Categories
Business

Debate over the Working Time of Truck Drivers

In spite of a period of struggle by the organization, there is no indisputable situation that single version of law is superior to a new in positions of security and realism. Neither is probable to stay: Trucking is extremely varied and multifaceted occupation, it’s tough to count special effects of protection guidelines. Possibly by way of results, the laws are intensely debated.
In the meantime, trucking companies and execution community endure to mien occupation in operating limitation that is matter to modification by years by means of lawsuit developments and law implementation progress.
Below the expressions of the contract with Citizens and further assemblies tangled in frequent proceedings against present rulings, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has till twenty six July 2011, to present fresh regulation. The petitioner have the backup of permission to come back to the law court if even fresh ruling does not suit them, their original declaration clearly specifies that they do not liable to be reassuring.
They admit the organization’s inclination of modifying the eleven hour day-to-day reefer drivers perimeter to only ten hours, but strictly oppose their readiness to reflect possession of eleven hour limitation. They understand the obligation that drivers grow 2 nights of the break in their thirty four hour resume as the development but yet will favor the forty eight hour resume.
On another sideways, American trucking association speaks the suggestion is “excessively difficult, block occupied of pointless limitations on expert truck motorists and on its central, would considerably decrease trucking output.”
For more American trucking associations articles check our load board.
The organization told that it’s suggesting variations in present time of facility instructions to provide motorists litheness to receive a breakdown through daytime and decrease fitness and care dangers of lengthy times of labor. Here is a fact on variations and organization’s foundation.
Everyday motoring Time
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is bearing in mind the option of preventive everyday heavy motoring hours to ten hours in spite of the present eleven hours in spite of heavy loads available. The organization told that it favors ten hour duty time but still is observing for remarks and statistics on the present subject.
The essence of the organization’s explanation on present opinion is this that it doesn’t have sufficient dependable info to create the appeal any method.
“Assumed the vague but established association amid exhaustion, time about action, hour’s sleeplessness, and hour’s labor, here is sensible dispute for preventive motoring time to ten hours’ time,” the assistance speaks. It’s watching the statistics to compute several alterations in danger amid ten and eleven hours’ time. “A reply will crack on deliberating whole amount of smashes in every period and proportion of the heavy driving which receive residence in every sixty minutes.”
The organization confesses American trucking associations spat that preventing driving period to ten hours’ time will need transporters to employ additional inexpert drivers to cover available loads that will upsurge danger over the highway, nonetheless speaks the problem is not by way of grave as American Trucking Association proposes.
Most cargo are little heaved, and such truck loads available heavy motorists aren’t probable to drive ten hours period, not talking about eleven, the organization stated. In lengthy tow processes, twenty seven percentage of heavy motoring time lengthy into eleventh period, but it will be definitely increase exercise and administration of fresh drivers, the organization stated.

Categories
Trucker News

Restriction on Hand Held Cell Phone Usage!

The US transport department has come up with the newly proposed safety regulation, according to which the usage of hand held cell phone is restricted while driving any freight truck on the interstate roads. This issue was raised while still considering the FMCSA 2010 CSA legislation. This step will help in decreasing the distracted driving by the commercial drivers.
The secretary of the United States Transportation Authority, Ray La Hood has showed his support for the rule and further stated that he is highly convinced by the issue of this safety regulation as it will surely work in making the US freeways a safer place to drive. With this regulation imposed the truck driver will not lose their concentration from operating the truck to operating the hand held cell phone. Therefore the country will account for lesser number of accidents and loss of both lives and the carriage of available loads.
This regulation by Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration will restrict the driver from the usage of cell phone while driving. With its commencement the FMCSA might impose the civil penalties for violating the law. The penalties may range up to $2,750 and the regular offenders will be disqualified form driving the vehicle. This will mean a new threat to owner operator jobs. The discussions are further on as to consider the law implications. It might be the case that the driver’s CDL will be suspended when found guilty of violating the law of cell phone usage by commercial truck drivers while driving their vehicle, after the second instance.
The imposition of the law is not only restricted to the drivers, however the trucking companies and fright carrier companies will be held liable for such violation by their truck drivers. The trucking companies might face a hefty penalty of maximum of $10,000 for each instance. The execution of this regulation would affect the businesses and driving practices of more than 4 million of the US freight truckers.
The cell phone usage while driving is considered as one of the primary causes of inattentive driving leading to safety hazards on the road. According to the Administrator of Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), Anne Ferro this primary cause will be considerably reduced with the implementation of this rule. Anne Ferro further said that FMCSA is working hard to provide road safety for commercial vehicle drivers. Studies suggest that just reaching to a cell phone makes it 3 times more likely for an accident to occur. The risk rises considerably to 600% if the driver is dialing a number through his handset. Industries major carrier companies have already banned the use of cell phones by their truck drivers to play safe. Earlier this year FMCSA has already issued a regulation to ban text messaging while driving trucks. Although FMCSA is busy with the issue of CSA 2010, however rapid steps are taken forth to put this regulation into action as well.
Gain more knowledge on the subject by visiting our dedicated load board.

