Jan 20, 2017 • Carriers

Everything Truck Drivers Need to Know About Deadhead

If you are a new driver or maybe just received authority as an owner-operator, understanding what deadhead is can be critical when searching for the right load.

What is Deadhead?

Deadhead in trucking is when a truck driver is driving with an empty trailer. Since loads aren’t found in our backyards, deadhead is usually necessary for owner operators who must drive a certain distance to pick up a load.

Does the Trucking Company Pay for Deadhead?

Not necessarily. Some trucking companies will pay for deadhead mileage after the first 100 miles, although it isn’t required. For example, C.R. England pays independent contractors $.80 per deadhead mile. While company drivers typically get paid for deadhead mileage, owner-operators aren’t always as lucky and the cost could come out of pocket.

How to Limit Trucking Deadhead

The more often you haul cargo, the more you generally will earn. It’s a simple concept. In order to maximize earnings, it’s important for a trucker to stay loaded and avoid driving back empty. With the national average diesel prices forecasted to be $2.71 per gallon in 2017 (according to Gas Buddy),driving empty can become a costly issue for owner operators. At that price, a 200-mile deadhead with a Peterbilt or Mack truck that gets around 5 mpg could cost over $100, cutting into the profit a driver might earn. Deadhead might be the last resort if there are no loads nearby.

Dangers of Driving with an Empty Trailer

Trucking deadhead can be extremely dangerous for truck drivers. Trucks with an empty trailer weigh half as much as full ones. This can be problematic if a trucker is driving through an area with especially high winds. Not only can an empty trailer sway around and be difficult to control, it can flip open, causing serious injury. Be sure to always check the weather reports and wind conditions before heading out to pick up a load with an empty trailer.

Find Freight With Truckloads Free Load Board

Truckloads is a free load board connecting carriers with shippers. It features unlimited premium loads, customized search options and carriers can call brokers right from the app. Additionally, owner operators can search for over two million monthly loads nearby or based on deadhead. Carriers can also view the rate, days to pay and even view a brokers credit score.

Try Truckloads Free!

Recourse vs Non Recourse Factoring [p]Get paid in a day with freight factoring and understand the benefits and differences between recourse vs non recourse factoring.[/p] [h2]Recourse vs Non Recourse Factoring[/h2] [p]What's the difference between recourse vs non recourse freight factoring actoring? Say you're an owner-operator who's interested in freight factoring because you no longer want to wait 30 days to get paid for hauling a load. You come across a few factoring companies offering different rates and notice some are recourse factoring and others are non-recourse but don't know which freight factoring option is best.[/p] [h2]Recourse Freight Factoring[/h2] [p]With recourse freight factoring, you agree to sell your invoices to a factoring company that will then pay you after hauling a load (days to pay vary) however, you're responsible for collections from your client. Recourse factoring is commonly used in factoring finance however it presents the highest risk.[/p] [p] Even if a recourse factoring company has taken on your invoice or provided you an advance, you are still liable if they are unable to collect from your clients. This puts your business at risk for a potential loss.[/p] [h2] Non Recourse Freight Factoring [/h2] [p]The opposite is true for non recourse freight factoring. When you sell your invoices to the factoring company, you are not liable to collect from your clients. Instead, the factoring company pays you after hauling a load and they assume the risk if your client fails to pay. Due to this, typically a non recourse factoring rate is slightly higher because the burden to collect is placed on the factoring company and not you.[/p] [p] If you're an <a href="https://truckerpath.com/blog/how-to-become-an-owner-operator/">owner-operator</a> or manage a small fleet, it's usually more beneficial to choose non-recourse factoring in order to avoid a potential loss in revenue if there are complications with collections. Choosing a non recourse factoring company like Trucker Path InstaPay allows you to focus on running your business and haul more loads.[/p] [button-green href="https://truckerpath.com/instapay/?utm_source=blog&utm_medium=recourseornonJuly5"]Learn about InstaPay[/button-green] [video id=h3kXwM59BgM]

