keep up with preventative maintenance. If your truck is not able to function properly then you will not be able to get the maximum fuel mileage. Consider a truck upgrade. There have been several improvements to fuel efficiency since 2012. You may incur more of a payment for lease, but you will want to weigh that against potentially lower maintenance and reduce fuel cost as well. Small changes can make a big difference over the course of the year. There is no simple one size fits all method for boosting your fuel mileage, but with careful testing, you can find what works best for you and your truck.

When you want to sell your service, you won’t be able to persuade anyone to work with you until you fully understand what it is that your customer wants and what your competition is providing. Once you understand this, you can then sell to them with the knowledge of what you can provide that your competition can’t. Find out what makes your business unique from the competition. The more you know what you’re able to provide that the competition can’t, the more effective your sales pitch can be. Get to know your competition and find out who they are, what they provide, and what they charge to provide it. This can help develop a stronger awareness of what you should offer and how to make your services stand out. You want to then emphasize the benefits of using your service and how you provide solutions to challenges the competition isn’t able to provide. Ask your current customers why they work with you to find out why you earned their business and if it was for the same reason you thought. Anticipating the future needs of clients and staying current with the market will make you better able to continue to assist them. Keep in mind that when making a sales call to a potential client, they are most likely using a competitor. This is why it’s important to know who they are currently using, if they are satisfied working with them, and how they can benefit from working with you instead. Here’s where you will need to make sure you have a grasp of your benefit offerings, price, and how your business can serve this client. Trucking is a business where it’s easy to replicate the services in most cases. Same truck, same trailer, same routes traveled, etc. However, there are still areas where you can separate yourself. A few examples can be: Cost - Do you charge less than your competition? Timeliness - Are you always on time and able to get the load delivered quickly? Safety - Do you have a clean safety record? Professionalism - Do you treat the client and the load in a professional manner? Location - Are you located near the customer? Part of finding an advantage in your business can be unseen by the customer. These include items such as fuel efficiency, operation costs, increased tire life, as well as decreased office and administration costs. Advantages can include better load trip planning and less deadhead. Each day we need to work to streamline our businesses to increase profits and lower costs in order to provide a service that differentiates itself from the competition. If we stay stagnant without constantly learning about new products and ways to keep ourselves ahead of the competition, we will become complacent and our competition will pass us. If you don’t keep competing or striving to do better, your business will not remain relevant in the marketplace. It would be nice if every time we figure out how to load more, how to go faster, and how to be more efficient that there would be a direct correlation to making a profit. Increased revenue is not always the outcome - sometimes it is just keeping that customer as part of your portfolio. The forces of supply and demand always keeps profitability in check. Trucking customers, the shippers, are always looking for value added services. At the same time, they are not usually looking for higher freight rates. There are, however, value-added services that can be incorporated into your business model with little or no cost. A simple example of this that was mentioned earlier is kindness and professionalism. Take the time to learn about them, their family, pets, hobbies, and background. Always follow up and stay in touch with your current or potential clients, even if they have not worked with you in a while. This will help them to not forget about you and your business. Place a phone call just to say hello or take them to lunch to catch up if you have not connected in some time. Staying in touch shows you care and can keep you current on their business needs. Not every value-added service needs to come with you cutting costs or spending additional money in other areas. It’s up to each business to be able to succeed and flourish, the key here is the competition waits for no one. If you continue to run business as usual for an extended period, your rivals will be in a position to overtake your business's competitive advantages or you will never be able to catch up to the competition. You are only as good as you were yesterday. You don’t want to be put in a position where the customer says “They were great at one time”. Resting on your laurels and becoming complacent can bring the largest or the smallest of businesses to their financial knees.

