Category: Lifestyle

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Business Lifestyle

How to Establish a Transportation Company

Cab companies and limousine rental companies are among the most well known transportation companies. However, transportation can mean moving anything, such as people, things or animals from one place to another. The options are limitless for pursuing this business model.

Plan a business model and service strategy that is different from what is already in the market. Review the operating procedures of other transportation companies out there. Decide whether you will transport people or goods.

Get a chauffeur’s license if you are planning to transport people. Check with your state business regulators for licensing requirements. There could be additional licensing requirements for providing transportation to the general public. An “Entrepreneur Magazine” profile of limousine services says, “If you cannot acquire a limousine plate, you may be able to purchase one if any are for sale, but expect to shell out big bucks, up to $100,000. Limousine plates and licenses are in high demand, mainly because it is not uncommon for operators to earn six-figure incomes.”

Apply for a business license. The Company Corporation advises drivers and independent operators to get incorporated or register as an LLC. The organization says, “If there is a claim against the LLC or corporation, then generally only the assets owned by the LLC or corporation, and not the business owner’s personal assets, will be potentially subject to the claim. In other words, customers may be able to limit their potential liability if there is a claim or lawsuit relating to their business.”

Get funding to buy a fleet of vehicles. Submit your business plan and a loan application to your bank. If denied for the loan, ask the loan officer for a referral to a venture capitalist.

Buy transport vehicles. Contact a wholesale dealer to get a discount for fleet purchases. Get decals for all vehicles. Contact the motor vehicle division and submit your application for decals. In some states, you can get up to 20 decals for each application.

Work out transportation routes, schedules and mileage rates.

Purchase comprehensive auto insurance that covers all the drivers, your vehicles and passengers. Get additional business liability insurance in case the passengers sue you and your driver for an accident during one of your transports.

Hire drivers. Check driving records through the department of motor vehicles. Many DMVs offer this service for a fee of $20 to $50 through their websites. Call references and get an idea of the driver’s personality and whether she would fit in your organization.

Market directly to people who need the type of transportation service you offer. For example, if you are providing transportation services for seniors, print advertisements in publications like AARP. If you are providing transportation services for the jetsetters, advertise in in-flight magazines.

List your business in the telephone book. Contact the publishers of your local business directory publications. Discuss rates. Spend a little extra to get a bigger ad instead of a telephone number and address listing. Make sure your ad is visible among your competitors’.

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Lifestyle Trucker News

Transit Trucking Industry Laws

The ability to drive a truck is only a part of a successful trucker’s knowledge and skill set. Having an accurate knowledge regarding the laws that help regulate the trucking industry also benefit those working within it. These laws encompass safety, security and taxes, with oversight coming from organizations such as the U.S. Department of Transportation and the Internal Revenue Service.

Aviation and Transportation Security Act
With an increased importance placed on transportation security, ATSA served as groundwork for the Transportation Security Administration. TSA operates within DOT and and has oversight for programs specific to the trucking industry, such as First Observer Training and the Hazmat Motor Carrier Security Action Item Training Program. These training programs help truck drivers maintain awareness for suspicious activity, with SAIT specifically for truckers transporting hazardous materials.

The necessity of legislation like ATSA and of programs stemming from it has been affirmed by security analysts and transportation safety experts. A major disruption in the trucking industry as a result of breached security could lead to an upheaval in the U.S. economy and culture.

Regulation 395.3
DOT established Regulation 395.3, which became effective on January 1, 2004. This ruling imposes three basic limits on truck drivers: after driving 11 hours, a driver must get 10 hours of rest; after 14 hours of being on duty, which may or may not include 11 hours of driving, a driver must get 10 hours of rest; and a driver may not work more than 60 hours within seven consecutive days, nor 70 hours within eight consecutive days.

Regarding the 14-hour “on duty” maximum, the 14-hour work period may reset itself after receiving two hours of rest in the truck’s sleeper. As for the seven- or eight-day work period, this period may reset itself after 34 hours off duty.

Section 274(n)(3)
The IRS reports that trucking associations have long lobbied for a provision allowing a 100 percent deduction of meal costs from their yearly tax liability. While still lacking this provision, truckers have seen an increase in allowed meal deductions since December 2000. According to Section 274(n)(3) in the U.S. Tax Code, truckers were allowed meal deductions of 80 percent for tax years 2008 and 2009.

This ruling aids truckers facing hourly limitations from DOT Regulation 395.3, which prevents them from earning as much money as in the past, thus having less money for meals while on the road.

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Business Lifestyle

Ideas for Trucking Industry Recruiting

The trucking industry is one of the most important transportation industries in the United States. While there are ships and railroads to move goods, trucks comprise much of the ground transportation market. Maintaining solid, dependable employees is important to future growth and stability for many trucking companies. Therefore, the trucking industry must constantly come up with recruiting strategies and ideas.