Jul 18, 2017 • Carriers

Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Approves Plan [p]President Donald Trump and the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee are focused on building what they refer to as a "21st-century infrastructure for America." Will issues addressing the [a href="https://app.appsflyer.com/com.sixdays.truckerpath?pid=Social Facebook"]trucking industry[/a] be considered?[/p] [h2]President Trump's Infrastructure Plan[/h2] [p]During his campaign, President Trump promised a $1 trillion plan to improve infrastructure. He has also outlined a project called the "Priority List: Emergency National Security Projects." President Trump's infrastructure plan is focused on rebuilding American roads, highways and railways while creating approximately 24,000 jobs over a 10-year span. In relation to truck drivers, [b]highways and bridges are proposed to be granted approximately $21.5 billion in funding for improvements and make up nearly 21 percent of jobs created within the plan.[/b][/p] [img src="https://truckerpath.com/uploads/2017/01/TrumpInfrastructureProjects-Mobile-2.jpg" alt=""] [p][i]Breakdown of President Trump’s proposed $140 billion infrastructure improvement plan.[/i][/p] [h2]Senate Democrats $1 Trillion Infrastructure Plan[/h2] [p]Last week, Senate Democrats introduced a $1 trillion [a href="http://www.feinstein.senate.gov/public/_cache/files/3/a/3a637d02-3dcd-4c21-8477-c9911f7fb94c/DD33CA340E4E7E4ED69C704ED09092EC.a-blueprint-to-rebuild-america-s-infrastructure.pdf"]infrastructure plan[/a] that included $10 billion for [b]TIGER Grants[/b] to invest in limiting transportation congestion and create projects with a focus on freight bottlenecks and shorter commutes.[/p] [h2]TIGER Grant Impact on Truck Parking[/h2] [p]In 2015, the USDOT issued $25 million in TIGER Grant funding for the Regional Truck Parking Information and Management Systems. The grant was issued for eight states including, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio and Wisconsin.[/p] [p]However, the USDOT was only able to fund [b]five percent[/b] of the amount requested by the states to complete proposals in the TIGER Grant program.[/p] [p]Currently, it is unclear what proposed infrastructure plan and the details associated with said plan will be passed.[/p] [h2]Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Oversight Plan[/h2] [p][i]Bill Shuster (R-PA),Chairman of Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.[/i][/p] [p]The committee has launched a [a href="http://transport.house.gov/building21/"]#buidling21[/a] campaign on social media focused on bringing awareness to its plan to rebuilt America – highlighting an infrastructure made for the 21st century. “Thanks to the hard work of our members, our committee has built a record of success over the last four years moving large, complex pieces of legislation to improve our transportation networks and our infrastructure,” said Shuster (R-PA). “This Congress, we have more work to do, and a golden opportunity to build a 21st-century infrastructure for America.”[/p] [video id="v3zZbhRLT3M"] [p]The Subcommittee on Highways and Transit, headed by Lloyd Smucker (R-PA),will focus its responsibilities on three specific implementations:[/p] [p][b]1. FAST Act Implementation[/b][/p] [p]The Fixing America's Surface Surface Transportation Act signed on December 4, 2015, authorizes $305 billion for infrastructure reform for highways, public transportation and safety improvements through the fiscal year 2020.[/p] [p][b]2. Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act Implementation[/b][/p] [p]The subcommittee will also continue oversight of [b]MAP-21[/b] which includes the principles of:[/p] [ul] [li]Raising the bar to enter the industry and operate on American roads[/li] [li]Holding motor carrier and drivers to the highest safety standards[/li] [li]Removing the highest risk drivers, vehicles and carriers from American roads[/li] [/ul] [p][b]3. Monitor Highway Trust Fund (HTF) Revenue[/b][/p] [p]The federal highway and transportation programs are financed through taxes placed on fuel and products such as heavy-duty truck tires. The revenue gathered from these taxes fund the HTF and meet the needs of future transportation investments.[/p] [button-white href="http://transportation.house.gov/uploadedfiles/2017-01-31-115th_authorization_and_oversight_plan.pdf"]Oversight Plan[/button-white]

