Category: rookie truckers

The Regular Maintenance Your Truck Needs

Posted on March 24, 2017 by - new truckers, oil change, oil filter change, rookie truckers, semi truck maintenance, semi truck tires, tire alignment, truck care, truck maintenance, truck repair, truck repairs, Trucker, veteran truckers

You can’t be a trucker without a truck. Heck, it’s even the most important part of the word. Whether you use a company truck, lease a truck, or own a fleet of trucks, they’re the most important tool necessary for your job. It’s important to keep your truck well maintained to keep it in the best shape possible. This way you’ll get every penny out of your truck and give it a good long life. So, let’s take a look at what needs regular maintenance on your truck the most.

Most Important Things To Regularly Maintain

The first step to keeping your truck in perfect shape is to become one with it. Read the owner’s manual and become familiar with the type of oil your trucks need, how to change the filters, and more. Know every sound your truck makes. This way if something sounds off you’ll be aware of an issue. Be familiar with the way your truck feels so when it starts to pull to one side or it has less power you’ll notice.

Don’t neglect tire care. Tires do a lot for your alignment to prevents damage to your suspension. Rotating your tires is a must in order to make sure that your tires wear evenly. When tires wear evenly they help produce a smoother ride and prevent damage to the suspension. Keep in mind that the tires on the front get worn out the most.

One trusty tool to always have around is a tire gauge so you can make sure that all of your tires are properly inflated to keep them even. Also, distribute the weight of your load evenly so tires on one side of your tractor aren’t holding more weight than the other. Also, don’t push the tread on your tires too long. If they’re worn out replace them! There’s no need to risk having worn out tires that slip, slide, and bust.

Along with getting your tires rotated, get them aligned and balanced. When tires aren’t aligned or balanced they put stress on the suspension and cause your truck to start pulling to the side, which decreases the handling on your truck.

Get in the habit of regularly getting your oil changed, it’s not something that should be pushed for your engine’s sake. Refer to your owners manual so you’ll know what type of oil to get for your truck, and go for a high-performance brand. Spending a few extra bucks each oil change will help you get your value’s worth out of your truck and more. Don’t forget about your filters so your truck can breathe easy. Oil filters need to be changed about every 15 to 30k miles.

Pay attention to your lights. They should always be working so other vehicles can see you, and you can see them. Plus, turn signals let others know your intentions and getting pulled over for having a light out is annoying.

 

A dim light can tip you off to an electrical problem, so they’re good to catch. Also, to make your life easier keep some extra light bulbs and fuses in your truck so that you can easily change lights without having to bobtail it to an auto shop.

Make sure your brakes are working properly. To be sure that they’re adjusted properly consult a professional. Sometimes automatic adjusters don’t correctly adjust your brakes. It’s also important to check your brake lines to make sure that they aren’t being blocked and are clear of debris. Also, your brake lines also shouldn’t be leaking.

Remember to check your fluid levels. You’ll have a big problem if your coolant gets too low and your radiator overheats! Plus, you need to make sure that your oil, power steering fluid, washer levels, and more are good. Then make sure that no fluids are leaking in your vehicle and that all caps are put on tightly.

Keep That Truck Goin’

It doesn’t take much time to give your truck the maintenance and care that it deserves. By doing so you’ll increase the longevity and quality of your truck’s life. Your truck is the most important business tool that you have, so take good care of it!

For more trucking tips visit ExpressTruckTax.com and share your maintenance tips in the comment section below.

Join us at MATS

Posted on March 22, 2017 by - famous truckers, MATS, MATS 2017, Mid America Trucking Show, Mid America Trucking Show 2017, new truckers, rookie truckers, trucking history, veteran truckers

Truck yeah! It’s time for MATS again. From March 23rd to March 25th the Mid-America Trucking Show will be the place to be. Come out for a good time, we will even be there to celebrate all things trucking.

The Mid-America Trucking Show 2017

MATS is a big deal. It’s an annual heavy-duty trucking event that’s the biggest trucking show in the world. Mats is the longest running trucking show in history and attracts over 75k attendees from all over the world. If you’re in the trucking industry then this is a must-see event, located in Louisville Kentucky.

In 1972 MATS was created to provide the trucking industry with a place to come together to work towards making advances in the industry by sharing ideas, and showing off new, top of the line products and technology.

