Author: Marcela De Vivo

Five Inspiring Stories of Women In Trucking

Posted on March 8, 2021 by Marcela De Vivo - Women’s History Month

In celebration of International Women’s Day and Women’s Month, we thought we’d take a look back at four women who broke ground in the trucking industry.

These women helped pave the way for female truck drivers by fighting stereotypes, sexism, and harassment. Here are five inspiring stories of early women in trucking.

Lillie Elizabeth Drennan

The jury is out on which woman was the first licensed female truck driver. However, Lillie Elizabeth Drennan is certainly in the running, having obtained her CDL in 1929.

She and her husband started the Drennan Truck line in 1928. At first, only her husband drove a Model-T Ford but eventually they purchased a second Chevy that Lille drove.

When she and her husband later divorced, Lillie maintained sole ownership of the company they had started. Until 1952, she ran the business and drove a truck with an apparently perfect safety record (despite lack of HOS regulations at the time).

She received much acclaim throughout her career for her colorful personality and strict training methods for new drivers.

Adriesue “Bitsy” Gomez

In 1976, Time Magazine featured an article about Bitsy’s game-changing activism on behalf of women in trucking. She formed her own coalition of women truck drivers and fought against sexual harassment and the exclusion of women from truck stops. Through legal action and just plain persistence she helped break down barriers for women truck drivers.

Luella Bates

According to some sources, Luella Bates was actually the very first woman to get her CDL in 1920. But what is certain is that she was the first woman to consistently drive trucks professionally, having been a test driver during the first world war. By most accounts, she is also the first woman to drive across the United States in a truck.

Mazie Lanham

Mazie Lanham was the first female UPS truck driver. She began working for them during World War II as many women began filling in for men in America. UPS continued hiring women as truck drivers during and after the war.

Rusty Dow

Rusty Dow was another woman who was called into service during World War II. She was employed by the Alaska Defense Command and drove over the treacherous ice roads and through the largely untamed wilderness. She became the first woman to drive the entirety of the Alaska Highway in 1944.

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Everything You Need To Know About Frost Laws

Posted on March 2, 2021 by Marcela De Vivo - trucking regulations

In an effort to curb damage to roadways in the northern United States, seasonal weight restrictions (also known as frost laws) are put into effect every year as the roads start to thaw out.

Typically, from March to May, authorities will limit the weight of trucks and/or speed of trucks that can travel on certain roads while the ground is soft.

Here’s every state that puts frost laws into effect and what you need to know when traveling in northern states in the spring.

States with Frost Laws

Idaho

Idaho will sign and mark affected state highways the day before the weight and/ or speed restrictions are in effect. On those sections of highways trucks and buses weighing 10,000 pounds or more will be restricted to 30 mph in critical areas. For specific information about which routes are posted, check out this link.

Illinois

Illinois has seasonal weight restrictions on non-state roads only. State roads do not have frost laws in effect.

Iowa

While Iowa does put frost laws into effect, specific information is difficult to find. Check this link for a map of counties with restrictions in place. Try this link for more resources.

Maine

Maine updates frost laws online so that you can always have the most up-to-date information. Find the latest info here.

Michigan

Michigan updates frost laws online so that you can always have the most up-to-date information. Find the latest info here.

Minnesota

While Minnesota does put frost laws into effect, specific information is difficult to find. Check this link for dates when restrictions go into place. Try this link for contact information for specific counties.

Montana

Montana updates frost laws online so that you can always have the most up-to-date information. Find the latest info here.

New Hampshire

New Hampshire updates frost laws online so that you can always have the most up-to-date information. Find the latest info here.

New York

New York updates frost laws online so that you can always have the most up-to-date information. Find the latest info here.

North Dakota

North Dakota updates frost laws online so that you can always have the most up-to-date information. Find the latest info here.

Ohio

Ohio has seasonal weight restrictions on non-state roads only. State roads do not have frost laws in effect.

Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania updates frost laws online so that you can always have the most up-to-date information. Find the latest info here.

South Dakota

South Dakota updates frost laws online so that you can always have the most up-to-date information. Find the latest info here.

Vermont

Vermont has seasonal weight restrictions on non-state roads only. State roads do not have frost laws in effect.

Washington

Washington provides an updated list of truck restricted roads online. However, roads with seasonal weight restrictions are not specifically listed there.

Wisconsin

Wisconsin updates frost laws online so that you can always have the most up-to-date information. Find the latest info here.

Wyoming

Wyoming updates frost laws online so that you can always have the most up-to-date information. Find the latest info here.

