Revocation of a driver’s license is a serious matter. In most cases you will have to wait until a certain period has expired before applying for reinstatement. You may also have to comply with the reinstatement procedures for all states in which your driver’s license has been revoked before any one of them will reinstate you. Nevertheless, the reinstatement maze can be navigated with a little patience and preparation.

Check your current driver’s license status to find out when you are eligible for reinstatement. Tthis varies according to the offense for which your license was revoked. If you do not have a copy of your revocation letter, an online information request form should be available from the website of your state’s DMV office. You will need to provide your name, birth date and driver’s license number or social security number.

Check your financial responsibility status shortly before becoming eligible for reinstatement by filling out the appropriate form on your state’s DMV website. This will provide you with the period of time for which you will have to file proof of insurance in order to get your driver’s license reinstated. Be prepared to provide your name, birth date and driver’s license number or social security number.

Apply and receive approval for SR-22 (high risk) auto insurance for the required period. This type of insurance is available nationwide through a variety of different insurance companies, although it is quite expensive. Once approved, your insurance company will issue you an SR-22 proof of insurance form.

Deliver the SR-22 form to your state’s local DMV office with a signed and notarized letter explaining the purpose of your filing. Some states may require you to deliver it to the Department of Transportation, so check your state’s DMV website for details.

Fill out an application for a new driver’s license at your local DMV. If you are under 18 years of age, you will need to bring a parent or legal guardian to sponsor your application. You will need to provide legal photo identification establishing your name and date of birth, proof of citizenship or legal residence in the U.S., and proof of state residence.

Take a driver examination and a road test if required. This will require payment of an additional fee.

Pay the reinstatement fee. This fee can range from around $40 to several hundred dollars, depending on the state and the offense for which your driver’s license was originally revoked

Overcrowded roads, aggressive drivers or driving during rush hour can be major sources of stress for drivers. A reduction in stress while driving can help you reach your destination safely. You can avoid stress while driving and experience a more relaxed drive by following these simple tips.

Give yourself ample time for your commute. Making allowances for traffic jams, detours or other traffic situations can make the commute less stressful.

Stay alert to traffic jams, accidents and road construction sites by getting timely traffic information. Avoiding these disruptions in your commute can save you time and stress.

Have a navigation system in your car to avoid getting lost while driving. Getting lost or being unable to find the right directions to your destination can distress most drivers.

Keep calm, cool and collected when you encounter aggressive drivers or an unexpected detour. Avoid letting another driver’s behavior or attitude affect you. Likewise, avoid being the one who drives aggressively and dangerously; courtesy is important on the road.

Avoid stress while driving by listening to calming music. Do some breathing exercise if you are stuck in traffic. Try to have a relaxed mind.

Anticipate traffic situations by keeping enough distance between you and the car ahead. This can allow you enough time to react quickly and avoid an accident. Eliminate blind spots when changing lanes by having wide-angle mirrors. When exiting the highway, try to refrain from changing lanes at the last minute.

Occupy tired and bored children by having games, toys, books or an entertainment system in the car to keep them from distracting you. Noisy or crying kids in the backseat can be stressful and make it difficult for drivers to pay attention to the road. If it is a long drive, bring drinks and snacks for yourself and the kids.

The agency had promised to release the rule no later than Dec. 28 as part of the court settlement between the FMCSA and safety advocacy groups who have successfully challenged HOS rules on three different occasions.

If released as scheduled, the final rule would be published one day short of a year from when the proposed rulemaking was announced Dec. 23, 2010.

Based on the FMCSA’s stated preference and on recent Congressional testimony of FMCSA Administrator Anne Ferro, most trucking industry stakeholders believe the new rule will lower the number of daily driving hours from 11 to 10.

Trucking associations, motor carriers, truck drivers and lawmakers — a vast majority of them Republicans — say the industry’s safety record since the 11-hour rule was instituted in 2004 is proof the current rule doesn’t need to be changed.

Truckers also cite lower wages they say will accompany fewer driving hours each week.

Proponents of the 10-hour rule say the current rule is unsafe.