The impression that I get when I speak to drivers about potential automation in trucking, is one of skepticism and denial. While robots might not be able to replace humans anytime soon, I believe hybrid models may become prevalent. One such possibility may be robot team driving. What would HOS regulations look like if an owner-operator has the truck on autopilot for 10 hours? Safety and regulations may get to a point where one person could run the truck 24/7. Also, having a driver in the truck to do inspections, fuel, and back into docks is logical. The productivity potential is there. Imagine a land train with a single driver operating three, five, or even ten trucks going down the interstate. The driver could pilot the first or last truck, and be able to supervise the equipment. This concept also lends itself to aerodynamics and fuel efficiency as the trucks could be synchronized to have a closer following distance, reducing wind resistance. With increased productivity and fuel efficiency per driver, profit could be made at lower rates. This would give the owner a clear advantage over the competition without such technology. It should be noted that it's not just drivers who are at risk of losing jobs. Automation has the potential to replace many different aspects of logistics. Think brokers, dispatch, and load planners. All these, and more, are replaceable with innovations in technology. Being adaptable in a constantly changing environment is not just how we will survive, but thrive. My final thought on this topic is that this technology should be embraced with eagerness and curiosity, as the potential that it holds is enormous.

By: Todd Amen, President and CEO of ATBS As Bob Dylan sang in 1961, “ The Times, They Are a-Changin’ ”. The big thing we can take away from a 60 year old song is that the times do change. We’ve been in a robust bull market that has favored truckers for almost two years. In fact, history will show that nearly every segment of trucking has had record earnings during this time, from company drivers to Owner-Operators as well as trucking companies themselves. During times like this it’s natural for businesses, big and small, to become hyper focused on revenue. Companies get more choosy over the loads they take, the rates they accept, the lanes they run, and the customers they do business with. All of this is in an effort to maximize revenue at a time when their services are in high demand. This typically leads to companies forgetting about the expense side of their business, and they stop managing the business as a whole during boom times. By some accounts and recent media stories, the times are changing. Reductions in spot market loads and rates can be considered leading indicators that the market has moderated and things are going to slow down a little for truckers moving forward. Some of this news gets sensationalized into headlines that say there will be record bankruptcies and all the small independent businesses created during the boom will go bust. Having been in business for nearly 25 years, and having lived through multiple “changing times” with over 150,000 small business owner-operator clients, we know much of the negative news is simply headline hogwash. But that doesn’t mean we don’t need to react to changing times. Are you a self-employed truck driver that needs help with your bookkeeping, accounting, or taxes? Click here! In early March 2022, we saw one of the greatest shocks to the trucking industry that’s ever been experienced. Fuel, the number one cost for an owner-operator, spiked by $1.15/gallon in a two week period. This led to an average 20 cents per mile (approximately $400/wk) increase in operating costs. The previous largest two week spikes in fuel were a $.40/gallon increase in 2005 from Hurricane Katrina, and then again in 2008 at the beginning of the Great Recession. So our spike this March was 3X larger in magnitude than any previous experience. Understandably, this led to some small business owner-operators saying they couldn’t sustain the cost increase, and they were going to either park their trucks, give them back to the banks, move from the spot market to a stable carrier, or return back to being company drivers. Fortunately, fuel has since leveled off giving fuel surcharges and market rates a chance to catch up to the increased cost. Prior to this extraordinary fuel spike, the consensus was that 2022 would be another really good year for trucking. Most of those fundamentals are still in place, but there is a great unknown on what rising interest rates, high nationwide energy and fuel costs, and overall record inflation will do to our economy. There is little argument that over time these negative factors will decrease consumer purchasing power, thereby reducing demand for goods and services. This ultimately means less freight being shipped on trucks. The big question is when and how long until we feel the impact? Either way, the times are likely changing. So what does this mean to you, the small business owner-operator? It means you get to exercise your right as a business owner to manage your business. The good news about being a small business owner is that you can take action today that will impact your business literally overnight. If you are a large business with thousands of trucks, taking these same actions is like turning the Titanic, it literally takes months or years to make big business shifts. So let’s consider some actions you can take today to positively impact your business: 1) Change your mindset from focusing only on revenue (high paying loads in very specific lanes) to a more all-encompassing business owner mindset. This involves a more comprehensive look at the revenue generated as well as managing the cost side of the business to maximize your bottom line. 2) A more comprehensive 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 2 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. Manage deadhead and out of route miles. When loads were paying over $3/mile and fuel cost $2.75/gallon, it might have made sense to deadhead further for a higher paying load. Today it’s reversed, loads are under $3/mile and fuel is over $5/gallon so your cost to deadhead is much greater for lower pay. Run an extra load every week or every other week. In 2021 the average ATBS owner-operator ran 8% less miles because they were making more money with high paying loads. When things start to slow down, we all have to work a little harder to make the money we desire. 