Categories
Business Carriers

Challenges Faced by the Trucking Industry Today

The trucking industry (also sometimes referred to as the logistics industry) is the name of a vital part of America’s economic activities. Trucking Companies provide Commercial Vehicles and drivers to carry goods from one part of the country to another. Transportation by Trucking is major way of transporting goods in the USA.
Trucks are used mainly for transporting materials and commercial products over land. Other incentives for the purpose are transportation by carriage trains and air carriage. Air and train cargo services have certain drawbacks however; the most obvious on is that both of these cannot go everywhere in the country but trucks can. This is due to the presence of vast and complex network of highways and trucking stations across the country.
Challenges to the Industry:
Unfortunately the trucking sector is facing a lot of problems these days. Many small Trucking Companies are closed or are under heavy debt and fighting for survival. Trucking sector provides many Owner Operator Jobs which are also adversely affected when the sector downsizes
Major causes of the down trend are discussed in this article.
The recent economic crunch is on a global scale. USA is certainly affected by the phenomenon. As the production and consumption of commercial goods is decreased the trucking industry has less and less loads availableto carry. This is one of the major causes of the down trend in trucking sector.
Other major problem for the trucking industry is fuel cost. Commercial heavy load carrying vehicles are diesel fueled. Diesel, along with other petroleum products, is continuously rising in price in past few years. As the fuel cost increase, trucking companies are left with no option than to increase their charges or cutting short on their man power etc.
Congestion on the freeways is yet another significant problem for the truckers. Roads are ever increasing in truck traffic and truck stations are crammed with Vehicles most of the time. Tough to meet security and safety regulation by federal and state authorities imposed on trucking companies worsen the situation.
With less freight to carry around the country truckers are struggling hard to get contracts. There are now internet based load boards. They offer loads which need to be moved by the truckers.
Authorities require truck drivers to be specially educated for the job. The ever hardening regulations and rules require more and more educated drivers. But properly educated truckers are not easily available everywhere. Shortage of drivers is also a major problem for the industry.
More and more states in the US are introducing environmental laws regarding emissions of carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide gases by petroleum based vehicles. These laws require trucks to use advanced emission reduction equipment; which add to the cost considerably.
Another major problem, which limits the truckers from working at their desire time of the day to get the most out of their trips around the country, is the Hours of Service regulations by National authorities.
These problems are deteriorating the trucking industry of the US. Small trucking companies are being kicked out of the game and big giants are expanding their reach.