By going to this free event you’ll be able to take a peek at the newest trucks and technology for everyone in the trucking industry. Over 1,000 trucking companies will be attending to tell you about the services and products they offer. Plus, the 1,100,000 square foot exhibit space will be filled with trucks, celebrities, seminars, and exciting events.

You can enjoy the PKY Truck Beauty Championship, which is named in honor of Paul K. Young, who started MATS. The show involves giving out awards and accolades to custom trucks, and is a site to see! A few of the categories included people’s choice, working combo, and limited mileage dump combo.

The educational seminars include a variety of valuable information for everyone included in the trucking industry. You can attend the How To Get More MPGs Out of Your Truck seminar, presented by North American Council on Fuel Efficiency, as well as the Building Profitable Freight Relationships seminar, presented by Truckstop.com.

After learning and seeing a lot of awesome trucks you can cut loose at the free MATS concert, with Tony Justice, the 2nd generation trucker out of East Tennessee, with songs about the trucking life he lives. Then Thompson Square, the talented duo that earned the ACM Award for “Vocal Duo of the Year” will perform. These events are free while supplies last.

We’re Going!

Best of all, ExpressTruckTax will be attending! You can meet our top representatives and learn about the great services we provide as the market leading HVUT solution. Feel free to ask us about the services we offer, from providing your with the necessary tools to quickly and easily file your Heavy Vehicle Use Tax Form 2290 to our IFTA calculator that will help you quickly calculate your IFTA totals.

Our sister companies will be going too! Keep an eye out for TruckLogics, ETT+, and ExpressIFTA!

https://www.trucklogics.comTruckLogics is the complete business management solution for those in the trucking industry. It has innovative features to help fleet owners and owner-operators save time while managing every aspect of their entire business. It’s totally mobile, so they can even check in on their business while they’re on the road. A few of their features include online invoicing and billing, ProMiles, electronic driver logs, IFTA calculating tools, and dispatch management.

ExpressTruckTax Plus or ExpressTruckTax Plus is the place to go to e-file your IRS form 2290 or Heavy Vehicle Use Tax in the blink of an eye. You’ll receive your stamped schedule on in a matter of minutes! Plus, you can get your EIN, and file your  BOC-3!

ExpressIFTA takes the headache away from preparing your quarterly IFTA report because they’ve simplified the process with their innovative tools for calculating and tracking your IFTA totals. You can even upload your GPS data to get your miles traveled per jurisdiction. All of your records for each of your vehicles will be kept in one convenient location.

Enjoy MATS

To celebrate all things trucking from the pride, hard work, and awesome custom rigs join us at the Mid-American Trucking Show. We can’t wait to talk about the services we provide, learn new things at seminars, and check out awesome rigs!

For more trucking tips visit ExpressTruckTax.com, and please share your thoughts about MATS in the comment section below.

Preventing Back Pain On The Road

Posted on March 17, 2017 by - back pain, bake pain while driving, new truckers, preventing back pain, rookie truckers, truck drivers, Trucker, trucker back pain, trucker fitness, trucker health, veteran truckers

You’re just chugging along on your route just fine until rush hour traffic hits. Then to make things worse your back pain starts to flare up, so you’re distracted by annoying aches and pinches while slowly moving forward in bumper to bumper traffic. Maybe you try to stay positive, but in reality, you’re worried about your back pain keeping you up all night.

Don’t let back pain be the monster that ruins your trip! Learn how to stop and prevent it from flaring up with our helpful back soothing tips.

Stop & Prevent Back Pain

One major cause of back pain is sitting still for too long. The vertebrae in your lower spine get compressed together and start to ache. Also, while sitting you sciatic nerve that runs down your back under your butt can get pinched, causing pain.

Now you may be wondering what you can possibly do to prevent back pain when your job involves sitting for 10 hours are more, but don’t worry, there are a lot of solutions.

The first step towards preventing back pain is looking at your posture. Your seat shouldn’t be so far back that you have to hunch over forward to reach the wheel. Keep your seat forward, but not too close to the wheel and keep it back, slightly passed a 90-degree angle. Then make sure that you’re leaning back in a relaxed position with your arms resting on your arm rests. By being relaxed you’ll be putting less strain on your butt and core to hold up your weight.