3) Manage your costs Understand your fixed and variable costs and how they play into your breakeven point. These are complicated calculations that your ATBS Business Consultant can help you attain from your ATBS Profit Plan and monthly Profit and Loss statements. You can reach our ATBS business consultants at 888-640-4829. Fuel has quickly become a cost you need to manage every single day Take advantage of fuel discount programs! Programs offered through your fleet if you are leased on to a carrier Programs through independent networks Get better Miles Per Gallon There are tons of strategies to maximize fuel economy The two highest bang for your buck strategies are to slow down and to idle less. With fuel over $5/gallon, managing these 2 areas can easily result in saving over $10,000/year. Maintenance costs have spiked up to $.12 - $.18 per mile. If you are leased to a fleet, take advantage of their buying discounts for parts and labor. If you are independent, shop and negotiate with a specific maintenance facility that will provide you discounted quality service. Look at all other costs and consider which ones are necessities and which ones can be trimmed or cut. A motto passed down from our grandpa who was a farmer is “tough times never last, but tough people do!” We are currently far away from tough times, but it does feel like “ the times are a-changin’ ” a little. It is always best to think ahead and be prepared. Don’t hesitate to reach out to ATBS if we can help with your business in any way.

Fuel: What does it mean to you? For many owner-operators, fuel is simply their largest annual business expense - a necessary evil on the path toward earning a living in trucking. However, when you dig deeper, fuel can mean different things to different drivers: Beyond being a large, unavoidable business expense, fuel is an owner-operator’s biggest controllable expense. This gives you the opportunity to manage it in different ways depending on the economic dynamics you are in, as well as what is most important to you in your business and personal life. Some see fuel as an expense that can essentially be ignored during times of high freight demand - potentially leading to higher revenue and profit. For others who understand and manage their business costs well, fuel can be an expense that can be used to justify spending more time at home instead of on the road. While still others work hard every day to minimize their fuel cost and save the most money possible on their biggest expense. At ATBS, we see fuel as the single most dynamic expense that owner-operators manage while running their businesses. We’re introducing a new 12-part series - this being part one - discussing fuel and understanding what it means to you and your business. We hope you’ll follow along in our series to gain a better understanding of fuel and how it affects the businesses - and lives - of owner-operators. Here are a few subjects we’ll be covering in the 12-part series: Why are fuel prices increasing, and what to expect in the near future regarding prices How to understand and analyze your biggest expense (fuel) as a business owner Comparing your fuel spend vs. other owner-operators and industry trends Learning great habits to help you reduce fuel costs How trip planning affects fuel, and how to maximize daily revenue for your business Resources for fuel cost reduction Understanding fuel surcharge and how it affects your business’ cash flow Our goal is to help you understand what fuel means to you and help provide you with the tools and knowledge you need to maximize its value for your business. To read the next article in the series, click here!

Who Will Train the Next Generation of Truck Drivers? Every time I see a video of a rookie struggling to back up, or making poor decisions in other aspects of trucking, I immediately think of their training. Many CDL schools provide the foundation for new drivers, and then send them out on the road to learn on the job. They can't be fully prepared for every circumstance, but they can be well trained. What makes someone well trained? What makes a good trainer/trainee? Why is it so important to set a high standard when releasing rookies out on the road? Let’s explore the answers to these questions below: To begin, we should acknowledge the very unique training experience in the trucking industry. Most new drivers get 3-4 weeks of in-class experience where they learn the regulations and fundamentals, and then they’re put with a trainer for another 3-4 weeks to shadow them and get real-world practice. From there, they get put in a truck solo. This is the standard operating procedure for the industry. It should be mentioned that earlier this year, a law was passed that required anyone getting their CDL to have received training from an approved center. Previously, people could study independently, or learn from a family member, but now, to