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Truck dash cams are becoming more of a necessity in our current climate. It can sometimes feel overwhelming to integrate new technology into your truck or fleet. However, there are many benefits for truckers to use a dash cam in a variety of different situations. Here is our list of the top 5 benefits of using a truck dash cam and the key features to look for when purchasing your own dash cam. Evidence of an Accident This is the main and most popular reason to get a truck dash cam. If you happen to get in an accident, using a dash cam video will be your strongest piece of evidence to prove the accident wasn’t your fault. Without the video evidence, there is a chance the other driver can say the accident was your fault, even if it wasn’t, and you are forced to pay for the repairs. However, keep in mind that if the accident is your fault, the video evidence will be used against you. Keeping Your Truck Safe at All Times Many dash cams can be set to record even without the engine being on. This allows you to be away from your truck or sleeping and still be able to keep track of any activity. Having the ability to record when you are away allows you to monitor your assets, keeping your truck safe and secure. Your dash cam allows you to catch anyone who vandalizes or tries to break into your truck. For example, a dash cam is perfect for when you return to your parked truck and there is a ding on the bumper because you are able to go back to the video and see who caused the damage. This allows you to have peace of mind when it comes to leaving your vehicle, knowing that your dash cam will protect your truck while you are away. Aiding in Emergency Responses Live telematic dash cams are a great investment for anyone who may need emergency responses in the future. With the ability to record your GPS location and initiate a call to emergency services, you will be fully taken care of with this function. In case of an emergency or breakdown, live telematic dash cams can pinpoint the exact location of your vehicle and automatically make an emergency call. Having the support of this feature can accelerate the response times for emergency services. This has the potential to save lives and prevent any further damage if an emergency does arise. Insurance Savings Insurance claim history can significantly impact a driver's monthly payment. In order to prevent negative claims from showing up on your insurance, having a dash cam will allow you to have recorded evidence in case of an accident. Providing the evidence from the dash cam footage has revolutionized the way claims are handled, making claims smoother and quicker to process. The transparency and fairness that the dash cam provides to an insurance claim helps protect a driver's motor vehicle record, leading to lower rates and preventing fraudulent claims. Training and Coaching Utilizing dash cams as a part of your fleet's training and coaching will enhance your driver behavior, lower your company costs, and save you time in the long run. Some fleet managers fear that their drivers may feel that they are not trusted by their supervisors. However, by setting up an intentional implementation process that includes drivers, you will create and promote a culture of safety. Being able to view your drivers' interactions on the road provides opportunities to celebrate positive behaviors that drivers are demonstrating or to engage in constructive feedback to mitigate risky driving behaviors in the future. Additionally, with the GPS features found in some dash cams, managers are able to make real-time decisions in supporting their drivers. Incorporating dash cams into your fleet will lead to higher levels of driver accountability with training development opportunities. Furthermore, it will enhance logistics and improve road safety in your company. Key Features If you are ready to purchase a dash cam, here are a few things to consider. The price can range from as low as $40 and as high as $500 depending on the available features. There are several companies that make dash cams including Garmin, Thinkware, and Blackvue. Trying to find a dash cam that meets your needs and doesn’t break the bank can be overwhelming. We have put together a list of some key features to keep in mind when choosing your next dash cam. Video Quality Important for ensuring that whatever your dash cam records is visible and clear to the viewer. Look for high-quality (HD) video resolution, a wide-angle lens, and night vision capabilities. Battery Life and Durability Crucial for ensuring that your dash cam has a long life cycle. You will want to find a dash cam that has sufficient battery life to last through your driving hours. Some dash cams come with an auto-start feature that will automatically record when you start your truck. Having this feature will help you ensure that your dash cam is always on and ready to go. When it comes to durability, research the dash cam's ability to withstand extreme conditions such as, heat, cold, and the vibrations from your truck. Power Another important feature to keep in mind when finding the right dash cam for your needs. There are two options to consider when it comes to powering your dash cam. The first is by using the vehicle’s electrical systems that turn the dash cam on automatically when the ignition is started. The second is a manual turn-on, where the driver or fleet manager has to turn the dash cam on themselves. Parking Mode A feature that some dash cams have. This mode is important because the dash cam can record incidents even when the vehicle is parked. When the vehicle is parked, movement on or around the truck will trigger the motion detector on the dash cam causing it to turn on and begin recording. This feature will help you identify incidents of vandalism or break-in attempts when you are away from your truck. ELD Integration An electronic logging device that is capable of recording a driver’s driving hours and duty status automatically. This feature can help you streamline your trucking logs. Loop Recording How most dash cams work. This means that when the memory card is full the camera overwrites the oldest videos and replaces them with the newer ones. This ensures that recording always happens and you don’t need to remember to delete old footage. G-sensors Used to detect sudden changes in direction or impact, similar to an accident. When there is an accident detected, the dash cam will automatically lock the relevant footage, ensuring that it is kept in your files. By doing this, the G-sensor prevents the video recording from being overwritten in the loop recording process. Many dash cams come with this feature. GPS A feature that will help you in every drive that you have. The basic function of GPS is to provide directions to your next location. However, the GPS feature in dash cams is more extensive. It will detect upcoming route complications and recommend alternative routes. Furthermore, it will provide a record of the vehicle’s speed, helping you maintain safe driving habits. This feature is not only beneficial for truck drivers but fleets as well. Providing drivers with a dash cam with the GPS feature allows your company to better understand driving patterns, how they impact fuel consumption/vehicle performance, and help you improve delivery efficiency. Future of Dash Cams Similar to all other technology, dash cams will continue to evolve in the future. Some of the key features that are projected to continue to modernize the dash cam industry are Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning capabilities. These technologies have the ability to analyze real-time footage to detect risky behaviors like drowsy and distracted driving, or traffic signals and speeding violations. They provide in-cab audio and visual alerts that warn the driver of these detected behaviors or violations to help drivers ensure safe driving habits. Additionally, the use of Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) will continue to enhance safety. This technology will provide real-time collision, lane departure, and forward-collision warnings to help prevent accidents before they occur. Lastly, the Cloud Connectivity feature will cover more powerful connectivity. This will lead to real-time video streaming and data analysis for fleet managers allowing them to have quicker response times and seamless integration with previous fleet management systems. Dash Cam Laws By State Although there are not many negatives when it comes to getting a dash cam for your truck or fleet, it is important to be aware of the laws and regulations that each state has regarding dash cams. For example, privacy concerns when you record video and sometimes audio may infringe on someone's privacy rights. You can find more information about these laws here: Dash Cam Laws By State . Are you ready to purchase a truck dash cam? If you are ready to purchase a truck dash cam, make sure to keep all of this in mind while you are making your decision on what truck dash cam to purchase.