Their argument was bolstered by the recent announcement that the number of truck-related fatalities increased 8.7 percent in 2010.

Regardless of what the new rule says, one side or the other will likely challenge it in court.

Proponents of the change also say the rule is going to save American taxpayers up to $2.4 billion in lives saved, injuries prevented and reduced health and medical costs. It also has the potential to create nearly 40,000 new jobs in the trucking industry.

Opponents counter that putting 40,000 more trucks on the road is a safety hazard in itself.

The proposed rule has at least two other changes that have brought the ire of trucking.

It would retain the “34-hour restart” provision allowing drivers to restart the clock on their weekly 60 or 70 hours by taking at least 34 consecutive hours off-duty. However, the restart period would have to include two consecutive off-duty periods from midnight to 6 a.m. Drivers would be allowed to use this restart only once during a seven-day period.

Source: LYNDON FINNEY
The Trucker Staff

Established in 2000 by the Department of Transportation, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) is an organization whose goal is to reduce the number of vehicle-related fatalities and injuries in the U.S. Its members, over-the-road trucking companies, transportation services and other carrier services, are issued a unique number Federal Motor Carrier Number that recognizes them as being a part of the FMCSA. If you decide to no longer be a part of the FMCSA, you can cancel your Federal Motor Carrier Number by contacting the organization.

Instructions

1

Call (866) 637-0635 — the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration customer service number.
2

Speak to a FMCSA clerk and request a Form OCE-46, Request for Revocation of Registration.
3

Give the clerk your name, address and Federal Motor Carrier Number. He will process your request and mail you the form.
4

Complete the form and have it notarized.
5

Mail the form to FMCSA, Commercial Enforcement Division at 1200 New Jersey Ave, SE, W63-105, Washington, D.C. 20590.

As a traditional employee, a company truck driver doesn’t usually get to claim losses on her federal tax return, as an independent contractor or self-employed worker is able to do. The driver can still claim unreimbursed expenses directly related to her work requirements, provided the truck driver has sufficient deductions to meet the IRS’ requirements for miscellaneous business expenses.

Miscellaneous Deduction Rules
Traditional employees, including company truck drivers, must itemize eligible business expenses to claim these deductions on their federal tax returns. The IRS requires a taxpayer to claim these deductions using Schedule A of Form 1040. These deductions must exceed 2 percent of the taxpayer’s adjusted gross income before the IRS will allow any itemized deductions on Schedule A. The IRS will only allow deduction amounts exceeding this 2 percent requirement. For example, a company truck driver earning $30,000 annually must have at least $600 in business expenses to qualify.

Unreimbursed Employer Expenses
A truck driver may have to fuel up her vehicle while making delivery runs throughout the day. An employer may choose to compensate the driver for the cost of refueling the vehicle or may require the driver to pay for the fuel. The truck driver may take a miscellaneous tax deduction using Schedule A of IRS Form 1040 for any unreimbursed costs of working, including paying for fuel for the delivery truck. The driver should save all receipts for unreimbursed fuel costs to make it easier to total the deduction amount at the end of the year.

Continuing Education Requirements
Earning additional certifications to operate commercial grade vehicles may be a requirement for a truck driver’s career and a condition of employment. A driver may deduct the unreimbursed cost of attending required continuing education classes, including tuition and material costs, from his federal tax return. Attending classes from an accredited college, university or technical school may also qualify the truck driver for education tax credits, including the Hope Credit and American Opportunity Credit. A taxpayer does not need to itemize deductions to claim these education credits but should still itemize to directly claim the unreimbursed work expenses.

Working Away From Home
A company truck driver usually has a regular delivery route or a defined area where she makes deliveries for her employer. A driver required to work away from her tax home the geographic location where she regularly does business — may deduct the cost of travel from her federal return. To qualify, the work must be a temporary assignment and require the driver to stay away from home overnight. Eligible travel deductions including the whole cost of hotel stays and up to 50 percent of meals consumed.