It’s not good to sit still in the same position all day, so make subtle adjustments to your seat every 45 minutes to the hour to engage different areas of your muscles, and to give other areas time to rest.

Keep in mind that your bottom, back, abs, and basically your entire core are responsible for holding up your weight and stabilizing it. This means that every muscle involved needs to be strong enough to do their job. Consider doing some exercises at night when you’re parked. There are tons of ab, glute, and back strengthening activities that don’t require much room to do.

You may want to consider adopting a healthier lifestyle to burn some of the weight your body has to support. Making simple changes like drinking plain black coffee or iced green tea instead of sugary sodas and eating fruit instead of processed snacks can put you on the right track towards dropping some weight. Also, try to walk whenever you can. Lap your truck a few times or hoof it around the truckstop to burn some calories.

Remember that water is your sugar and calorie free friend. Not only is it a healthy choice, but it’s extremely hydrating. By being hydrated you can avoid the ill effects of dehydration which include muscle fatigue and cramps.

Never forget to stretch, every morning when you wake up, and every night after you’ve parked. It’s important to stretch and warm up your muscles for their task ahead and to relieve them after a hard day of work.

There are many yoga stretches like the child’s pose and downward facing dog that do wonders for the back. However, the best thing you can do is pop a squat. Hunching over your knees and letting your bum hang down allows your vertebrae to decompress.

Along with stretching try to relax. Stress can lead to a number of problems, including tensed, tight muscles. Freaking out over a traffic jam or the truck stop running out of parking can be frustrating, but try to stay calm for your back’s sake. Yoga can be a calming practice that combines both relaxing and stretching, so it’s definitely worth checking out.

If your back is giving you grief you can always enhance your seat. Try getting a heated seat cover or something that provides lumbar support. Heck, you spend more time in that chair than any other one, so why not make it comfortable and supportive

At night, if you can’t get relief try soothing your back pain with over the counter painkillers, like Advil. You can also try icing your back or applying a gel or patch that heats and cools the area, like icy hot.

Keep on Truckin’ Pain-Free

Back pain doesn’t have to end your career, by making a few changes to your seat and daily routine you can totally knock out your pain to sit pretty. However, if problems do persist for more than a few days you should consult with your doctor.

For more trucking tips visit ExpressTruckTax.com and please share your comments about relieving back pain in the comment section below.

Owner Operators Need To Budget

Posted on March 15, 2017 by - budget, budgeting, Fleet Owners, new truckers, Owner Operators, rookie truckers, save money, truck drivers, Trucker, veteran truckers

Trucking is a hard industry to break into. Many drivers attempt to make it big and bring in a lot more money by becoming owner operators, but they fail for various different reasons. Sometimes they just don’t put in enough time, sometimes business is just slow. However, the number one reason new owner operators fail is because they either can’t budget or just don’t try to. Learn from our budgeting tips to help you save money to keep your owner operating business going.

How Owner Operators Budget Properly

We understand that budgeting is hard. It takes some self-control and discipline. When the money is there it’s fun and addicting to spend, but if you spend it all you could find yourself up the creek without a paddle pretty quickly.

One of the most expensive things drivers face on the road is food. You may not realize it, but fast food lunches, snacks, and dinners at sit down restaurants add up quick. Before you go out on the road buy your snacks in bulk, also plan ahead by bringing meals to store in your fridge, microwave or cook in a crockpot.

By cooking your own meals and having your snacks on hand you’ll save money and you won’t have to stop every time you get hungry. Plus, the meals you prepare are often much healthier options.

Another expense that adds up is the cost of lodging. Every time you stay in a motel you’re spending money that you don’t have to. By getting a mattress, a nice bedding set, and some blackout curtains you can turn your sleeper cab into a space that’s even more comfortable than a hotel.

Nothing is exciting like a semi truck is. When guys are starting out they want the coolest rig to barrel down the road in. You can get that super awesome new truck one day, but consider starting off in an older rig, or leasing a truck when you first get started in order to have lower monthly payments and sometimes even a lower insurance payment.

Depending on your client there could be a 1 to 3-month wait before you get paid for a load. You could consider using a factoring company to get paid the same day. With factoring companies, you’ll make an agreement where the factoring company pays your invoice from a client. They’ll pay you a percentage of the invoice the same day and then your client will pay the factoring company and the factoring company will keep an agreed upon percentage, then you’ll receive the rest. It’s a way to get money faster, but you’ll get a little less as a result, so budget it wisely.