If you own a small business or are an independent contractor, you’re well aware of the headaches and stresses that cash flow can cause. The fluctuations can make it difficult to pay your employees, purchase new equipment, expand your business, or even stay afloat. Often these fluctuations in cash flow seem out of your control; clients pay you on their terms (30, 60, sometimes 90 days) or pay you on delivery, which often happens after you really need funds. But there are things you can do to improve cash flow and understanding your options is what is truly important. Consider these five cash flow tips: Have a cash flow plan.  This may seem obvious, but many small businesses and contractors do not have a plan. List out your expenses and the cash you need to conduct business and then plan for and around it. If you create a cash flow plan you’ll likely put yourself in position to account for those items you need before your customers pay, easing the cash flow crunch.  ATBS provides invaluable benchmarking data to help you make the best choices for your business. Offer discounts to your top customers.  Identify your top five customers and offer them discounts for early payment. Often these discounts are not huge, but large enough that customers may take advantage of them. You may have seen these discount terms on invoices; they often look like ‘1% 10, net 30’ where your customer will get a 1% discount for paying in 10 days versus the normal 30 day terms. That 1% may be just the incentive you need to put cash in your account early, putting it to good use. Consider credit card payment options.  You may be able to work with your customers to pay early using a credit card. In this scenario, your customer still enjoys a 30 plus day payment term (since they don’t have to pay their card balance right away) while you enjoy fast invoice payment. You will need to pay a discount to the credit card company – often between 1.5% to 3% - but this is less than the cost to borrow money from a traditional lending institution and puts that cash to work for you faster. Take advantage of invoice financing or factoring.  Invoice factoring, sometimes  also called accounts receivable financing , is where you sell your invoices to a third party – a factoring company or factor – who pays you up front the bulk of the invoice amount and then manages the collections. The factoring company doesn’t charge a huge fee – often comparable to credit card discounts – and you can get your cash fast. Do your research to see if this method is the best choice for your company. Consider a line of credit.  Depending on your company history or personal credit scores, you may be able to establish a line of credit. This would give you access to cash as you need it and before your customers pay their invoices. In this scenario, you will need to be careful to manage this line of credit, using invoice revenue to pay down your balance so as not to get ‘over your head’ in debt. That old saying that ‘cash is king’ is not an exaggeration. Cash is a huge necessity to grow and sustain operations for small (and larger) operations alike. These five tips are just a few that can help you free cash to grow your small business. Image source:  https://www.flickr.com/photos/jmrosenfeld/

The use of cell phones and tablets is essential for success in the trucking industry. One reason for this is because of the ever-growing number of trucking-specific apps. Truckers now have access to the weather, live traffic reports, diesel prices, and their business, all in the palm of their hands. These apps for truckers allow for easy access to information, improved business operations, and an overall increase in quality of life. If you are interested in increasing your efficiency and happiness on the road, here are 12 popular apps that are perfect for any trucker. T he Best App for ATBS Clients The ATBS Hub Mobile App The ATBS Hub Mobile App makes working with us even easier! With this app, you’ll be able to easily call or email your business consultant, track your Per Diem deduction , and scan or import receipts, settlements, and other documents with just a few taps. Have questions about the ATBS Hub Mobile App? Click here! Trucking Apps Trucker Path Trucker Path is considered by many to be one of the most popular trucking apps. The app is currently downloaded by over 600,000 truckers who use it for pretty much anything trucking-related. Trucker Path provides many features including navigation, parking status, fuel prices, weight stations, etc. Truck Smart Truck Smart is an app that is brought to you by TA Petro. Truck Smart is another all-purpose trucking app that can fulfill many different needs. It can be used to reserve parking reservations, know fuel prices in advance, and submit service requests. Drivewyze Drivewyze Free provides essential in-cab safety alerts, sponsored in part by state agencies in collaboration with Drivewyze, along with insights to optimize fleet performance. It is provided to the entire commercial trucking industry at no cost. Greenlane Greenlane is a strategic fueling app that offers deep diesel discounts. Save an average of 50¢ per gallon and as much as $1.30 off of the cash price at their growing network that includes: Love’s, TA, Petro, Speedway, Sunoco, Stripes, Maverick, and Kum & Go. Greenlane is free to use with no applications, credit checks, or fees, ever! Mudflap Mudflap is an app that focuses on independent Mom & Pop truck stops. These truck stops are usually 20 cents cheaper than major chains and paying for fuel through Mudflap saves you an extra 25 to 50 cents per gallon. They do all of this while charging no fees. Weigh My Truck The Weigh My Truck app revolutionizes how professional truck drivers weigh their trucks. You can weigh your truck, pay with your smartphone, and have your scale tickets sent directly to your email while also keeping track of your weighs directly in the app. Trucker's Slide Calc Trucker's Slide Calc is an app to help semi truckers quickly slide their single, tandem, and tridem axles. It also makes it easy to calculate individual axle weights with weighbridge/whole-truck scales. Business Apps Truckstop Load Board App Truckstop delivers software solutions that support the entire freight-moving lifecycle, from matching to payment, and everything in between. As non-stop innovators, they’re always improving and growing to make Truckstop the best place for brokers and carriers to work together. DAT Load Board App DAT provides a load board app free for all DAT subscribers. The app posts around 637,000 loads every business day. It includes features like spot market rates, saved searches, sort options, and company reviews. BigRoad BigRoad is an electronic logbook for owner-operators, drivers, and fleets. The app allows drivers to easily track hours of service by calculating the time for you. BigRoad will also send notifications for any errors or violations to help you avoid fines. TNTRUCK App T he TNTRUCK Mobile App is where owner-operators can get fast and easy quotes for trucking insurance , manage drivers and units, as well as access certificates and account information 24/7! General Apps Weather Channel App The weather channel app provides information on exactly what you would expect…the weather! What separates this weather app from others is the ability to look at weather forecasts two weeks in advance. This app also provides alerts and notifications with weather updates in whatever area you are currently in. Windy As the name suggests, Windy is another weather app that is especially good at tracking and providing updates on the wind across the country. The app allows you to look multiple days ahead in order to plan your route accordingly and avoid areas of high wind. The Rolling Strong App Rolling Strong is a health and wellness company that focuses specifically on professional drivers. They offer an app that provides drivers with exercise and meal plans while on the road. A subscription to the company also comes with online coaching from the Rolling Strong trainers. Today, it’s important that you take advantage of what your mobile devices can offer. All of these apps can improve your business and your life, with little to no cost. Take a look at all of these apps and see how much easier it makes your time as an owner-operator.