Job Fairs
Recruit potential employees into the trucking industry via job fairs. These fairs can take place at high schools, colleges, and universities, and participating can do a lot of things for the trucking companies that set up a booth. These fairs provide an opportunity for your company to give a positive view of available in the trucking industry. It’s important that the person manning the booth is a member of management, this way he has credibility as a source and he can offer interviews on the spot, if possible. There should also be cards or fliers with company information (including company Website); so that interested parties can conduct research on their own at a later date.

Benefits
While it’s true that employees need to have good pay, what will often turn them into loyal workers are the benefits offered by the company. Easy examples include health care, eye care, and dental plans that will ensure the overall health of a driver and his or her family. Another benefit that will make employees seriously consider a long term career is the amount of paid vacation received. For many truckers with families, it’s also important to make sure that they get time at home, guaranteeing that truckers will have a certain amount of time to spend at home is also a big draw. These types of benefits should be included in employment advertisements, whether in a newspaper or on television, and they should be listed alongside salary to catch potential employees’ interest.

Apprenticeship
Another great suggestion for the trucking industry is to offer an apprenticeship program. This allows people (usually students) to begin learning the trade of trucking. Going through an apprenticeship makes the job more structured, and it will weed out people who just aren’t interested enough in the job to stick with it. It will also make the trucking industry seem more approachable. It’s also important that this type of program be advertised extensively. Make announcements at the schools with which the company is affiliated, and have representatives from the company come to talk to classes and answer questions about the program. Put ads in local newspapers, and approach outreach educational facilities about including at least a blurb in their newsletter including all of the necessary contact information for the program.

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Lifestyle Trucker News

Charge filed in trucker death

More than a month after a Dodge Charger slammed into and killed an Amarillo truck driver standing by his rig on Lakeside Drive, deputies booked a 28-year-old man into the Potter County Detention Center on a state jail felony in the incident, records show.

Willie Edward Adams was arrested and booked into the facility Friday on a charge of criminally negligent homicide in the Sept. 13 death of Rudolfo Telles, 67, of Amarillo. Adams posted $5,000 bond the same day and was released.

Records indicating why officials charged Adams with criminally negligent homicide were unavailable Monday.

If convicted of the charge, Adams faces 180 days to two years in prison.

About 8:25 a.m. Sept. 13, Adams lost control of the Dodge Charger he was driving at 100 S. Lakeside Drive and struck Telles and Jimmy Soliz, 50, police said. Telles died at the scene.

Soliz was transported to a hospital with a leg injury after the incident. His condition is unavailable.

Telles, who had four daughters and was raising a grandson with his wife, and Soliz were standing outside Telles’ Mack truck, waiting to turn their rigs onto Southeast First Avenue and unload at Attebury Grain, family members said at the time. Adams’ Charger struck a left front tire on Telles’ Mack truck, then struck Telles, police said following the accident.

Telles had been working for Amarillo-based Soliz Trucking for about a year, said Jessie Soliz Jr., whose father owns the company.

Jessie Soliz Jr. said Soliz Trucking hauls grain to and from Amarillo and its surrounding cities and regularly uses Attebury’s elevator station on Lakeside.

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Lifestyle Trucker News

How to Track UPS Deliveries to Your Home

Tracking United Parcel Service deliveries to your home is relatively easy and does not require much time. UPS, according to its website, prides itself in being the “world’s largest package delivery company and a leading global provider of specialized transportation and logistics services.” The UPS website is a one-stop site where packages may easily be tracked.

1

Go to www.ups.com and select your location. Once you select your location, click on the blue arrow button to enter the site.
2

Click on the “Tracking” tab at the top of the screen. Once you click on the tab, the drop-down menu will show several options. Choose the “Track shipments” tab.
3

Enter the tracking number in the box provided and click the blue “Track” button that has an arrow on it pointing to the right.
4

There are also other ways to track a shipment to your home if you do not have the tracking number. The UPS website allows you to track the shipment to your home by using the email address that was provided at the time the delivery was processed. You may also have tracking information sent to your email address or to your cellular phone device.

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Lifestyle Trucker News

About Civil War Transportation

Travel during the Civil War was very slow. Railroads weren’t regulated, so frequent transfers were needed in some areas. Generally, trains and ships provided the fastest transportation but, in some locations, traveling via these methods was impossible if the enemy had control of the ports, depots or railroads. Even traveling by horse was dangerous in some areas.