raise the standards of training, they’ve implemented this new regulation. What Are the Incentives to Becoming a Trainer? The most obvious is money. Less obvious, are the skills you gain from becoming a teacher. One of these skills being the newfound ability to discern work ethic/character by having a frame of reference that’s gained by evaluating a group of people. This may be advantageous for someone looking to hire for their own business. Also, a good teacher can identify strengths and weaknesses to provide precise feedback and help accelerate the trainee's growth. This translates to child rearing as well. Communication is a valuable skill that becoming a trainer will help you hone in on. There are some challenging aspects to being a trainer. I’ll leave it to you to use your imagination to create circumstances based on these personality characteristics. Attributes of a Good Trainer Patience, cleanliness, communication, discernment, adaptability, professionalism, accountability, responsible, concern, compassion, humility, empathy, and respect. Attributes of a Poor Trainer Irritable, haste, indifference, poor hygiene, poor temperament, lack of knowledge of the profession, lack of initiative, greed, and lack of morals or character. Attributes of a Good Student Is receptive to feedback, takes initiative, is respectful, professional, humble, clean, and grateful. Attributes of a Poor Trainee Arrogant, lazy, unaccountable, disrespectful, unhygienic, poor temperament, close-minded, indifferent, and lastly entitled. This is by no means a comprehensive list, but it does help illustrate some challenging aspects of the job. Lastly is the personal fulfillment that comes from assisting someone in beginning the next chapter of their life. Receiving sincere gratitude from these people is not expected, but most welcome. I had an incredibly pleasant experience getting started in my trucking career, and I want to contribute to the success of new drivers. Part of me feels responsible for helping create the drivers I will be sharing the road with. Changing the world, one driver at a time, by raising the bar on safety and etiquette standards. Putting the time and effort into preparing a new driver goes a long way in ensuring their success. If every old school driver who looks to the sky/boomer book, shaking their fist, cursing this new generation of "steering wheel holders," transformed that fist into an olive branch with a spirit of camaraderie, and used their vast experience to educate the people that they enjoy ridiculing, then they would become the change they want to see in the world. Source: https://driving-tests.org/new-entry-level-driver-training-requirements-2022/

For Americans, each one of us has the right to decide how to earn our money and support our family. We have the right to choose our own job and career. You can be an employee if you choose to, or start your own business as an owner-operator and become self-employed. If you are thinking about working for yourself, or have already made the decision and are currently self-employed, there are many business fundamentals that can be overlooked. Let’s look at some of these principles through the eyes of a CEO. Business Structures: Understanding the different entities and how they can affect your business is very important. If you haven’t formed your business yet, doing this research ahead of time can save you a lot of time, stress, and money. If you are already a business owner and CEO, keep in mind that it is never too late to change your business structure, and can be done for multiple reasons. Here is a brief look at the basic structures; Sole-Proprietor LLC – Limited Liability Company Single member LLC Multiple member LLC C Corporations S Corporations When looking into these various entities, keep in mind what you want out of the entity, and the reasons you want to form the entity. Forming an entity for the wrong reasons can result in more than just a headache for you and your accountant. Talk with your accountant and/or business service provider for more information on these. Business Management Tools: Budget - Setting up your budget or profit plan is a great way to put your business goals together in one place, and can provide you with a road map to achieving such goals. Following this plan can be an entirely different story. Having a good accounting system in place can help. Accounting system - All successful businesses track every penny brought in, and every penny spent. Maybe you are analytical by nature and enjoy tracking and documenting every expense receipt your business generates. But even so, keep in mind that you are not only the CEO, but you wear many hats in your business. Your time is more valuable generating revenue, rather than spent adding receipts. A successful CEO will tell you that having an accurate monthly financial statement is priceless. This monthly financial statement, or P&L, is a scorecard for the month in question and can be compared to your profit plan. This comparison will show which goals you are achieving and which ones you missed the mark on. What good does it do to wait until the year is over to add all expenses and earnings, just to have your accountant tell you that you lost money or seriously under performed in a given area? Why not fix the problem as soon as possible? Keeping up with your books on a monthly basis puts you in the driver’s seat. Use these valuable tools to help guide and manage your day-to-day and month-to-month operations. You will be more likely to stay on course and reach the goals set forth in your profit plan. Managing cash flow – As a business owner you are the CEO of your business and are no longer just an employee. Does