As an owner-operator truck driver, you work long hours. You are often on the road for weeks at a time. Being able to take a week or two off to recharge throughout the year is important. Unfortunately, it requires not only finding the money in your budget but also the time to be off the road. Planning When to Take a Vacation Many Americans have the luxury of taking time off whenever they want. They just need to have vacation days saved up. Owner-operators, on the other hand, need to be doing a lot more planning. Your vacations should revolve around freight cycles. When freight demand is high, it’s in your best interest to be running. However, when things are slow, and there isn’t as much freight to be moved, vacations are manageable. January and February typically are the slowest months of the year for freight. If you are looking to optimize your productivity and also your income, then vacations after the New Year are your best option. This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t take a day off during the summer months, it just means you should be ready to run hard following your time off. Budgeting for the Time Off We often talk about budgeting, or a profit plan here at ATBS, and its importance. By setting up and following a budget you can be confident that you will be spending less money than you earn. If you are planning to take a vacation, then it’s important to be able to pay for it upfront so that it doesn’t cause you to go into debt. One way to plan ahead is by adding a line item in your Profit Plan a few months prior to taking the time off. Unless you have a large amount of disposable income each month, this likely means you will need to cut something out of your budget. This will help make up for the additional amount being allocated to your vacation. Alternatively, you can also choose to increase your income to pay for the vacation. Picking up a couple extra loads each month leading up to your trip could make up for the cost of being off the road. The Bottom Line Taking time off now and then is a good idea for your emotional and mental well-being. Remember that vacation takes a good amount of planning so that you can cover the costs involved and also afford to be out of the driver's seat. Image Source - https://www.flickr.com/photos/34022876@N06/

When it comes to diesel fuel, you may have control over how much fuel you use or how efficiently you use it but you don’t have very much control over exactly how much you have to pay for it. However, thanks to the ever-growing list of fuel cards and smartphone apps, you now have the tools you need to ensure you are paying the lowest price possible for fuel during your next fill-up. In this article, we will go over some of the fuel cards and apps you can use to help reduce how much you are actually paying for fuel. How Do Fuel Cards Work? Fuel cards are designed to offer carriers and drivers per-gallon discounts on fuel and other services specific to trucking. Companies that offer fuel cards set up partnerships with truck and fuel stops in order to drive sales through discounts. Then when the fuel card provider sends one of its member drivers to a partnering truck or fuel stop, the fuel card provider receives a percentage of the fuel sale. The discounts offered usually vary depending on location and change daily. These cards function the exact same as a credit card except they provide you with a discount on fuel. There is very little effort that goes into creating savings on fuel for yourself. What Kinds of Fuel Cards Are There? There are many different types of fuel cards offered by a variety of companies. Some fuel cards are offered by truck stops, some are offered by fuel providers/oil & gas companies, some are offered by trucking and driver associations, and some are offered by companies whose only service is their fuel card. Each fuel card will offer its own discount amount, partner with its own truck stops, and have its own additional discounts and benefits. Some fuel cards are better for different types of truckers, some are better for those who live in certain areas of the country, some are better for individual drivers, and others are better for small fleets. These are all things you will have to consider if you want a fuel card for the first time or are looking to switch cards. How are Fuel Savings Calculated? Per-gallon fuel discounts are negotiated between the truck stop and the fuel card provider. The two models of savings that are most commonly offered by fuel card providers are “retail-minus” and “cost-plus.” Retail minus is a fairly simple concept. A certain amount of money is deducted from the per-gallon price of fuel every time you use the card. Those savings are passed directly to the fuel card user. Cost-plus is a little more complicated as it’s based on the Oil Pricing Information Service’s base price of fuel for each location. Added to the base price are taxes, transportation costs, and other fees. However, this price is lower than the retail price being offered at the truck stop and most of the time ends up being cheaper than the retail minus price as well. Some fuel cards will offer a “better of” option where it will provide the card user the better discount between retail-minus and cost-plus. What are Other Reasons to Use a Fuel Card? Fuel cards often have more benefits other than discounts on fuel. As previously mentioned, some fuel cards offer discounts on other services such as maintenance, tires, document scanning, lodging, and other common expenses. If you use a fleet card for your small fleet, you can control who uses the card, what the card can purchase, how much it can purchase, etc. This leaves you with much more control than a normal credit or debit card. When you use a fuel card, it will automatically keep track and provide you with important information and documentation that will help you with things like IFTA filing. This will save you a lot of time not having to gather this data and information yourself. What Fuel Cards Do We Recommend? Based on conversations we’ve had with our owner-operator clients, we’re able to recommend a few fuel cards that we often hear about. • NASTC Quality Plus Network • P Fleet CFN Fuel Card • OOIDA’s Truckers Advantage Fuel Card • EFS Fleet Card • RTS Fuel Card Program • Axle Fuel Card • TVC Pro-Driver Fuel Card These are just a few of the many fuel cards and programs that are available to you. The fuel programs listed above provide a variety of options and services. When beginning your search, feel free to start with our recommendations and use them to find the fuel card that best fits your specific needs. What Can I Use as an Alternative or in Addition to Fuel Cards? There are a few types of alternatives to fuel cards that can help get discounts on fuel. Most of these alternatives are simply apps you can download on your phone. Greenlane is a strategic fueling app that offers deep diesel discounts. Save an average of 50¢ per gallon and as much as $1.30 off of the cash price at their growing network that includes: Love’s, TA, Petro, Speedway, Sunoco, Stripes, Maverick, and Kum & Go. Greenlane is free to use with no applications, credit checks, or fees, ever! Mudflap is an app that focuses on independent Mom & Pop truck stops. These truck stops are usually 20 cents cheaper than major chains and paying for fuel through Mudflap saves you an extra 25 to 50 cents per gallon. They do all of this while charging no fees. Fuelbook is another free app that automatically looks up fuel prices for you to see where it's being sold at the cheapest price. They look at over 7,000 truck stops nationwide and update the app six times daily. They make it easy to compare prices and decide where to stop for fuel. GasBuddy and Fuelio are other apps similar to Fuelbook that help you compare prices and find the cheapest places to stop. When it comes to reducing the price you’re paying for fuel, you have many different options. If you aren’t taking advantage of any of these cards or apps, now would be a good time to start. Driving with fuel efficiency in mind while using these different options to save on the price of fuel will really help you reduce the amount you are spending on your biggest cost as an owner-operator. --- Sources • https://www.rtsinc.com/guides/how-does-trucking-fuel-card-work#:~:text=Fuel%20cards%20are%20basically%20partnerships,%25%2C%20of%20the%20fuel%20sales. • https://www.tcsfuel.com/blog/how-a-fuel-card-works/ • https://fleetlogging.com/fuel-cards-for-truckers/