Categories
Business Owner Operators

Profitable Owner Operator Business Practices

To evaluate any business performance one need to draw out the difference between its income and expenditures. The difference between the two accounts for the profitability of a business. In case of the owner operator jobs, the income is calculated from the paid mileage per month. And the expenditure would include the installment for truck and trailer payments, licenses and permits, tolls, fuel cost, insurance, maintenance and repairs, road and fuel tax, office expenses, factoring services and salaries. The difference in the two will give an owner operator its profit from the business.
If the expenditure is reduced, the income is automatically increased and thus the profit. Few essential business practices to generate profits for owner operators and small trucking companies:
Thorough research of the pros and cons of the industry: You cannot jump into this with your head first. If you have experience as a driver and you know the industry well then you can look forward towards it. However, if you are new to the industry then you need to do your homework before starting with the venture. All calculations and feasibility should be kept in mind.
Emergency Fund: For an owner operator job to run smoothly and climb the ladder of success it is a must to maintain an emergency fund. In case of the truck breakdown or any other crisis you can utilize the fund to solve the problem so that you can get back to roads soon to avoid more loss.
Adequate use of Load boards: With modern innovations you can utilize the services of load boards by large found on the internet. This will help your truck keep going on the roads. With its regular usage you will not have to depend on the traditional methods of personal approach. You can directly get exposure to better deals and loads available for hauling.
Coping with Deadheads: Sometimes it becomes inevitable to avoid deadheads and you have to haul loads to such dead areas. In this case you need to increase your pay per miles so that the deal comes out to be profitable for you. If this doesn’t work out and you are in a situation to afford to sit idle for a day than do not take the load and wait for a better business deal.
Factoring and Insurance Services: If you can make use of a person who can handle your business accounts such as receivables and collections then you should not avail factoring services. This would increase your profit margin. Similarly before taking up an insurance do market research and get the best offer in it.
Negotiate Well: You would maximize your profit if you negotiate with the clients and brokers well. Always calculate the minimum level below which you would not finalize the deal. As you need work the businesses and brokers too need you. Be flexible but not too much, make your requirements clear.
To become a successful O/O you need to have motivation along with set plan of actions and business skills. You can only be successful if you want yourself to be successful.

Categories
Freight Factors

Impeccable Factoring Service by RTS

To get the needed working capital for making rapid progress and business expansion, factoring is a great way. It can boost your company with needed cash flow. This is not a loan type which banks normally offer. It is just paying you for your bills earlier than you would otherwise get it from your shipper. In this current world and economic condition its very effective and a great alternative for banks. For owner operators and small truckers freight factoring has become a very beneficial and reliable financing tool.

Freight factoring is a service which is provided by RTS and it’s a much featured service of them. Many extreme benefits are introduced by the company. The most promising features are:

  1. The invoice processing system is digital and also has a very easy account set up system.
  2. The credit card issued by the company has unlimited access and also has the access to the customers reporting services.
  3. Every customer can have their own and single account representative who will keep the record of their every transaction on factoring. The account representative of yours will always be at your service.
  4. There are no hidden fees. Every transaction is open to customer so that customers can know where they are charged and where not.
  5. The RTS factoring rates are highly competitive.

RTS can also provide many financial facilities for the trucking companies. It understands the necessity of capital in this field of business.  As trucking companies have a lot of expenses like fuel cost, insurance, payroll etc. So they may need immediate cash at many times. In their critical condition RTS can help them by providing immediate cash. The company will purchase the freight bills of the owner operators and will provide the needed cash flow for the owner operator jobs.

There are many businesses which fail to come out with their ideas only because of not having sufficient cash in hand. RTS Freight factoring is a great solution for them. There is no debt incurred on you in return of fast and reliable service. You can find information about them online and also can find many effective links there like transportation publications, load boards, weather info etc.

RTS has a wide range of publication all over the world. Many international companies are linked with them for their featured services. Thus the company is playing a vital role in the global economy. It is very much proficient in their work field.

The company is still developing in many sectors as it strives to strengthen the position more and also expand their market position. Because of its services many international companies have become successful in achieving their goal and are still on their way with RTS. The need of working capital to make any freight and trucking business successful can be fulfilled by acquiring the freight factoring services by RTS. The company is known for its fast funding. The company also provides funds for fuel if needed. They can become and act as your collection partner to tackle the tough shippers.

Categories
Business Freight Factors

Factor with Freight Check

Freight Check is the company that aids in freight factoring. The company provides fast and reliable solutions in the line. The professional and well trained staff at Freight Check makes the freight factoring experience for you a pleasant one. There are a number of features that make Freight Check shine among its competitors:

1.       Freight Check holds expertise in serving Small Trucking Companies and Owner Operators. It helps the newly started company to get introduced to new reliable brokers; they will provide the required credit to take care of the initial start up of the business. An accountant service can also be availed to maintain your business accounts. The online credit check and reports help you to control everything that is factored.

2.       The cash requirement is met immediately with the same day funding feature by the Freight Check. When the bill is purchased the complete payment against the bill is done, unlike other factoring companies which hold the part of the funds in reserve account. The fee applied for bills purchasing is same for all the bills and the money against the bills is deposited to the Comcheck directly or over the phone.