Type
There were three main types of transportation during the Civil War. The main method of travel was by cutters on the waterways. This is how both sides transported the vast majority of goods. The second method of travel was by train. There were three types of train used during the Civil War. Supply trains transported goods. Passenger trains were used by civilians and military troops. Medical trains were used to transport the sick or injured. The third method of travel was by horse, sometimes with a buggy or carriage. Horses were used by civilians and the military. Buggies and carriages were used mostly by civilians.

Misconceptions
Many people believe that railroads provided the main transportation during the Civil War. This is untrue. Waterways, such as the Mississippi River, were the main way to travel. Railroads were generally used to move from one large city to another or to go to smaller cities along the railroad. Waterways, however, have numerous channels and outlets that could be used to get to locations not accessible by railroad. Ships, such as cutters, enabled both sides to transport supplies to troops easier than railroads did.

Significance
Control of the waterways and railroads played a big part in the Civil War. One of the main objectives of military maneuvers was to gain control of the railroads and ports because railroads and ships were the only ways to haul large amounts of goods over a long distance. Controlling the railroads and ports was an effective way to stop supplies from reaching enemy territory while allowing supplies into home territory.

Identification
All of the railroads during the Civil War were made of iron. Most of the railroads in the Northern states used rails that were 4 feet 8 ½ inches apart. In the Southern states, however, the railroads varied. Because of this, the Union military was able to transport more goods and soldiers using fewer transfers than the Confederate military. While both sides relied heavily upon ships to transport goods, Union ships were clearly superior as they were made of new materials. Confederate ships were made, and fixed, with melted, used metal from the homes of Confederate sympathizers.

Risk Factors
One of the major risk factors to any mode of travel during the Civil War was coming into contact with enemy troops. Locomotives and passenger trains, for example, could be intercepted by troops fighting for the other side. If this happened, any valuable goods, including food rations, would be confiscated by the troops. Just as dangerous was traveling by horse and buggy over any long distance. Horses were desperately needed by both sides, so these were often confiscated, leaving the traveler stranded, and many times injured if they tried to stop the confiscation.

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Lifestyle Owner Operators

Driving Etiquette

What is the saying? “Do unto others as you would have others do unto you?” If drivers remembered this,there would be fewer accidents on our highways today.

Everyone appreciates the good manners of the driver who: signals his turns, makes his stops smoothly, and gradually pulls into the proper lane well before making a turn. This not only shows “good manners,” but can save the lives of others-as well as the driver’s own.

The Courteous And Alert Driver
A good driver is alert, and knows about the local speed limits and the meanings of the signs. The courteous driver does not sneak through at the beginning or end of red lights. DARN! He always uses his signals. He looks before he backs into or out of a parking space and he parks carefully. The well mannered driver dims his headlights the minute another car approaches. If the other car fails to do likewise, he resists the temptation to flash his lights. He uses his horn in emergencies only.

Accidents
When a courteous driver scrapes the fender or inflicts minor damage to a parked car without its owner present, he leaves a note giving his name, his telephone number, and the name of the insurance company. If the owner is present, the courteous driver exchanges insurance information politely and contacts the proper authorities right away without incident.

Be Considerate of Others
Courtesy is most important to safe driving. The courteous driver considers how his actions will affect those behind, in front of, and beside him, and is alert to what other cars are doing as well. Because of this attitude, he is a safe driver..

Drinking & Driving
In our world today teens face the pressures of drinking. Drinking alone is bad enough, but when you drink and drive you are putting someone else’s life in danger. The most important part of well-mannered driving is to know NOT to drive when you have had too much to drink. If you’ve been drinking give your keys to someone who has not. Your reactions and reflexes are slowed down a lot when you have been drinking. Remember, the courteous driver is an alive one.

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Lifestyle Owner Operators

Problems in the Trucking Industry

Shipping goods by truck has always been a vital method of distribution in America. However, the trucking industry has been facing new threats and problems making its distribution method harder to maintain. The cost of fuel, highway congestion, competition, lack of new drivers and problems with long-hauling are factors contributing to the industry’s demise.

Fuel Costs

As economic crises loom and the tension of world affairs increases, the cost of fuel suffers. In February of 1999, the price per gallon was $1.18, compared to February of 2009 at $2.13 a gallon.

Highway Congestion

As more and more cars make it onto the highways, the ability for a trucker to make his trip in a timely manner decreases. Accidents, traffic congestion and highway construction can all lead to a loss of profit.

Competition

Some truckers have found work harder to come by in recessions. Oftentimes another trucker will offer to move the goods at a lower price.

Decline in Drivers

A decline in the number of drivers is another threat to the trucking industry. Because trucking has a high turnover, the industry is losing more drivers than it’s employing.

Long-Haul Shipping

One of the methods of shipping is the long-haul, moving a shipment of goods across the country in very little time. It’s stressing work because of the lack of sleep. Fewer drivers are willing to perform this task.