In this article, we want to share some ways for you to manage your trucking business during an uncertain freight market. Now would be the best time to start looking at your operation and identify areas where you can generate and save money. By following these tips, you can help make sure you get yourself and your trucking operation through uncertain times. In addition, by getting into the habit of managing your business for times like these, you’ll reap the benefits in the future when the market gets steadier. Be Flexible With Your Operation If you have been an owner-operator for a while, you know that the market goes through its ups and downs. You might also know that the best way for your business to operate during good times might be different than how it needs to operate during bad times. With freight rates being uncertain, it’s time to look into how your business will operate best right now. This means looking into different types of freight or areas of the country that you may not usually operate in but might have higher demand during the current trucking market. On the flip side, if you find a market that is helping you stay successful, there is a chance that operating like this isn’t going to stay profitable forever. You may have to be flexible and look ahead to different markets if the one you are operating in looks like it isn’t going to continue to work out for you based on changing conditions. Don’t allow yourself to get trapped in a situation that was once profitable, but is now a place where you won’t be able to make enough money to keep your business afloat. Most importantly, you have to stay informed and understand the market changes as they are happening. You can do this by talking to other drivers about what is working for them, listening to trucking-specific satellite radio shows to stay informed, asking the fleet you may be leased to about freight changes, reading trucking blogs, and looking at data from Truckstop and DAT . Overall, be flexible and know that what’s working in the present may not be what works best for you in the future. Understand Your Financial Situation During uncertain times, it will be more important than ever that you are completely aware of your finances. This means keeping an accurate and up-to-date profit and loss statement and knowing your break-even point. If you haven’t already done these things, now would be the best time to start. Your profit and loss statement will allow you to see areas where your business is operating well and areas where you can improve. From your profit and loss statement, you will be able to come up with your breakeven point, which is how much money you need to make to at least cover your costs. With that breakeven point, you can look at it on a per day, week, month, and yearly basis. With that breakeven point in mind, you need to be realistic with your revenue expectations and know that you may not earn as much as you would during a really strong economy. This means you can't be picky with your load selection. You aren’t going to be able to choose loads based on whether or not you think it’s “cheap freight.” You need to use your break-even point as your guide in deciding what loads to take. Your decisions will have to be made by looking at the big picture and deciding whether or not you’re earning a profit on this load, and if not, is it getting you to another area or to another load where you will be making a profit? Reduce Costs After you have looked at your financial situation and analyzed your profit and loss statement, you will know areas of your business where you are able to reduce costs. One number that will surely jump out at you is fuel, as it’s one of your biggest expenses. Luckily, fuel is an expense that you actually have some control over. Even though you can’t control the price of fuel, you will be able to have some control over how much you are using. We have an entire article dedicated to the top 25 ways for truck drivers to improve their fuel efficiency . These are changes that you will be able to make immediately in order to save money on fuel. Unlike fuel, truck and insurance payments are costs that you may not have much control over. However, there are other non-essential costs that you will be able to try to reduce. Food and drink is one that comes to mind. These are obviously essential to stay alive, but going out to eat every night isn’t. If you can, try buying groceries and cooking for yourself in the truck. Buying groceries can be a lot cheaper, and healthier, than eating out at restaurants for every meal. Other non-essential costs might be unnecessary upgrades to your truck, service providers you aren’t using, and a variety of personal things you might be spending money on that you don’t need. Preserve Your Cash Along with reducing your costs, preserving your cash is important so that you have enough money to make it through uncertain times. Look for all sources of cash in your business and personal life, so that you can increase your cash reserves. You can start by looking for places where you could delay or reduce payments. This can include vendors where you spend money in your business like truck payments, insurance coverages, and maintenance work. Check to see if you can delay or pay for some of these services or products in 60 or 90 days instead of 30 days. Are there other places you might have cash such as excess maintenance reserves, stockpiles of parts or supplies, or things sitting around your house that you don’t need? Make every effort to convert unused things into cash so that you have the money to get through the uncertain times. A good goal to build towards is having three to six months of living expenses in a cash reserve. Build Relationships During uncertain times, forming relationships with people you can trust is a great way to get yourself, and the people you are working with, through to the other side. If you have been using the spot market for a while, now might be the time to look into contracted freight or to look into leasing with a carrier in order to have some security with your freight. The spot market is not as consistent or as reliable during an uncertain freight cycle. Leasing onto a carrier, or forming a partnership where you are on a dedicated route can provide some consistency when things are uncertain. This way you aren’t going week by week not knowing if you are going to find a load on the spot market that is going to earn you a profit. By leasing with a carrier, or having a dedicated route, you will not only save time by not having to find loads on the spot market, but you will feel a little more confident that you are going to be able to make enough money each week. It may also be a good idea to form a relationship with a business service provider that knows the trucking industry, like ATBS, to help you run the business side of your trucking operation. This is the best way to make sure you are keeping an accurate look at your business’ financials and you know how you are performing month over month. With ATBS, you will also be able to ask questions about how you can improve your business or how your business is operating compared to others. During uncertain times, allow yourself to focus all of your attention on doing what you do best, which is moving freight across the country, and let a business service professional handle all the accounting , bookkeeping, taxes, paperwork, and other tedious back-office duties. Bonus: Don’t Panic Tough times don’t last, but tough people do! The trucking industry, and the economy in general, is a cycle that is going to go through good times and bad times. Just by reading this article, you are helping yourself get through these more challenging times. You can take these lessons learned during the uncertain freight times now and apply them forever to keep your business profits maximized during all cycles By following these ways to manage your business during an uncertain freight market, you will hopefully feel a bit more confident that you will be able to get through. If you are feeling concerned and need somebody to help you better manage your business during the changing times, feel free to give us a call at 866-920-2827 or send us an email at info@atbs.com . We want nothing but the best for those in the trucking industry that we work alongside with!