Jan 31, 2017

5 Meal Prep Tips [p]It isn’t difficult to meal prep if you have a full kitchen and the time to do so. If you have to go without either of those, it can be about as enjoyable as tattooing yourself with a pairing knife and red-onion ink. We don't advise you to try that either. Instead, try these meal prep tips [a href="https://app.appsflyer.com/com.sixdays.truckerpath?pid=Social Facebook"]for any truck driver[/a].[/p] [p]There are practical ways that you can save time and work with less, allowing you to meal prep and prevent your truck cab from looking like a scene from the [i]Texas Chainsaw Massacre.[/i][/p] [h2]1. Batching[/h2] [p]Batching is a principle that will save you time in more than just meal prep. It is the idea of grouping time-consuming tasks together to minimize set up time and unnecessary repetition. For example, when cooking you should find a time to spend about an hour cutting up vegetables, fruit, and meats into the required sizes for cooking so that your meal preparation doesn’t have to include the time necessary for the setup and clean up from that process every time.[/p] [p]It is much easier to throw a few already prepped ingredients into a Crock-Pot and keep driving until they are finished cooking instead of having to prepare your ingredients and cook them all at once. Batching will also greatly simplify your food storage and cut down on wasted space, something that is a premium in your truck.[/p] [giphy]<iframe src="https://giphy.com/embed/c1QkCUFZzr2ZW" width="480" height="269" frameBorder="0" class="giphy-embed" allowFullScreen></iframe>[/giphy] [h2]2. Crock-Pot Recipes[/h2] [p]When you are on the road for long hours and have to make up time, the Crock-Pot is your friend, a friend that you should rely on often. A Crock Pot or slow cooker is an excellent tool for producing high-quality meals with very minimal time and effort. You can simultaneously cook meat for breakfast, lunch, supper, as well as potatoes, onions, carrots, sweet potatoes, leeks, mushrooms, bell peppers, and garlic, to be used different meals throughout the day.[/p] [p]Being on the road shouldn't restrict your ability to prepare meals. Sure it's not as easy as having a full-service kitchen, yet it's possible to eat delicious and healthy meals out of your truck. You can make chili, chicken with roasted red potatoes and carrots or even a pork tenderloin roast. Your mouth watering yet?[/p] [p]What are you waiting for? It's not like you're stuck in a dock for your truck to be unloaded. Well, maybe some of you truck drivers actually are. In that case, now is the time to start your meal prep.[/p] [p][a href="https://thehungryhauler.com/"]Try some of these easy recipes now![/a][/p] [h2]3. Reuse and Modify Ingredients[/h2] [p]Reusing and modifying ingredients can instantly make your life easier! The basic idea is to cook one kind of meat, like chicken or lean beef that will work well with a variety of other sides to make different meals. In one day you might have a roast beef sandwich, a fresh spinach salad with onions, mushrooms, cheese and chopped roast beef for protein, and a proper roast beef dinner. You can manipulate flavors with different sauces to further distinguish meals from each other. Using the Crock-Pot will allow you to cook the beef and vegetables with a savory sauce in just a few hours while you are driving.[/p] [h2]4. Raw Foods[/h2] [p]Eat foods that require no prep! It's the simplest way to eat while on the road. As a trucker, you won't always have time to meal prep while delivering loads on a strict dock schedule. Stay full longer with raw foods like:[/p] [ul] [li]Nuts[/li] [li]Bananas[/li] [li]Apples[/li] [li]Carrots[/li] [li]Grapes[/li] [li]Yogurt[/li] [li]Granola Bars[/li] [/ul] [p]High-protein snacks like nuts, low-sodium beef jerky and yogurt can keep you full longer and taste great. They will help you even out low blood sugar levels between meals and keep you from either overeating at meal times or impulsively stopping for a Big Mac. Sure that greasy burger can be so tempting but it can also cause you and your truck a lot of headaches.[/p] <iframe style="border: none; overflow: hidden;" src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https:%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FTruckerPath%2Fposts%2F933437856802497:0&width=500" width="500" height="489" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe> [p]Remember you don’t need or want, to eat 5 or more large meals per day. The idea is to eat a reasonable amount of food, more often and in smaller amounts per meal to avoid making a train-wreck of your digestive system.[/p] [h2]5. Drink Less Pop and Juice[/h2] [p]Pop or soda, whatever you prefer to call it, sugary drinks like Coke and Sprite are equally refreshing as they are hazardous to you. They are full of sugar and sugar substitutes that aren’t doing you any favors except spiking your sugar levels and leading to obesity. Having one every now and then isn't horrible but it shouldn't be a regular occurrence. By regular we mean more than once a week.[/p] [p]Opt for only 100 percent juices and drink coffee or tea, hot or cold, but preferably without sugar. This will save your health and your wallet big time! You can easily make coffee or tea last most of your day by purchasing a good thermos to keep your drink hot or cold. You can also try flavor herbal teas and steep them with water and lemon juice for a healthy alternative to drinks full of sugar.[/p] [giphy]<iframe src="https://giphy.com/embed/DThaUIr0f1mkE" width="480" height="269" frameBorder="0" class="giphy-embed" allowFullScreen></iframe>[/giphy] [p]Life as a trucker can be an amazing adventure and a rewarding career. But for too many truck drivers it can be a life-ending career, with many dying fifteen to twenty years before the national expectancy. Many of the health problems that take the life of truckers before their time can be reduced dramatically by taking control of food intake and making healthier choices. Here's to another Wellness Wednesday![/p] [br][p][i]Contributor: John Heslop[/i][/p]

Jan 25, 2017