the CEO of a major business take the all company profits home each week and month? I’m guessing the successful ones do not. Companies must be ready for the unexpected and have funds available for such times. CEO’s generally earn a set salary regardless of the company’s weekly/monthly profits. Based on said profits, once all business expenses and taxes have been paid each quarter, the CEO can then receive a quarterly bonus based on these profits. Here are some basic steps to avoid veering off course; Keep your personal and business finances separate. Have a separate account for your business earnings and expenses to be deposited into and debited from. Never pay personal bills from the business account. By keeping your personal and business banking separate, the business is prepared for unexpected expenses throughout each quarter, and should have any funds needed for estimated tax payments. Determine a reasonable and possibly conservative salary for yourself that will adequately cover all home bills that your salary is responsible for. Never take more than this weekly or monthly salary from the business. If there is a bad week or you simply took a week off, there should be enough in the bank to still pay your home the same weekly salary without hurting the business. Pay Quarterly Taxes – Taxes are due quarterly for every American taxpayer. For Carrier employees, your employer deducts these funds each week, but they only send the money to the government four times a year (quarterly). Nothing changes as a self-employed person with regards to these due dates. Your taxes are still due each quarter. Some business owners may tell you that you do not have to pay taxes quarterly, and that you can just pay them when you file your tax return. Technically, this is true, as you have the right to pay your taxes once a year, or even once every five years. However, you will be charged a late payment penalty, and an under payment penalty if your taxes are not paid each quarter. Following the basic business practices described above raises your chances of success exponentially. Remember, good CEOs only take a reasonable salary from the business and allow their business profits to grow. They also prepare for unexpected expenses and keep quarterly tax money safe. After covering all your business costs and paying your taxes each quarter, the remaining business profits can be used to pay a quarterly bonus to you, the CEO.

Did you know that the first 18 months of starting a new business is crucial to success? A recent study reveals that 8 out of 10 of those businesses will fail to make it past the 18-month mark. As a new owner-operator, it’s important to do everything possible early on to keep your business strong for those starting months and well into the future. Here are 10 traits that successful owner-operators possess that keep their businesses going strong: 1. They stay focused. Successful business owners do not let distractions get in the way. Set goals for yourself, and make a plan on how to get there. Be decisive with your decisions and don’t procrastinate. Distractions are all around us, being able to work through those while staying focused it crucial. 2. They are positive. Keeping a positive outlook on your day-to-day tasks does wonders for your attitude and gets you in the right mindset to get things done. Have a sense of humor when things don’t go exactly as planned. Don’t beat yourself up over the little things, it won’t assist with moving forward. Remembering to see the positive side will help you work towards preventing issues in the future. 3. They make commitments. A good business owner will make a commitment to themselves, and their customers. You have to be willing to devote time to your business, and do what it takes to get the job done. Your customers are why you are in business, so prove you’re trustworthy by always working hard and following through on your word. 4. They self manage. The freedom you gained by becoming an owner-operator also gave you the opportunity to start managing yourself. To be successful you must have the ability to be disciplined before you can manage anyone else. Be a strong leader that others will want to follow. Successful business owners take challenges in stride, adapt well to change, and are self-motivated toward the overall goal. Stay driven, motivated and determined to succeed. You are now the one paying yourself from your hard work, so managing finances and setting money aside for taxes is a must. Be realistic with your money, budget for slow times and be aware of your costs so that you can be prepared for the future. 5. They use an accountant. Even the best business owners know when to hand a job over to someone else. You’re a professional driver, not a professional accountant. Finding accountant with expertise in your industry is important as well, as they can help you find tax deductions specific to trucking that other companies don’t know about. Doing finances on your own, or waiting to do your taxes at the end of the year (such as through an online tax company) is not the smartest way to approach your accounting needs once you are an owner-operator. Knowing all of the deductions you are entitled for can save you hundreds, even thousands of dollars every year. Remember you are not having taxes taken out of your paycheck anymore, and ATBS specializes in trucker accounting. Even though you are now your own boss, there is still help out there to make your life a little less stressful. 