Bookkeeping is an important part of running your business as an owner-operator truck driver. It allows you to keep your financial statements organized and gives you an idea of how your business is performing. As a truck driver, you may have a hard time keeping good records while on the road. That’s why it may be best to look into using a bookkeeping service for your business that works specifically with owner-operator truck drivers. There are many benefits that come with using a bookkeeping service for your trucking business. In this article, we will discuss important things to consider when you search for one. Are you a self-employed truck driver that needs help with your bookkeeping, taxes, or accounting? Click here! Scan and Archive Receipts/Files The first thing you should look for is a bookkeeping service that will scan and archive all of your business receipts and important files. This way you don’t have to keep track of physical receipt copies. The bookkeeper should be able to archive all of your important paperwork in their secure database. Providing your documents should be as easy as sending in pictures , scanning and emailing them, or mailing them to the bookkeeper. ATBS just recently launched the new ATBS Hub , which makes working with us even easier! With the Hub, you’ll be able to scan or import receipts, settlements, and other documents with just a few taps. The bookkeeper will then be able to use the receipts to prepare accurate monthly profit and loss statements for your business. If you ever need any of these files back, a good bookkeeper will be able to easily find and send back electronic copies of the receipts or files that you need at any time. Secure Online Portal The next thing you should look for in a bookkeeping service is a secure online portal where you can view your digitized documents and review your profit and loss (P&L) statements at any time. With a secure online portal, you don’t have to go into an office or call your bookkeeper to access your information. This is especially convenient for truck drivers who are on the road and aren’t always able to go in and talk to their local accountant. With a secure portal, you can log in to your personal account at any time and know that your information is safely password-protected. When you log in to the portal to review your data, you should also look for a bookkeeper that will allow you to call and ask questions without charging extra fees. Industry Benchmarking Another thing you should look for when deciding on a trucker’s bookkeeping service is a company that has industry-specific benchmarking. Ideally, you’ll want to look for a company that works with other truck drivers so you can compare your numbers to similar sized businesses in the trucking industry. Comparing your data to other owner-operators allows you to see the areas where your business is performing better than your peers, as well as the areas where you can improve. A good bookkeeper will be able to use this information to help you figure out where to make adjustments in your business to both earn and keep more money. Tax Reconciliation Looking for a bookkeeper that does tax reconciliation will also be beneficial for your trucking business. A bookkeeper that includes this service will analyze and categorize your revenue and expenses rather than just blindly inputting the data. With high quality tax reconciliations, you will be sure everything has been properly captured and accurately categorized in your profit and loss statement, and if something is missing, your bookkeeper should notify you about any discrepancies. For example, if you utilize a bookkeeper who offers tax reconciliation services as well as industry benchmarking data, they can help you spot expense documentation you may have forgotten to send. If the average owner-operator is spending 30% of their revenue on fuel, and you only show 10% of revenue spent on fuel, your bookkeeper should be able to alert you to the discrepancy. From there they can figure out if you have not sent all fuel expense documentation that needs to be submitted, or if you simply spent less on fuel. Tax Preparation and Bookkeeping - Together Lastly, you want to look for a bookkeeper that will also calculate your tax estimates. As an owner-operator, you have to pay quarterly tax estimates based on your profit. If your bookkeeper also calculates your tax estimates, they are able to use your P&L statements throughout the year to let you accurately know how much your estimated tax payments should be. Paying quarterly tax estimates ensures you don’t pay additional interest, fees, or penalties to the Internal Revenues Service (IRS), and you should always seek out a company that will help you calculate those estimates so you don’t pay more than you should to the IRS. Many preparers simply use last year’s tax return to calculate your current year's tax estimates. However, trucking is an ever changing industry and you need a service that offers current year, timely, tax estimates based on how you are performing now, not what happened last year. Also, having a bookkeeper who prepares taxes makes it easier to file your tax return. Your bookkeeper understands your business and has been keeping track of your revenue and expenses all year - this reduces the chance of errors during tax season since your tax preparer won’t be scrambling to do your bookkeeping all at once. If your bookkeeper and tax preparer work together, they can find all the legal deductions you are entitled to, so you don’t pay more in taxes than you have to. This option is a lot more efficient and more accurate than giving your documents to a tax preparer who doesn’t know your business. What trucker bookkeeping service should I hire? Proper bookkeeping will help keep you and your business on the road. Using these guidelines while you begin your search for a bookkeeping service will help you make an informed decision that will benefit you in the long run. At ATBS, we have helped over 150,000 owner-operators over the past 20+ years run a more profitable business that allows you to spend less time stressing about the books and taxes and more time on things you enjoy. We offer a variety of services including bookkeeping, accounting, and tax preparation, and we understand the importance and impact that these services have on a successful operation. We also offer unlimited business consulting for our RumbleStrip Professional clients. A dedicated business consultant will help you keep your business “between the lines” just like rumblestrips on the highway keep your truck between the lines. If you’d like to learn more about ATBS services or want to get started today, give us a call at 866-920-2827 .