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These Newly Colorized Vintage Trucking Photos Look Like They Were Taken Yesterday

Posted on February 23, 2021 by Marcela De Vivo - trucking history

While trucking has always been a way to transport goods, the industry has changed a lot in it’s roughly 100 year history.

In the last 10 years alone, we’ve seen the rise of ALOGs, then ELDs, and now it seems electric and self-driving trucks might be just over the horizon. So we wanted to look back through the history of trucking and get a glimpse of how the industry got started and what it used to be like.

To make these images feel even more real, we utilized a computer program to colorize these old semi truck photos. We know you’ll love this trip through the history of the trucking industry.

1. A driver for a construction company, 1918.

2. A fleet of trucks owned by R. Crealy, 1920.

3. Swift Ice Cream Company (no not that Swift), 1955.

4. Loading a truck at the Associated Transport Company, New York City, 1943.

5. Associated Transport Company, New York City, 1943.

6. Checking a trailer at Davidson Transfer Company in Baltimore, Maryland, 1943.

7. Associated Transport Company New York city, 1943(?).

8. Associated Transport Company yard jockey moving truck in Baltimore, Maryland, 1943.

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How to Claim a Tax Refund for Stolen or Destroyed Vehicles with Form 8849

Posted on February 17, 2021 by Marcela De Vivo - Claim Form 8849

No matter how carefully you drive, accidents can still happen. If your truck was recently stolen or destroyed, we want to extend our condolences to you. We understand just how big of a role your truck plays in your business and life.

If you drive under your own authority, your truck is your whole livelihood. Fortunately, in most circumstances, with insurance, stolen or destroyed vehicles are covered. Plus, you can likely recover some amount of HVUT payment for the year with IRS Form 8849.

What is Form 8849?

The IRS Form 8849 is used to claim a refund for excise taxes. Your Form 2290 HVUT payments are considered excise taxes. There are 2 scenarios in which you can claim a Form 2290 refund.

You paid the full HVUT amount but drove fewer than 5,000 miles (7,500 for agricultural vehicles)
Your vehicle was stolen or destroyed.

The first scenario doesn’t happen too often in our experience. However, if your vehicle was stolen or destroyed recently, you should definitely file Form 8849 to get a Form 2290 refund for whatever you had left on the year.

How to File Form 8849

Before filing your Form 8849, make sure you have proof of your vehicle being stolen or destroyed. This would typically be something like a police report, insurance claim form, or even pictures.

The simplest way to file Form 8849 is to e-file with ExpressTruckTax. With this method, clear Form 8849 instructions will be presented to you as you fill out the return. Plus, your return will be transmitted immediately to the IRS.

If you filed your original Form 2290 with ExpressTruckTax, your information will already be in our system when you go to file your IRS 8849. You simply need to use that vehicle’s details on the new return.

After submission, the IRS will notify you within 4-12 weeks by mail if your 2290 refund was approved. There are two possible letters you could receive. The first possible letter will ask you for more information and have instructions for where to send that information. The other letter will contain approval and a check with the balance 2290 refund owed back to you.

File Form 8849 today

The whole Form 8849 process will take about 5 minutes to complete with ExpressTruckTax, and you can file from anywhere you find yourself.

As always, our US-based customer service team will be here to support you every step of the way.

How To Safely Navigate Winter Trucking

Posted on February 15, 2021 by Marcela De Vivo - Winter driving

If you’ve been on social media this week, you’ve probably seen the scary footage of the icy interstate pileups in Texas and Iowa. Icy, snowy, and wet conditions can make winter trucking tricky, but you can’t just stop driving until Spring arrives. Instead, you have to drive through some wintery conditions, so do it correctly, and know when to stop. Here are some winter driving tips for truck drivers.

Prepping For Snow

Before embarking on a winter trucking trip, check the weather. Keeping your life and preventing accidents is more important than getting tons of skittles to Wal-Mart. However, we do understand the certain situations when a delivery of essential items needs to be made.

Pack a bag of emergency items. Include extra blankets, and warm clothes like a waterproof jacket, a warm hat, gloves, and boots, in case you have to get out of your cab and wait to be rescued. If you stay in your cab you’ll need those blankets to keep warm. A dead truck won’t fill the cab with heat.

Your emergency kit should also include food and water in case you get stranded, a flashlight and flares, a windshield scraper, jumper cables, chains or traction mats, and a bag of salt or sand.

When you’re getting ready to leave and at every stop, top off your gas and make sure your windshield fluid is topped off with fluid that won’t freeze. Also, make sure your truck has antifreeze and has been serviced for winter trucking. Your tires should be winter tires or all season tires to have deeper grooves for more traction.

