Trucking Safety: “S” Is For The Safe Driver

By Annette Estes

Have you ever wondered why some drivers seem to be accident prone and others have never caused an accident? Would you like to know you're getting safe drivers before you hire them?

Safety research shows you can determine driver applicants' probability of causing future accidents by determining their behavioral style and attitudes. (Source: Behavioral and Values Associates, 1993.)

A behavioral assessment measures a person's normal behavior in four areas: D (Dominant), I (Influencing), S (Steadiness), and C (Cautious, Compliant to Standards).

The D factor determines how drivers tend to handle problems and challenges, the I factor looks at their interactions and influence with others, the S at how they respond to the pace of the environment, and the C at how they respond to company and federal rules and regulations set by others.

A DISC behavioral assessment shows how the applicant ranks in each of the four factors from 0% to 100%. Fifty percent is the mid line; above this the person is said to be high in the factor, below 50% - low. The higher or lower the ranking, the more intense the behavior will be. In this article, we'll look at the highs and lows of the S factor.

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Truck Loads Of Freight? Learn How To Win In The Trucking Industry

By Marco Terry

As a trucking company owner, you know that the transportation industry is very profitable. And, it’s safe to say that the industry will grow steadily for the years to come. If only because people are buying more things and someone needs to haul the stuff around. There has never been a better time to own a trucking company.

There are three keys to growing your trucking company successfully.

First, find truck loads of cargo and freight

The key to winning in the trucking game is to find clients with truck loads of freight that need to be hauled. There are a few ways to do this. Many owners rely on the internet and go to freight boards or load boards to try and get loads. This is a good strategy because there are a number of reputable boards that can certainly keep your business humming for a long time. Another advantage of truck boards is that they help you reduce your infamous deadhead trips – trips where you are returning home without hauling anything.

Second, work with reputable clients and freight brokers

Although load boards are great, you also want to work with established freight brokers reputable freight broker will help you get loads so that your trucks are always running. They will also help with the proper paperwork and documentation, and lastly, they will ensure that you get paid.

However, not all freight brokers or clients are created equal. Be sure to check them out before doing business with them. You can do this by asking them for references or by checking their commercial credit.

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Trucking Freight? How To Get Truck Loads Of Financing With Factoring

By Marco Terry

As a trucking company owner you are very aware that transportation companies are quite demanding when it comes to cash flow. They need regular cash to be able to meet all the ongoing expenses. As long as cash is coming in at a nice rate, your trucking company operates like a well-oiled machine. But if there is a hiccup in the cash flow, the well oiled machine starts creaking. And if there is a major cash flow problem, gears start flying all over the place and the so-called well oiled machine comes to a grinding stop.

What is the biggest source of cash flow problems for small and mid sized trucking companies? Slow paying clients. Clients that take up to 60 days to pay their freight bills. Although large trucking companies can certainly handle waiting – small trucking companies with few power units usually cannot afford the wait. As an owner, you need the money and you need it now.

Is the solution to turn away slow paying clients? Absolutely not. That would be business suicide. The solution is to eliminate the wait by financing your freight bills using freight bill factoring.

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