Truck drivers fall into a variety of different categories when it comes to calculating eligible tax deductions. Much depends on whether the truck driver is self-employed or works for someone else and whether a vehicle is owned in an individual’s name or a company name. Travel that takes place in the course of performing work-related duties generally has the greatest number of eligible deductions, while travel in a personal truck to and from a work site has the least.

Self-Employed Truck Driver
A self-employed truck driver who contracts his services to others is typically entitled to a variety of tax deductions. Costs associated with ownership and maintenance of the truck can be deducted or depreciated, including lease or loan fees, general maintenance and upkeep and insurance. A truck driver can also deduct the cost of gas, either by taking a standard mileage deduction or saving and tallying gas receipts and counting actual expenses.

Company-Employed Truck Driver
A truck driver employed by a company and driving a company-owned truck typically has no eligible deductions because no personal funds are being invested in the cost, maintenance or operation of the vehicle. Even if a truck driver drives a personal vehicle to his place of business, the costs related to the vehicle ownership, maintenance and operation are not deductible as a business expense. An exception can be made with a business-only vehicle leased in the name of a business. For example, a general contractor who drives a vehicle leased under his company name back and forth to work sites and appointments may deduct the costs associated with this expenditure.

Mileage Depreciation and Other Deductions
The standard mileage rate as of the date of publication is 50 cents per mile. If you choose to use the standard rate you must count it the first year the vehicle is used for business purposes; in subsequent years you may opt for standard mileage deduction or actual expense deductions. You must use standard deductions for leased vehicles during the entirety of the lease. First year depreciation limits on trucks as of the date of publication is $11,160, and if self-employed, you may deduct interest paid on a truck loan. Other costs that may be eligible for deduction include road tolls and parking fees.

Tracking Eligible Deductions
Keep written records of deductible travel-related expenses, such as a mileage log and receipts, and separate costs where necessary. For example, if you are self-employed and use a company-owned vehicle for personal use 10 percent of the time, you can only count 90 percent of the eligible deduction for the vehicle as work-related.

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When you operate your own truck-driving business, regardless of whether
you are a sole proprietor or employ thousands of drivers, the IRS allows you to claim deductions for all operating expenses. There is no exhaustive list of deductible expenses. Instead, the IRS evaluates whether each expense is ordinary and necessary for your business. However, truck drivers commonly claim a number of expenses on their tax returns.[/box]

[box type=”shadow”]Truck Driver Salaries

If you ever need help with your trucking business and hire an employee or independent contractor, the IRS allows you to deduct the entire cost of his services. The IRS will not scrutinize your decision to pay one driver more than you pay another; however, the amount of compensation you provide employees and contractors must be reasonable in light of their skill sets. For example, paying a contractor who possesses a commercial truck-driving license and 20 years of experience $500 per day to drive one of your trucks from New York to California may be high, but it’s not unreasonable. However, if you pay the contractor $5,000 per day instead, it’s likely the IRS will question whether the expense includes payment for something other than compensation for his services.[/box]

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Truck-Related Expenses

Whether you operate one truck or a large fleet, the expenses related to acquiring and operating the trucks will likely be substantial. As long as you use the trucks solely for business, the IRS allows you to deduct all costs of acquiring, maintaining and operating them. This includes money for gasoline, oil, repairs and maintenance, parking fees, tolls, insurance and any lease payments you make on the trucks. However, if you purchase rather than lease the truck, you can claim depreciation deductions for part of the purchase price each year until you recover the entire cost.[/box]

[box type=”shadow”]Hotels and Food

If your business ever requires you or your employees to take long-distance road trips, you can deduct the cost of lodging and 50 percent of your food purchases if it’s necessary for you to stop for rest along the way. For example, if you drive your truck on the New York to California route, you will need to stop for rest a few times before returning home. But if you move a customer’s furniture from one home to another in the same neighborhood, regardless of how many hours you drive the truck during the day, it’s not necessary for you to stay in a hotel overnight to rest.[/box]

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Advertising Expenses

Most self-employed truck drivers will need to advertise their services at one point or another to grow their business. Any expense you incur for ads in local newspapers, on the radio or even to purchase television airtime is fully deductible as a business expense on your tax return.[/box]