3.       The Freight Check provides you with your Comchek cards for free. This card can be issued to your company or your truck drivers. The card will help you keep track of all the transactions that are done with the card like ATM withdrawals, debit transactions, phone calls etc.

4.       The company provides you the flexibility to choose a certain broker of which all the freight bills are automatically factored by the Freight Check in future, unless you stop the process. The Account Management center of this factoring company also provides credit information of all important brokers so that you can be aware of the broker you will be hauling for.

5.       There is no minimum and maximum limit that should be factoring every month.

6.       The Freight Check also provides complete administration support such as correspondence, invoicing, fuel cards entry, accounts and reporting.

7.       There is no close ended contract like for 6 months or 1 year when you use the Freight Check factoring services.

8.       No debt is created only the amount equal to the bills receivables is paid to you. The process only helps you get your money quickly and there is no need for owner operators to wait for 30-60 day periods.

9.       The factoring service is non-recourse.

How to avail the factoring service of Freight Check?

The quick and efficient way to get the funds receivable in your hand within the same day you submit your freight bills is now possible through Freight Check. You can submit your freight bills by simply opening an online account. The user Id and password will be provided to you upon registration. Whenever you want to use the factoring service of the company simply login with the credentials to the Account Management Center of the company. The center will track all the information of your account. You can submit an online factoring application by selecting the particular broker after the delivering of load. You will be funded the full amount same day with the Comchek card.

Use our loadboard for further information on factoring services and owner operators jobs information

Categories
Lifestyle

Is Truck Leasing Venture Feasible for Enterprising Truck Drivers?

For many drivers, working for a company may not be enough, and they always keep thinking of going ahead with a freight business of their own. However, these want-to-become owner-operators get discouraged when the face the reality about their financial potential. Giving recognition to such demands, many trucking companies have incorporated lease options, lease purchase and drive to own options for drivers who are not in a situation to fulfill their dreams through conventional financing modes.

The question arising here is whether leasing a truck would be able to bring you financial gain? The answer to this question mainly depends on your own conditions and the perspective you look from.

From the perspective of the truck driver, leasing a truck is the perfect option for them when they are not able to pay a hefty down payment and related start-up costs. Most carriers have come out with leasing opportunities for enterprising drivers, and thousands of drivers have been attracted by such offers.  Although the terms vary from one carrier to another, but most of them claim benefits for drivers in a number ways, including low deposits, low down payments, sometimes there are no down payments, no long-term contracts, pride of ownership, chance to drive higher specifications equipment, incentives on completion of lease and convenient credit standards. This allows lease operators to enjoy the taste of ownership without involving high financial risks. Most of the carriers market their leases as ‘walk-away’ leases, which mean that drivers can walk out of the lease in case the set-up does not work for some reason.

Some of the drivers have experienced truck leasing as a financial loss. Contrary to their expectations of fulfilling their dreams, these drivers have come to experience limitations and malpractices on the part of carriers, like low mileage, baseless deductions and complicated lease contracts drafted to benefit the carriers. Sometimes, the carriers tend turn the advantage of truck leasing completely in their favor. In such cases the drivers end up owing more to the carriers than they have been able to earn from their driving. Some of the main complaints recorded by drivers about their leasing carriers include large payments, over-charging for fuel taxes, inflated insurance fees, huge deposits, repair accounts and carrier-dictated repairs with rates decided by the carrier.

In addition to these complaints, drivers also charge that the method to clear repair and tire reimbursements is mostly not mentioned in the lease agreement, and sometimes the carriers make it almost impossible for the drivers to get these funds by fixing very high limits for minimum expenses.

And to aggravate the scene further, many carriers who promise a ‘walk-away’ lease, fail to release the funds collected from the drivers for deposits or repairs, in case the driver wants to leave the contract for any reason. Such experiences have led to the drivers questioning whether truck leasing opportunities are real opportunities or simply an easy way to a more complicated financial disaster.

Even though there have been instances that prove that leasing a truck may be a big gamble for drivers, but another side of the same story reports that there are numerous truck drivers who have turned their logistics business into a profitable enterprise. Therefore the drivers are primarily left with their own conscience to get to their personal conclusion.