When the bigger paychecks start to roll in, save them. A lot of guys go out and start to buy fun stuff

for their families and take vacations instead of saving their money. Then when business is slow or their truck needs a major repair they’re out of luck and their business goes under. Trust us, you always need to keep an emergency fund.

We have tips to save your gas because it’s actually your number one expense. First of all, slow down. Actually going to speed limit, or staying at 65 mph will save you tons of fuel. Also, gradually speed up and slow down, to avoid slamming on brakes. Stick to the interstate when you can, unless you need to avoid traffic jams and rush hours. Also, you can save a lot of fuel by cutting down on your warm up, cool down, and idling time.

Take care of your truck. Don’t get lazy and skip out on routine maintenance. Be sure to change the oil, filters, rotate the tires, and more to keep your truck in tip-top shape. The goal is to get every penny you can out of it to avoid the major expenses of having to buy a new truck or pay for a repair.

You Can Become A Budgeting Pro

By studying your books and keeping track of your profit and loss record you can easily give yourself a budget and start to really save money. It does take a little practice at first, but soon saving money will become second nature to you, and your business will reward you later for it. Nothing saves the day like an emergency fund to help you cover your bills and keep your business afloat.

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

Delicious Crockpot Recipes To Cook While Trucking

Posted on March 10, 2017 by - #TruckingNation, cooking on the road, crock pot recipe, crockpot, meal prep, new truckers, rookie truckers, truck drivers, Trucker, trucker fitness, trucker health, veteran truckers

You’ve just parked for the night after hours of driving and all of the sudden your stomach growls. However, the truck stop you’re at has slim pickings for dinner options, and there isn’t a fast food place nearby. Now you have to deal with the hassle of bobtailing somewhere for an expensive meal!

What if we told you that you could avoid all that hassle and get comfy in your bunk with a warm, home cooked meal? All you have to do is get a crockpot for your rig!

The Crockpot Way

By investing in a 12V crockpot you’ll save money and time by having your own home cooked meal ready to eat in your rig. Plus, the meals that you prepare yourself will be tastier and healthier options than fast food. Before you know it you’ll be the top trucker chef!

The leading cause of death for truckers happens to be obesity, so by cooking your own meals and avoiding fast food options, you’ll be able to watch your weight and give your body more nutrition.

Many truckers enjoy having a crockpot in their truck because the meals are easy to make, and often spiced to their preferences. Also, since crockpots operate at a lower temperature they’re safer to keep in the cab instead of hot plates and electric skillets.

Plus, they make crockpot liners now, that you place in your crockpot before your put in your ingredients, to keep your crockpot clean. All you have to do is remove the liner and throw it out when you’re done, so you don’t have to find a place to wash your crockpot while you’re on the road.

Meal prepping for the road is easy. Before you leave chop up and veggies or cook any meat for your recipe and place them in a bag or Tupperware container in a bag to keep in your truck’s fridge until you’re ready to cook them. If you have a freezer in your rig then you can store your recipes even longer.

All you have to do is make sure that your crockpot and a good place to sit. Many come with lids that lock so your food won’t spill if your crock pot takes a tumble. They can easily sit in a storage cabinet or on a shelf.

Delicious Crockpot Recipes

Now let’s take a look at a few delicious recipes you can cook up on the road:

BBQ Pulled Pork

Nothing beats a good bbq plate or sandwich! Here are the ingredients you’ll need:

3lbs of pulled pork tenderloin
1 bottle of your preferred bbq sauce (at least 18 oz.)
1 can of soda (like Coke or Dr.Pepper.)
½ a sliced onion.

Directions:

Place your onions at the bottom of your crockpot, then add your pork on top of them. Then mix your bbq sauce and soda together, and add any preferred spices and pour it over the pork. Cook it for 6 to 7 hours on low then shred the pork and enjoy.