Make sure that your heaters and defrosters are all working properly, along with your window wipers, which you should have a really good pair to wipe thick snow and ice away.

Defrost your windows completely and wipe all the snow away for the best visibility while truck driving in snow. Then wipe any snow from your headlights, tail lights, and blinkers away, so you can see and people can see you. Also, don’t forget to wipe the snow off the top of your cab!

While driving, slow down. Don’t accelerate too quickly, don’t brake too hard, and don’t take turns too quickly. Keep a firm grip on the wheel, stay calm, and don’t make sudden jerky movements. Never use cruise control as it over spins the tires if you start to slip or slide.Keep extra distance between you and the vehicle ahead of you. If you’re whizzing past people creeping in the right line, slow down.

Watch out for black ice. When conditions are between 22 to 32 degrees, it’s actually the most dangerous because the snow and ice are very wet and slippery, and the road freezes in some places that can be hard to see.

Be careful when you approach bridges, as they freeze first and can be tricky. Plus, pay attention to all road signs, they’re pretty serious with winter conditions. If a curve should be taken at 35 mph don’t push it.

Should you start to slip and lose control do not slam on the brakes, especially if your trailer isn’t straight. Ease off the gas and gently glide to a stop while maintaining your steering.

If you have any doubts whatsoever, then it’s time to stop. No need to push it. Simply pull off at safe location and wait it out. In most cases snow plows have interstates and ramps cleared pretty quickly.

Happy Trucking

Winter has already been tough this year. Be prepared with the tools necessary to make it through truck driving in snow, be safe, and know when to stop.

For more winter trucking tips visit ExpressTruckTax and please share your stories about winter trucking in the comment section below.

File IRS Form 7004 For Extra Time On Your Business Taxes

Posted on February 11, 2021 by Marcela De Vivo - Business Taxes

Time can get away from the best of us, especially when we’re dealing with complicated things like taxes.

If you still need to file your business taxes for 2020 and don’t know when you’re going to find the time to pull together all your information and documents, you’ve got options.

If you file Form 7004 by March 15, 2021, you can get an automatic extension of up to 7 months.

Don’t believe us? Let’s cover how business tax extensions work.

What is IRS Form 7004?

IRS Form 7004 is most often used by businesses, estates and trusts to request an automatic 6-month extension to file certain business income taxes.

The filing process for Form 7004 is super quick. You just have to provide your business information and your estimated tax due, and you’re good to go.

You don’t even have to offer an explanation to the IRS. Simply saying that you need more time is enough.

You will only use Form 7004 for business taxes. If you need an extension on your personal taxes, you can use Form 4868.

Which return deadlines does Form 7004 extend?

Form 7004 grants extensions for 33 IRS.

The following forms get 6-month extensions only if your tax year ends during any other period besides July 2 and December 31st:

Form 1120
Form 1120-C
Form 1120-F
Form 1120-FSC
Form 1120-H
Form 1120-L
Form 1120-ND
Form 1120-PC
Form 1120-POL
Form 1120-REIT
Form 1120-RIC
Form 1120S
Form 1120-SF

The following forms get a 6-month extension regardless of tax period:

Form 706-GS (D)
Form 706-GS (T)
Form 1041 (bankruptcy estate only)
Form 1041-N
Form 1041-QFT
Form 1042
Form 1065
Form 1065-B
Form 1066
Form 1120S
Form 3520-A
Form 8612
Form 8613
Form 8725
Form 8804
Form 8831
Form 8876
Form 8924
Form 8928

The following Certain Trust and Entities qualify for an automatic 5 1/2 -month extension:

Form 1041 (estate)
Form 1041 (trust)

How do you file a business tax extension Form 7004?

Log in to your account and click on the ‘Create Business Tax Extension’ button on the dashboard.
Enter the business and contact details. Click Next.
Select the type of your business entity and the tax form for which you want to file an extension.
Select the Tax Year – calendar or fiscal year- and enter the tax estimates along with the payment you want to make.
Choose the payment option EFW or EFTPS to pay the IRS.
Review the form and transmit it.

Get a tax extension today!

Use ExpressExtension! It’s super easy, super convenient, super accurate, and super affordable. File your Form 7004 today!

Starting a Trucking Company? This is The Software For You

Posted on February 5, 2021 by Marcela De Vivo - Trucking Business

Getting your authority? Building your own fleet? Either way, you’re going to have a lot more responsibility soon.