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Business Lifestyle

How to Start an Energy Brokers Business

Starting an energy brokerage firm takes market research and a careful business plan in order to be successful. Fortunately, there are plenty of resources available for entrepreneurs ready to start their business as an energy broker. Entrepreneur magazine reports that instability in traditional energy sources creates an opportunity for small-business to grow within the energy sector.

Before getting started, considering all your options is extremely important. You must know the size of the territory in which you’ll compete as well as your competitors. You must also decide if you want to go it alone or franchise.

Research the requirements to start an energy brokerage in your area. These requirements most likely include the regulation status of electricity in your municipality as well as who competes in your area. According to News Batch, energy deregulation refers to legislation permitting the energy market to regulate its own prices as opposed to having a government agency police the market. Gaebler reports that energy brokers operating in electricity markets in which you will not compete would also be a good source of industry information.

Consider franchising your energy brokerage instead of going it alone. Companies like Energy Brokers USA offer turn-key franchising packages which include everything from a customized website to business leads and earning potential for the life of the customer’s account.

License your business. Once you decide whether to operate an independent company or become part of a franchise, you will need to register your business with local government for taxation and licensing purposes. As a benefit, the Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities keeps an on line database of all competitive energy suppliers and licensed commercial brokers.

Getting Your Business Off the Ground

Call specific energy suppliers and arrange a contract that settles the terms under which they will supply your company with electricity. An energy brokerage franchise will take care of these contacts for you, though an independent energy brokerage will need to negotiate its own contracts. NewsBatch is a good resource for specifics regarding brokering deals in order to provide energy, including how to approach a supplier, the terms of a contract as well as any volume restrictions.

Contact potential commercial customers in your area whose needs your new company could serve. New account leads could be supplied by your franchiser if you choose to go in that direction. However, should you decide to operate independently, you will need to hunt your own leads. Energy Brokers USA advises building a client-base with long-term potential and who will use a significant volume of electricity.

Supply electricity to your new clients. Remember, though, that you are the broker. Once a business is your client, it is your responsibility to supply the client with electricity at the lowest cost based on your list of suppliers. Many franchisers will have this infrastructure in place for you as part of your deal, though you will have to pay franchising fees and other royalties for this privilege. If you operate independently, you will need to standardize how your energy brokerage will supply power to your clients. One idea, such as that implemented by Energy Brokers USA, is to use a website which automatically synchronizes your client’s account to the most efficient provider

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Freight Loads Lifestyle

How Does a Freight Forwarding Company Work?

When you had to get a product from one place to another, it used to be that you’d call a shipper who would send a truck over, pick it up and take it to wherever it was supposed to go. Today, though, international trade, fuel prices and economic considerations have conspired to make that trip for one pallet of widgets increasingly more expensive. Container shipping has solved the problem of distance, allowing one or more companies to combine shipping to a single destination.

The people who coordinate the movement of goods from place to place and put together a series of carriers to get it there used to be called “brokers.” Today they’re called “freight forwarding companies,” since they are responsible for delivery of goods as well as coordinating their movement.

Freight forwarding companies may have begun as direct shippers, but they all act as brokers, too. Your products may be picked up on pallets at your warehouse by a truck with the name of the freight forwarding company on it, but between your warehouse and your “load’s” destination, it may switch carriers from truck to airplane to train or ship and back to truck again. The logistics of this is up to the freight forwarder. He’s responsible for keeping track of the shipment as well as arranging for a network of carriers that provide the fastest or least expensive alternative–whatever you the shipper wants. Most freight forwarders have a computerized reporting system to locate a shipment that customers can check to find out where their property is at any time.

Freight carriers have only their own licensing, accounting and legal compliance with which to concern themselves. Freight forwarders must be licensed as carriers in all states where they operate, and forwarders who operate internationally must have the appropriate import and export licenses in each country in which they work. In addition, forwarders, acting as prime contractors, must check to make sure that each carrier they employ has proper licensing for the assignment, including maritime and aviation licenses. A freight forwarder must develop a unique system, known as logistics, to track each shipment, confirm carrier changes and follow up on deliveries as goods move along. The broker must package shipments properly, order containers and deliver them in place for carriers that require them.

Forwarders also frequently employ customs specialists to manage international shipments, including export and import declarations. Since freight forwarders act as authorized agents with power of attorney for clients, most have accounting and legal staff to ensure compliance with interstate and international regulations. The forwarding company collects and consolidates all carrier and supplier billing, bills the customer and distributes payments to individual carriers and suppliers. Modern freight forwarders are much more than just shipping brokers or freight carriers. They are managers responsible for the efficient movement of billions of dollars worth of goods over dozens of countries every day.