Chicken Teriyaki

Who loves Chinese food? We do, and this recipe is easy. Here is what you need:

1 lb of chicken cut into small chunks
½ cup of teriyaki sauce or marinade
2 tablespoons of soy sauce
1 teaspoon of grated ginger
1 tablespoon of minced garlic
⅓ cup of brown sugar
1 of cup chicken broth
1 teaspoon of onion powder
1 teaspoon of cornstarch

Directions:

Place all of your ingredients except for the cornstarch into your crockpot and cook it on high for 4 hours or on low for 6 hours. Then add the liquid from the crockpot to the cornstarch in a pan to thicken it, and add your chicken to the pan. This chicken goes great with broccoli and rice steamed in a microwave.

Breakfast Casserole

Wouldn’t it be nice to have a warm breakfast waiting for you? You don’t even need to get dressed or leave your truck for this one, as long as you have these ingredients:

1 bag of frozen hash browns (32 oz.)
1 lb of bacon
1 small onion (diced.)
An 8 oz bag of shredded cheese
1/2 of a red bell pepper (diced.)
1/2 of a green bell pepper (diced.)
12 large eggs
1 cup of skim milk

Directions:

Either get pre-cooked bacon or cook your bacon drain it and cut it up. Then add half of your hash browns, bacon, onions, peppers, and cheese. Next, add the remaining half of your hash browns, bacon, onions, peppers, and cheese. Then add your milk and eggs together and pour it over the rest of your ingredients. Add salt and pepper to taste. Cook your casserole on warm for 8 hours and enjoy it in the morning. You can also cook it for 4 hours on low to have it ready faster.

What’s Cookin’ Good Lookin’?

Don’t deal with the hassle of finding a dinner or fast food restaurant every time you’re hungry. Relax in the comfort of your own cab with a delicious meal you cooked yourself, and take pride in your cheaper, healthier option. For more trucking tips visit ExpressTruckTax.com and share your secret crockpot recipes in the comment section below.

Use Factoring To Get Paid The Same Day

Posted on March 8, 2017 by - ”trucking company”, factoring, Fleet Owners, freight factoring company, new truckers, Owner Operators, rookie truckers, truckers, veteran truckers

The trucking industry can be hard to break into. You need a good cash flow to get your business started and to keep it going. Just because you’ve established yourself as an owner-operator doesn’t mean that you won’t face slow periods where you need a little extra cash flow to get by. Now, this doesn’t mean give up, it simply means consider the option of factoring to get cash fast for your business.

Factoring

Factoring can be the solution to helping you manage your cash flow for your company because it helps you get cash fast because factoring is an advance on accounts receivable.

Basically factoring companies give you a cash advance by paying you for the invoices on loads that you’ve already delivered. Usually, once you deliver a load you won’t get paid for it until 30 to 90 days later, so factoring cuts that time out by paying you the same day.

Drivers and owner-operators tend to turn to factoring as a way to keep their business afloat or to get their business started for a variety of reasons. For example, factoring could be the best option to get paid the same day when drivers can’t cover their bills, when they have a major fuel invoice, or need to pay their drivers. Different companies have varying amounts of time on when drivers actually get paid, and factoring will help drivers get paid the same day instead of waiting.

When you’re just starting out and want lease a new truck factoring can provide the cash that you need to cover business-related purchases in order to get your owner operating business going.

Before you get paid you will negotiate an agreement with the factoring company. The money you get upfront will be a percentage of the amount the load your client owes you. In the factoring agreement, your customer will pay the factoring company for the load you delivered and the factoring company will keep an agreed upon percentage, then you’ll receive the rest.

Our Top Factoring Companies

Here at ExpressTruckTax we pride ourselves in providing quality service and helping truckers out in any way we can, that’s why we’re telling you about two trusted, and outstanding factoring companies that you can turn to for cash advances.

Since 1994 TCI Capital has been helping those in the trucking industry and more get the cash they need on the same day instead of waiting for it. TCI has experienced and knowledgeable representatives to help serve clients with even the most unique funding needs.

Also, TCI offers the credit history and payment trends of potential clients to help companies take on new customers with confidence, and provides online reporting to keep you informed about your transactions at all times.

FleetOne has 28 years of experience in trucking finance and will work hard to get you funding within 24 hours. By providing credit checks and offering an experienced support team to answer all of your questions, FleetOne makes the factoring process quick and simple.

The FleetOne mobile app can be used to make factoring even easier, by providing you with the ability to take a picture of invoices, documents, and more to instantly scan and upload to your FleetOne account. The app also keeps all of your documents and transactions in one convenient location.