Making the transition from company driver to owner-operator is a big step. You will now be your own boss and will need to set yourself up for happiness and success. There are many things to consider when thinking about starting a trucking business. Before you go down this new path, here are five steps you have to take to start your own trucking business with one truck. Click Here to Download our "Starting a Trucking Business Checklist" Write up a business plan Before you start a trucking business, the first thing you should do is write up a business plan . Understanding how your business is going to operate might change over time, but writing out the basics will provide you with a roadmap. Within your business plan, include things like the type of trucking business you want to run. Are you going to run a dry van operation? Maybe you want to focus on specialized loads. It’s also important to describe how you plan to differentiate your operation from others. Another important aspect of any business plan is your vision for growth. Are you interested in bringing on a team driver or even adding additional trucks in the future? While some of these items might change over time, putting your ideas on paper will help give you a plan you can follow. Decide what kind of entity you want to be As an owner-operator, an important decision you will have to make is the business structure of your company. The three most common types of entities for owner-operators are sole proprietorship, S corporation, and a limited liability company (LLC). When deciding on your business structure, the two main factors to consider are owner liability and income taxation. Each structure comes with different tax consequences so it is important you make your decision based on your business needs. Here is a free e-Book that goes into much more detail on the different business structures. Decide what carrier you want to drive for When a driver decides to become an owner-operator, most will make the decision to start by leasing with a carrier rather than getting their own authority . By doing this, you still have the freedom of being your own boss, but you will have the protection of somebody finding loads for you and paying some of the upfront costs. This means you will have to decide what carrier you want to drive for . A few of the things that should be considered is where you want to drive, what type of operation you want to run, and how the fleet treats owner-operators. Carriers will list what parts of the country you will be driving in and what types of freight you will be hauling. Once you have found a few options based off of your driving preferences, you should do a little research on the reputation of each fleet. Figure out how much they pay per mile, if they pay their drivers on time, if they consistently have loads available, and any other information that is important to you in deciding what carrier to lease on to. Get your own truck The most important thing you will have to do before starting a trucking business is getting your own truck. It will be very difficult to purchase a truck up front, which means you will have to decide whether to do a lease-purchase program with a carrier, or purchase a truck through a truck financing company. Lease-purchase programs are available from a wide variety of carriers. Through this program, you won’t own the truck, but you will be making monthly payments on the truck until the contract is up. At that point, you can purchase the truck or start a new contract with the same or different carrier. While you are in the lease-purchase program, many carriers provide benefits including discounted fuel and maintenance. You can also decide to purchase a truck through a trucking-specific financing company. This way you don’t have to lease your truck through the carrier you decide to drive for. When you finance a truck, you slowly make payments on the truck until you eventually own it. Financing your truck allows for more freedom in deciding what carrier you want to drive for. Hire a business services provider to help start your trucking business Hiring a trustworthy professional business services provider, like ATBS, will help accomplish all of the things you have to do before starting a trucking business. ATBS has been in the trucking industry for 25 years, which means we have helped thousands of owner-operator truck drivers make these decisions. We can help with your business plan, with deciding what entity to choose, and help you determine the best path towards owning a truck. Once you have made these decisions, we can continue to help with all of your tax, bookkeeping , and accounting needs while you focus on driving. We will also continue to be available to help with any business decisions during your time as an owner-operator. Are you a self-employed truck driver that wants to learn more about ATBS services? Click here! --- Over 150,000 owner-operators have made the choice to hire ATBS over the past 25 years. We offer a variety of services including accounting, bookkeeping, and tax preparation. We also offer unlimited business consulting for our RumbleStrip Professional clients. A dedicated business consultant will help you keep your business “between the lines,” just like rumblestrips on the highway.

Accounting is the process of recording, measuring, and communicating information about the financial transactions taking place in a business. Accounting often helps determine the financial position, results of operations, and cash flows of a business. As an owner-operator truck driver, accounting is an important part of running your business. With this information, you’ll be able to tell how your business is performing and if you’re profitable. Are you a self-employed truck driver that needs help with your accounting, bookkeeping, or taxes? Click here! At ATBS, we can help with your accounting by reviewing your financial records and transactions to prepare your monthly profit and loss statements. With these profit and loss statements, we can analyze how you’re performing in different areas of your business. From there, we can advise you of areas where you’re performing well and areas where you need to improve based on the financial results of other owner-operator truck drivers in the industry. With this information, we can provide you with your quarterly estimated tax payments and prepare tax returns for you at the end of the year. With our secure client portal, you’re able to view all of this information at any time. If you have questions about your financial statements or how to improve in certain areas, you can speak with your dedicated business consultant who can discuss strategies to implement and improve your business. If you aren’t keeping track of your numbers and reviewing them consistently, you’re operating your business in the dark. Most successful business owners will tell you the key to running a successful business that reaches its goals is a strong understanding and reporting of their revenue and expenses. Strong accounting practices are critical to achieving long term success and profitability. At ATBS, we have helped over 150,000 owner-operators over the past 20+ years run a better business. We offer a variety of services including bookkeeping, accounting, and tax preparation , and we understand the importance and impact that accounting has on a successful operation. We also offer unlimited business consulting for our RumbleStrip Professional clients. A dedicated business consultant will help you keep your business “between the lines” just like rumblestrips on the highway keep your truck between the lines. If you’d like to learn more about ATBS services or want to get started today, give us a call at 866-920-2827 .