You’re going to need a comprehensive trucking business management software to keep track of loads, dispatches, invoices, expenses, and so much more.Thankfully, our sister product TruckLogics business management software has solutions for everything you could possibly need. Let’s talk about how TruckLogics can help you start a trucking company.

Starting a Trucking Company with TruckLogics:

Loads & Truck Dispatches

When you’re starting a trucking business, it needs to be flexible and mobile, able to go with you anywhere.With TruckLogics, you can organize all your loads and truck dispatches in one central location. And then with the TruckLogics mobile app, you can access and edit this information from anywhere.

Shipper, consignee, truck, trailer, driver, and payment information can all be recorded when you create a load. Additionally, with our ProMiles integration, you can estimate mileage for per-mile fees and truck and trailer service intervals.

Then, you can assign each load to a specific driver who will receive an automated notification of an assigned truck dispatch. Right from the TruckLogics mobile app, each driver can send updated check calls and communicate with dispatch while on the road.

Invoices

Once the truck dispatch is completed, TruckLogics can generate an accurate, professional-looking invoice for your trucking business to send to your clients. It can be printed, emailed, or faxed.

Running LTL loads that you need to split up into multiple invoices for multiple clients? Not a problem. TruckLogics can do that too! They can even handle brokers and agents for your trucking business.

Expenses

One big issue you will face when starting a trucking business is how to keep track of expenses while on the road.

TruckLogics gives you the ability to notate expenses like fuel-ups and food purchases from the mobile app. You can even upload photos of your receipts to access later.If you want to get serious about your bottom line, you can run automatically generated profit and loss reports like cost per mile and revenue per mile. All this will help you stay in the black.

IFTA

One of the best parts about tracking everything in TruckLogics is that when the quarterly IFTA deadline rolls around, they will generate a report for you to file with.

As long as you have tracked mileage and fuel-ups for each truck, TruckLogics will do all the hard calculations for you.

Try TruckLogics Free

Get a 15-day free trial of TruckLogics. There’s no obligation and no payment information required to give it a test drive!

How ExpressTruckTax Helped Truckers in 2020

Posted on February 2, 2021 by Marcela De Vivo - ExpressTruckTax benefits

2020 was a wild year, but through it all the American trucker led the way in hauling our goods and keeping our shelves stocked. We want to thank you and let you know that we were working for you every step of the way. Here are just a few of the ways that ExpressTruckTax helped to support American truckers during 2020.

Trademark

Out of the over 31 million businesses in America, only around 800,000 have a trademark. This legal designation helps American businesses identify their products and services and distinguish them from those of their competitors. We are excited to go into 2021 having officially secured the trademark for ExpressTruckTax!

Over the past ten years, we have had the good fortune to develop a distinctive history and reputation with our loyal following of American truckers. As such, we have become the market-leading Form 2290 e-filing solution. As we continue to add more features and tools, we would like our new and returning clients to be assured that they are getting the best quality software on the market at an affordable price.

Thankfully, our approved trademark for “ExpressTruckTax” will help us eliminate dishonest copycats who have been intentionally misleading American truckers by misrepresenting our brand. You can rest assured that we will always defend ourselves against infringements past and present. Thank you for your trust, and we will continue to fight to provide top quality service at an affordable price.

Prefiling

In 2020, truckers helped America and we wanted to give them a chance to beat the Form 2290 crowds of August and September by filing ahead of time. Prefiling also means that ExpressTruckTax clients have their forms processed first by the IRS, so they get their stamped Schedule 1 back fast.

So to help more truckers have peace of mind about their Heavy Vehicle Use Taxes (HVUT), we opened up prefiling earlier than ever. Starting in May of 2020, truckers could pre-file their 2020-21 Form 2290 and ExpressTruckTax sent them to the IRS as soon as they began processing 2290s on July 1.

We look forward to providing e-filing services early again this year. Be on the lookout this spring!

ExpressGuarantee

In a further effort to give back to truckers in 2020, we put in place our new ExpressGuarantee. This new feature guarantees that Form 2290s filed through our system will be accepted by the IRS and clients will receive their stamped Schedule 1 or their money back.

Our US-based customer support team will also do everything they can (for free) to resolve IRS rejections. If they still cannot get your 2290 accepted, we will refund your service fee, no questions asked. Now there’s no reason not to file with us!

ExpressStats

During peak 2290 season, in July and August of 2020, we published some of our most interesting statistics about truckers. While no personal information whatsoever was disclosed, the stats represented a snapshot of data among our thousands of clients. This information included most popular truck brands, cities and states with the largest number of HVUT e-filers, and much more.

Check out ExpressStats now!