6. They are confident. If you are becoming an owner-operator just to be your own boss, chances are you will not make it very far. It’s important to remember that it’s not always going to be a walk in the park. Owner-operators need to have the ability to act and think independently, and be confident about their decisions. Having the right type of confidence (humble and strong, not cocky or egotistical) can be very powerful in creating respect and instilling trust. 7. They are willing to keep learning. Great business owners are constantly curious and always asking questions. They seek out the most up-to-date information about their industry, and stay abreast of new regulations and changes. They subscribe to magazines, read blog articles, and may even enroll for continuing education such as CABS. Be proactive in your line of work, and continually observe others who are successful at what they do to learn as much as you can from them. 8. They are organized Owner-operators that run their business well plan ahead and work towards managing their time efficiently. Keeping a schedule will ensure your important tasks are being accomplished. It is extremely important to be well organized when it comes to your budget. Keeping detailed records that are well organized will be easily accessible when needed. 9. They are honest Strive to be straightforward and fair with your customers. Do not participate in shady deals or be misleading by hiding the facts – doing so will only hurt the credibility of you and your business. When you’re an honest businessperson, good reviews spread fast. Start with that kind of good reputation and it will gain the respect of others and prove your business as reliable. It will make people feel safe and want to do business with you. 10. They have Good Communication The most successful owner-operators communicate efficiently. They work smarter not harder by keeping clients and dispatchers in the loop, and by making sure there is understanding. When being on time is not possible, always be sure to communicate the situation without a thousand excuses. Making sure you’re on the same page with everyone will create trust and strength in all your work relationships. If you want to succeed you must have the will to succeed. Stay focused on your goal and continue to stay motivated to achieve it. Your determination, leadership, and hard work will lead you to success! Sources: http://sbinformation.about.com/od/startingabusiness/tp/Character-Traits-Of-Successful-Small-Business-Owners.htm http://www.smallbizpros.com/blog/personality-traits-small-business-owners-need-to-be-successful http://smallbusiness.foxbusiness.com/entrepreneurs/2014/07/14/5-characteristics-successful-entrepreneurs/ http://www.forbes.com/sites/tanyaprive/2012/12/19/top-10-qualities-that-make-a-great-leader/ http://www.statesmanjournal.com/story/money/business/2014/07/05/successful-entrepreneurs/12189415/

Every month ATBS does the accounting for thousands of owner-operator drivers. We have inside knowledge of who is profiting by making the right business decisions and who is struggling each month. A bad month happens to the best of us once in awhile, but if you’re struggling month after month then you’re probably looking at your business the wrong way. We’re here to help you, so let us guide you to making the best business decisions based off of your Profit & Loss Reports. We’ve found that the drivers who place a high value on average revenue per day are doing the best financially. Average revenue per day is a combination of two things – revenue per mile (RPM) and miles. If RPM is low and miles are high then revenue per day will be lower than it should be while at the same time some costs will be higher. The opposite may be true as well. Your revenue per day can also suffer if RPM is high but miles are low. While it is important to consider both RPM and miles, the most successful owner-operators will choose loads that yield the highest revenue per day. Let’s look at an example. You have the choice of two loads from Cleveland to Chicago. The distance between Cleveland and Chicago is 339 miles thus 339 is your miles number of your revenue per day calculation. The first load pays $2.00 per mile or a total of $678.00. You can pick up the load today and deliver it tomorrow morning for an average revenue per day of $678.00. Your second option is $2.50 per mile for a total of $847.50. Sounds awesome, right? Unfortunately you have to layover for the night to pick it up first thing in the morning. While your gross revenue is $847.50, your average revenue per day is only $423.75. Now that second load doesn’t sound so great. Once you factor in your expenses you’ll profit even less. We recommend that every owner-operator should net at least $175.00 per day in profit from his or her business. Let’s factor in expenses in the above examples to determine the final average revenue per day. Fixed costs (i.e. tractor and trailer payments, insurances, FHUT) cost about $140 per day. Variable costs, like fuel and maintenance, cost about $0.81 per mile or $275 for the trip between Cleveland and Chicago. For the first example you’ll net about $263 in profit per day. In the second example you profit slightly more at $292.50 for two days, but you have to split that by two since it took you two days to deliver the load due to the layover. Your average revenue per day is much lower at $146.25. While it’s human nature to be more attracted to the higher revenue per mile price, it is important to factor in other details like timeline and additional expenses. Sometimes the lower price will actually net you more profits in the end. Remember that average revenue per day is a combination of two things – RPM and miles. If you feel you need some extra coaching in determining how you can increase your average revenue per day, please reach out to us anytime. We’re here to help you become successful owner-operators!