ExpressTruckTax is Here To Help

If you have any questions about factoring or about what we can do to help you e-file your HVUT and accurately calculate your IFTA totals please don’t hesitate to contact our dedicated support team at ExpressTruckTax via live chat, phone, or email.

How To Bring Your Dog On The Road

Posted on March 3, 2017 by - Bringing your best friend, Bringing your dog, Dog safety on the road, new truckers, pet safety, pets, rookie truckers, Trucker, Trucker dog

The road can be a lonely place, with hours of driving with no one to talk to. Sometimes you want to listen to music or podcasts, and sometimes you just want to sit in silence until both options can drive you nuts. At the end of the day, you might just want someone to talk to. To combat loneliness and depression on the road more and more truckers are bringing pets along on the road.

Dogs on The Road

Bringing a dog on the road can be tricky or expensive, but the reward and companionship are worth it. If you’re an owner operator then most likely you won’t run into any restrictions as far as bringing a pet along.

However, some carriers will have you pay a pet deposit before you can bring your best friend with you. The deposits can be $1,000 or higher! Sometimes you can work out a deal where $100 is taken out per paycheck towards the deposit and sometimes they want the full amount upfront. Some truckers just can’t put a price on the joy of bringing their pets with them, though. Keep in mind that some carriers will also have a cleaning fee

If your carrier doesn’t allow pets, then don’t push the envelope. Pets always get caught and as a result, you could lose your job!

Now when it comes to bringing a dog on the road remember that puppies can’t hold it. If you pick a puppy you’ll be stopping every 30 minutes or so to clean up its mess or to let it use the bathroom.

Puppies also need a lot of training so they won’t chew on important stuff in the cab, so it might be better off to start with an older more relaxed dog. Sizes of dogs vary but remember the bigger the dog, the more space it takes up.

Different dog breeds also have varying energy levels. A German Shepard for example, has way more energy than a bulldog. The amount of energy your dog has will determine how often you need to stop to let it play and run around.

You may want to consider looking into different types of dog breeds to find a short haired dog that doesn’t shed a lot, otherwise, you’ll be constantly brushing or vacuuming up your dog’s fur.

At first, take your dog on a few shorter truck rides first so see if it can handle life on the road or not. Some dogs are terrified of the noises other trucks make and the ruckus at truck stops, while others simply love it.

When on the road make sure the pedals and gear shifter is totally blocked off from your dog. You don’t want it to get under a pedal in case you have to speed up or hit the brakes really fast. Your pet could get stepped on as a result.

Remember to bring toys to entertain and stimulate your dog, extra food, and water, cleaning supplies to clean up messes, poop bags so you aren’t the jerk at the truck stop who doesn’t clean up after your dog, and a crate to keep them in. You never know when you’ll need a safe and secure place like a crate to keep your dog.

You also want to bring blankets for your dog so they’ll have a cozy place to snuggle up and sleep.

Never forget to bring a leash. You’ll never know when truckstops will require leashes or not. Also, it’s best to place a leash on your dog before you open your truck door so it can’t jump out and run off. For dog safety, be sure to also have a harness or doggy safety belt to keep your dog safe while driving.

Enjoy Trucking With Your Best Friend

Drivers who take their dogs on the road have lower rates of depression, they also have less stress, lower blood pressure, and get more exercise. If the road is starting to feel a little empty to you consider bringing a 4 legged pal with you.

For more trucking tips visit ExpressTruckTax.com, and share your thoughts about bringing pets on the road in the comment section below.

DIY Hacks To Make Your Sleeper Cab Feel Like Home

Posted on February 24, 2017 by - custom truck, Fleet Owners, Home on the road, independent trucker, Owner Operators, rookie truckers, sleeper cab, truck drivers, truck mattress, truck tech, truckers, veteran truckers

DIY Hacks for Sleeper Cabs

We’ve all felt it. The lonely feeling of the open road. While we’re addicted to driving for miles and miles sometimes we do get a little homesick. Sometimes it’s hard to be away from your spouse, children, and pets. However, somehow you have to fight through feeling homesick to make your drops in time. One easy step you can take towards not feeling homesick is to make your cab feel like home.

DIY Hacks To Make Your Cab Feel Like Home

You spend a lot of time in your cab, sometimes you spend more time in there than you do at home, so make it a comfy place to be.