File your 2290 today

If you need to file your Form 2290, be sure to take advantage of our ExpressGuarantee and get your stamped Schedule 1 back quickly!

Pricing starts at just $9.90 for a single truck.

Prepare For The 4th Quarter IFTA Deadline Now!

Posted on January 25, 2021 by Marcela De Vivo - IFTA reporting

Congratulations on another year behind the wheel! 2020 was a wild year for all of us (especially truckers).

There’s no telling what 2021 will have in store for you as you keep on truckin’. We’re sure you’ve come up with some great new years resolutions. One resolution you should add is getting started on the 4th quarter IFTA deadline that’s coming up on February 1.

Prepare For The 4th Quarter IFTA Deadline

Your 4th quarter IFTA return is due in about a week so we’re here to help you prepare for the deadline. If you need a little refreshing, IFTA is the International Fuel Tax Agreement put in place by the 48 contiguous United States and 10 Canadian provinces.

It was created in order to simplify the reporting of fuel used by qualifying motor vehicles that travel between at least two or more jurisdictions. The collected taxes are redistributed among the jurisdictions.

Your vehicle qualifies for IFTA reporting if it:

Has two axles and a gross vehicle weight exceeding 26,000 pounds
Has two axles and a registered gross weight exceeding 26,000 pounds
Has three or more axles regardless of weight
Or has a combination weight exceeding 26,000 pounds.

In order to comply with IFTA, you will apply for your IFTA license with your base jurisdiction or home state and keep it in your cab at all times. You will also receive two IFTA decals that you will need to keep on your driver’s side door at all times. Plus, you will need to complete your IFTA return four times a year.

You will need to provide the following information to complete your IFTA return:

Total miles traveled per jurisdiction
Total gallons of fuel consumed per jurisdiction
Total tax paid gallons of fuel purchased per jurisdiction
And the current tax rate per jurisdiction.

If you fail to complete your IFTA return you will have some penalties to face and they aren’t cheap. If you fail to file by the deadline you will face a penalty of $50 or 10% of the total amount due, depending on which amount is higher.

Then you will face a monthly fee of .4167% of the tax due until you fully pay the amount you owe. States also reserve the right to impose their own penalties and revoke your IFTA license, which would park you!

Check out ExpressIFTA

But you don’t have to worry. ExpressTruckTax has a sister-product called ExpressIFTA that makes IFTA reporting incredibly easy online. You can track all of the totals you need to complete your return in one convenient location!

Plus, you can import all of your information all at once with the bulk upload feature and import all of your information at once. Also, you can import all of your mileage information directly from your GPS.

Best of all, all of your totals will be automatically calculated in a quarterly IFTA report that can be downloaded, printed, emailed, and used to instantly complete your IFTA return! It’s the fastest and most hassle-free way to handle IFTA.

Trucking Business Owners, Have You Filed Form 941 For The 4th Quarter of 2020?

Posted on January 22, 2021 by Marcela De Vivo - Trucking Business

You just paid your Heavy Vehicle Use (HVUT) 2290 tax with the help of ExpressTruckTax, so you can finally relax, right? Filing was super easy! However, more deadlines are waiting just around the corner.

It seems like taxes never end, especially if you’re a small business owner because you have another tax deadline on the horizon! The 4th quarter Form 941 deadline is on February 1!

Wait, what is Form 941?

Form 941 is the Quarterly Federal Tax Return and it’s basically a report that’s used to disclose employment taxes for those who own and operate a business with employees. This means that anyone or any business, like a trucking business owner for example, that pays wages to an employee must file Form 941 on a quarterly basis. That’s right, four times a year, just like IFTA.

As an employer, you are responsible for withholding Medicare tax, social security tax, and federal income tax from your employee’s paychecks. You’re also responsible for sending these taxes to the IRS. Form 941 is used to report the amount of taxes you withhold from your employee’s paychecks for the quarter and to pay the employer’s portion of Medicare and social security taxes to the IRS.

How to E-file Form 941

Luckily for you, we have an IRS-authorized sister, TaxBandits, which will help you file Form 941 online in a matter of minutes.

It’s simple, create your free TaxBandits account and follow the guided interview style filing process to instantly complete your Form 941 online. TaxBandits tells you what information is required and exactly where it needs to go so you can finish your 941 form and transmit it directly to the IRS in no time!

Plus, their customer support team is here to help. If you need any assistance please contact the dedicated, US-based TaxBandits support team. Give them a call Monday – Friday from 9 AM to 6 PM at 704.684.4751. They also offer live chat and you can take advantage of our 24/7 email support at support@taxbandits.com.