Roadside inspections are a critical part of the trucking industry. They help ensure that truck drivers are compliant with the laws and are operating safely on the road. It is important you are ready for the possibility of a roadcheck each time you depart for the day. Failing a roadcheck will result in time off the road and money lost for you and/or your trucking business. In order to avoid violations the next time you are stopped, follow these tips to make sure you are prepared for Roadcheck 2025. Know what to expect from Roadcheck 2025 The best way to prepare for your next roadcheck is to know what to expect. If you have gone through a roadcheck before, this will be simple. Just keep in mind what was checked and remember to make sure all of those elements stay in proper condition. If you have not gone through a roadcheck, just know that a majority of inspections are level 1 inspections . The parts of your truck that will be inspected during a level 1 inspection include: All sides of the tractor and trailer Tires, wheels, rims, and hubs Brakes Lights Major safety components Proper load securement Along with the parts of the truck that will be inspected, you will need to make sure you have the proper paperwork and identification, which we will go over in more detail later in the article. If you are driving during the annual CVSA Roadcheck Inspection Blitz, there is always one element of the truck that will get special attention. This year’s inspection blitz will be held May 13-15 with a focus on tires and truck driver hours of service. Make sure your truck is well-maintained If you know what to expect during a roadcheck, you will know exactly what you need to maintain on your truck in order to avoid any violations. Prior to getting on the road, you should go through your pre-trip inspection to make sure there aren’t any problems. This will not just make sure you are able to pass a roadcheck but it will also make sure you are safe on the road. A few things you should make sure you check during each pre-trip inspection are: Under the Hood (engine, hoses, wiring) Tires, Wheels, Rims, Hubs Tread Depth Brakes Tire Pressure Lights Load Securement If you have been a successful trucker for a while, you know to go through with these pre-trip inspections each time you are about to go out on the road for the day. Bonus Make sure your truck is neat and clean! A filthy truck with trash on the dash or obviously loose parts bungee corded together is an easy way to get a DOT officer’s attention. A clean and neat-looking truck just might get a driver a pass while the inspectors are busy seeing what maintenance or safety items the driver of the dirty truck does not seem to care about.​ Have the appropriate paperwork In order to be prepared for Roadcheck 2025 you will need to make sure you have the appropriate paperwork. Make sure it’s organized and that you know exactly where it’s located. This way, when it comes time for your roadcheck, you won’t have to waste time looking for it. A few of the documents you should have ready are: Drivers License/CDL Proof of Insurance Medical Examiners Certificate Record of Duty Status Daily Vehicle Inspection Report Periodic Inspection Reports Shipping Papers Vehicle Inspection Certificate Skill Performance Evaluation Certificate Having these documents is just as important as having your truck and trailer in order. Failure to prove you are in possession of these documents will result in violations and time off the road. Comply with all of the rules and regulations With hours of service (HOS) and ELD rules in place, it’s important for the trucking industry to make sure these rules and regulations are being followed. This means that HOS rules and staying ELD compliant have become essential elements of any roadside inspection. Although your ELD will record your HOS information automatically, it’s important to still understand how these rules work. It will also be worth your time to learn about how specific HOS rules apply to you and if you qualify for any HOS exemptions. In order to avoid any ELD violations, make sure your device is functioning properly. If not, make sure you follow the procedures for reporting a malfunctioning device. If the device is malfunctioning, make sure you have a copy of the user manual, instruction sheet, and a supply of blank ‘records of duty’ sheets. What happens after a roadcheck? After Roadcheck 2025, you will learn whether or not you pass or fail. Passing would mean that no critical violations were found. You will receive a CVSA decal to display on your vehicle to indicate your vehicle has successfully passed. Failing would mean critical violations were found. If you fail, your vehicle will be placed out of service and won’t be able to operate until the vehicle or driver violations are corrected. If you have any questions about how to prepare for Roadcheck 2025 or how to get your truck back in service after failing a roadcheck, give us a call at 888-640-4829.

2024 proved to be one of the most difficult years for trucking in recent memory. The question is… when will things turn around? In this article, we'll give a recap of the year and answer questions including: The difficult market has certainly washed out some capacity, why haven’t we seen rates improve? What are the latest trends with miles, rates, fuel costs, and maintenance? Has IC pay hit the bottom? What are other carriers seeing with turnover, rates, and what technology are they utilizing to cut litigation risk? What's in store for 2025? Interested in learning more? Check out our full Independent Contractor Benchmarks and Trends Webinar , where we give a more in-depth recap of how owner-operators performed in 2024! Freight Rates From May 2020 through April 2022, we saw one of the biggest increases in spot market load volumes and rates in the history of trucking. However, in April 2022, while contract rates remained somewhat stable, spot market rates and load volumes began falling dramatically. Here are some numbers to illustrate this shift in the market: Peak- November of 2021 Loads: 240 loads per 1 truck looking for a load. Rates: $2.74 per mile (without fuel surcharge). February 2023 Loads: 55 loads per 1 truck looking for a load Rates: $1.80 per mile (without fuel surcharge) September 2024 Loads: 60 loads per 1 truck looking for a load. Rates: $1.84 per mile (without fuel surcharge) April 2025 Loads: 91 loads per 1 truck looking for a load. Rates: $2.13 per mile (without fuel surcharge) Both the amount of loads per truck and the rate per mile (net of the fuel surcharge) have remained stable throughout 2024. We’ve seen a dramatic increase in loads and rates in the spot market from February through April of 2025. These are very positive signs that we’ve come to an equilibrium in capacity versus the amount of freight available. We are yet to see if this large increase in freight and rates was due to companies moving freight before tariffs hit. It seems that the amount of capacity in the spot market stabilized in 2024. Those who entered the market during the COVID boom seemed to have all washed out by the end of 2023. Those that remain have costs under control, good business acumen, and likely stable freight and lanes. Miles Miles are up slightly year over year, but remain unchanged from the mid-year mark. Overall, miles have dropped significantly over the past 20 years. In 2003, owner-operators averaged about 140,000 miles per year. At the minimum, in a booming freight market, it dropped to 85,000 miles per year. Today it is up to 93,000 per year. We are now