In order to do that invest in at least one awesome seat cover. The seat cover can be heated and it can come with built-in massagers, making it the perfect place to lean back in relax in after hours of driving.

Make sure your mattress in your cab is a high-quality one. Not getting adequate rest on the road could leave you cranky and just wanting to head home. You don’t have to come with the factory issued cardboard mattress that came with your truck, especially if you got your truck used. Instead, consider your memory foam and gel mattress options.

You know what comes with a comfortable bed? Comfortable bedding! If you’ll be spending a lot of the nights on the road don’t settle for cheap sheets and blankets. Spring for the softer materials with higher thread counts. Heck, you could even treat yourself to an electric blanket to be warm and cozy.

To get a proper night’s rest you’ll have to block the world out. Invest in some blackout curtains to get rid of all the lights from tracking and truck stops. Also, consider getting some earplugs to block out some of the noise that traffic and rest stops produce.

It’s important to fill your cab with a few of your favorite things in order to boost your mood. This can be done by adding pops of your favorite colors around. From crimson red to sprinkle blue, whatever color is your favorite will work.

You can add your favorite color by getting a steering wheel cover, seat covers, rubber mats, a rug, a bedding set with multiple of your favorite colors, and more. The possibilities are endless, all you have to do is look around your cab to see what you can customize.

Be sure to put up posters you like and to put up a few of your favorite pictures. Seeing photos of your family and pets or posters of your favorite superheroes can really boost your mood.

It’s always good to be able to do more things in your truck, and the first step towards powering more electronics is getting a good power inverter. Then you can set up awesome things like a flat screen tv and your favorite gaming console.

Nights won’t feel so long and boring when you can watch your favorite movie on Netflix or play multiplayer games online with your kids back home. Also, you can bring a lamp for extra light in your cab at night.

Why stop every time you’re hungry or thirsty when you can stock your cab to be your own personal mini kitchen? You can have your own mini coffee maker to brew coffee anytime you want. If you don’t want to deal with coffee grounds consider getting a K-Cup machine.

For more food options you can place a microwave, mini-fridge, and freezer in your cab. This way you can bring more food items with you on your trips that can easily be stored and heated up.

Did you know that you could even bring along a hot plate to boil water? Sometimes nothing is better than a hot bowl of ramen!

You can complete your kitchen with a TV tray or fold out shelf or table to balance meals or your laptop on.

This item should never mix with kitchen items, but are you tired of walking across cold parking lots to wait in a long bathroom line? Then get your own portable toilet to bring along on the road with you. Just make sure it has a lid that you can seal tight to prevent spills.

If you want to bring something with you on the road like extra clothes and tools then bring them with you. Just invest in storage bins and organization items to maximize your storage areas.

Enjoy Your Home On The Road

Your truck is sometimes your office and can be the area where you spend most of your time. Be sure to customize your cab to fit your personal preferences to have a comfortable and cozy space when you’re missing home.

For more trucking tips visit ExpressTruckTax.com and please share how you make your cab cozy in the comment section below.

Safety Tools You Need To Always Keep In Your Cab

Posted on February 17, 2017 by - Fleet Owners, independent trucker, new truckers, Owner Operators, rookie truckers, safety, truck and trailer safety, truck drivers, truckers

Accidents happen. Even the best truckers with spotless records get caught up in emergency situations because you just never know what can happen on the road. In the event of a major accident or inclement weather be prepared with the proper tools in your cab.

Emergency Equipment Truckers Should Carry

You should always have a bag of emergency clothes with you on the road. This is important for all seasons, but especially for winter. Your pack should have warm items in case it gets cold like a sweater and hat, but it should also have waterproof items.

Remember, you can layer a lightweight jacket over winter gear or bring a heavy insulated winter coat. Just make sure the items are in layers so you can shed something if you get too hot.

Don’t forget about your hands and feet. Always carry waterproof gloves and waterproof shoes in case you have to get out of your cab during a major downpour or a cold wintery mix.

Most people carry extra underwear and socks in case they get held up somewhere for a few days.

It’s also good to carry extra blankets. You never know when your heat will go out or when you’ll be in a situation where a little extra heat and a nice dry blanket could make a major difference to your night.