at two straight cycles of miles not moving upward, again meaning we might be at equilibrium of capacity versus freight. Revenue Owner-operator revenue per mile is down another 5.3%, or 10 cents per mile on a year-over-year basis. A significant portion of that has come from the reduced cost of fuel resulting in a lower fuel surcharge. True rates have also fallen simultaneously. Independent Contractors are working harder to reach the revenue needed to remain in business. Due to the increase in miles, total revenue is only down 1.8% and we are starting to see signs of recovery. Fuel Fuel cost per mile is down 11.3% and has remained very flat for the year so far in 2025. This type of trend can be expected to continue throughout the year. The lowering of fuel costs in the 2nd half of 2024 created a very positive cash flow for drivers. When the fuel surcharge adjusts on a Monday and fuel lowers throughout the week, we see drivers receiving more in fuel surcharge pay than they are paying at the pump. Of the 10 cents per mile lost in revenue, 7 cents per mile lost was actually in fuel. This means there was only a true loss of revenue of 3 cents per mile in 2024 versus 2023. As freight rates have continued to decrease, we’ve seen owner-operators focus more on fuel mileage. Our average client is up to 7.12 MPG and we’ve seen increases in MPG across all segments. New technology on trucks and better driving habits can be attributed to why we’ve seen this increase. Maintenance Maintenance is up 6.6% year over year. This is expected due to the increased miles being driven. The average independent contractor is seeing roughly 13 cents per mile in maintenance costs, or around $1,000 per month for maintenance. This cost depends on the age of your truck, the routes you run, and the mileage you drive. You need a custom maintenance plan to make sure you are covered for the repair, the fixed costs when you are down, and your home bills while not generating revenue. Last year, we were worried about deferred maintenance due to the dramatic dip in costs despite mileage going up. This proved not to be the case and it was just an anomaly. Due to truck technology and sensors, it’s much more difficult to defer maintenance like the last time we saw it happen during the great recession in 2009 and 2010. Fixed Costs Fixed costs are up 1.5% or $850 year over year. Over the past few years, fixed cost averages have been a roller coaster. However, we seem to be back to normal levels for the first time since the pandemic as fixed costs increased accordingly with inflation. Variable costs have also dropped year over year due to lowered fuel expenditures. With fixed costs under control and variable costs going down, Independent Contractors saw a much-needed reduction in cost pressure as rates continued to lower. Net Income Overall, owner-operator net income is up 1.8% to $64,000. Flatbed drivers had an amazing year-over-year increase of nearly $5,000. Flatbed freight continues to be hot in 2025, which is usually a leading economic indicator that things are turning positive. The hungry drivers who have taken extra miles and focused on their fuel economy have continued to see gains over the past few months despite continued downward pressure on rates. ATBS clients who are using our services effectively are averaging a net income of $86,215. +1/-10 Incremental and small changes are the best thing you can continue to do today. The two charts above illustrate the top two things the average independent contractor can do to dramatically increase their income, increase their revenue, and decrease their costs. Increasing your revenue could just mean one more load a month, which is illustrated above. There are many ways to decrease your costs, but fuel is your biggest cost and the one you can control the most. Just one mpg better means taking home $8,000 or more in profit! If you do one of the two things above, you’ll increase your net income by $150 a week or $8,000 per year. If you do both, you’ll take home nearly $300 more per week, or $15,000 a year. It might not be possible to run 500 more miles a month or get one mpg better, but if you do a little bit of each, you’ll see drastic improvements to your net income. 2025 Outlook Freight rates are expected to remain flat or up slightly as carriers reject lower rates Uncertainty remains the biggest issue of 2025 as tariffs loom large in decision-making Falling used truck prices and lowered interest rates could create an opportunity for an equipment upgrade. This could lead to higher revenue generated and lower costs in maintenance and fuel. The best businesses and owner-operators are still doing well. The decreased cost of fuel gives drivers the chance to improve fuel efficiency, run a little harder, and continue to succeed in trucking! The bottom line is that owner-operators control their own destiny, and they can make changes today to ensure profitability and success!

As we move past tax season, it's the perfect time to organize your financials. But where do you start? If you have boxes full of bank statements or investment summaries, you might be a little unsure of how long to keep everything. Below you will find our guide for how long you should store all of your important documentation. This will help you to reduce your financial clutter. What to keep until the warranty expires or the return period is passed Sales receipts - unless you need them for tax purposes, and then you should keep them for three years. What you should keep for one month ATM printouts - These can be discarded after you balance your checking account each month. What to keep for one year Paycheck stubs - These can be thrown away once they have been compared to your W-2 and your social security statement. Utility bills - These can be thrown away after one year, unless you are claiming a home office. If you are, then they need to be saved for three years. Cancelled checks - If these are needed for tax purposes then they should be saved for three years. Credit card receipts - If these are needed for tax purposes then they should be saved for three years. Bank statements - If these are needed for tax purposes then they should be saved for three years. Quarterly investment statements - Keep until you receive your annual statement. What to keep for three years Income tax returns - Keep in mind that you can be audited by the IRS for up to three years after filing your taxes. If you don’t file a tax return at all, there is no statute of limitations. Medical bills and canceled insurance policies Records of selling a house - You will need this for capital gains tax Records of selling a stock - You will need this for capital gains tax Receipts, canceled checks, or other documents supporting income, or deductions on your taxes - Keep for three years from the date the return was filed, or two years from the date the tax was paid, whichever is later. Annual investment statement - Keep for three years after you sell your investment. What to keep for seven years Records of satisfied loans What to keep while active Contracts Insurance documents Stock certificates Property records Stock records Records of pension and retirement plans Property tax records and disputed bills - Keep the bills until the dispute is resolved. Home improvement records - Hold for at least three years after the due date for the tax return that includes the income or loss on the asset after it’s sold. What you should keep forever Marriage licenses Birth certificates Wills Adoption papers Death certificates Records of paid mortgages