Never forget to bring along extra batteries and chargers for your radio, CB, phone, flashlight, and more. You’ll want your electronics to have a nice charge, and a way to charge them. Hand crank radios and solar powered chargers can give your phone the extra juice it may need.

It’s always great to carry a fire extinguisher with you in case something starts to flame up. Heck, you could even be stuck near a forest’s wildfire, so having the ability to spray out some flames could come in handy.

You’ll need some emergency meal items. Keep at least a gallon of water in your cab and a few days worth of nonperishable foods like cans of soup packages crackers, and jerky. Don’t forget your can opener!

A multi-purpose knife can go a long way. You never know what type of items you’ll need to cut. Some knives come with seat belt cutters and points to break glass if you need to climb out of your cab quickly.

If you take a daily medication be sure to bring the bottle with you. You won’t want to be without it if you get stuck somewhere for a few days. It’s also a good idea to carry some pain relievers and antacids.

Consider bringing some personal hygiene items on the road with you. This way you’ll have items to keep your teeth and body looking and smelling clean.

Take a small first aid kit full of bandages, antiseptics, and baby wipes. You might actually be surprised with how often you want a band aid while on the road.

Other people on the road will need to be able to see you, so be sure to bring along flairs to set out, and those reflective triangles. It helps to have a reflective vest if you’re stepping out of your cab near a busy road. Also, have a proper flashlight with you, sometimes your phone light won’t cut it.

Maybe a few candles and waterproof matches would be good to keep on hand as well, in case you need light in a dark cab.

Be Prepared!

You never know when severe weather or a bad driver will strike, so be prepared for any emergency situation that may arise. You never know when a few extra items in your cab will really come in handy.

For more trucking tips visit ExpressTruckTax.com and share what emergency items you carry in the comment section below.

The Debate About Rest Stop Expansions

Posted on February 10, 2017 by - independent trucker, rest stop expansions, rest stops, rookie truckers, Trucker, trucker news, trucker parking, veteran truckers

Drivers, we want your thoughts! Currently,  rest stops really aren’t that great, with dim lighting and limited vending machines that seem to have outdated options. Sometimes the parking at rest stops isn’t that great either, and if you stop to pee you take up a lot of regular parking spots! Well, what if rest stops were expanded?

The Possible Expansion Of Rest Stops

On behalf of the Federal Highway Administration what if rest stops were expanded a little more commercially? As in if their vending machine options we’re expanded and states were allowed to sell produce? Along with these changes would come more parking for semi trucks.

What? More parking?! With today’s parking crisis that could be a miracle. Plus, when truckers need to take their mandated 30-minute breaks it would be a lot easier for them to simply park at a rest stop then pull off the interstate to hopefully find parking at a truck stop.

When truckers are left without any options they’ll pull over on the side of the interstate and on entrance or exit ramps. This is a dangerous practice that could be avoided if more parking spots were available.

Most people in communities around truck stops are getting fed up with the congestion that big rigs cause. The general public wants truckers to get their food and move out of the way. Expanded rest stops could relieve this congestion.

With expanded vending machine options and local produce being sold truckers would have not only more options but healthier options. However, this makes truck stop owners nervous, because they don’t want their businesses to be undercut. Although, who would give up a nice hot meal for a snack or fresh fruit?

Plus, we’re sure some truckers want to get away from the road at night and would prefer to pull off the interstate to find a truck stop to park overnight at. Being too close to the interstate can be noisy and disruptive in the night.

These forms of revenue could help states maintain their rest stop facilities. Better places to stop provide tourists with a good idea of the state. Maybe if they find a clean restroom with delightful local produce they’ll drive through the state with their money on more regular basis.

However, some of the money would need to go to video monitoring and security systems. Also, local police officers would need to regularly check in on rest stops, because it’s no secret that where truckers go lot lizards, hitchhikers and crime follows.

Now we know that the trucking nation is filled with honorable, outstanding people, but unfortunately, we can’t speak for all of the lot lizards, the homeless, and hitchhikers. The state wouldn’t want its reputation brought down after tourists see a few shady characters.

We also wonder why rest stops should stop at a few expansions. What if they were privately owned? Sure, they would compete with truck stops at a greater level, but the cost of maintenance and upkeep would be up to the owner, totally taking the bill off the state’s plate.

With privately owned rest stops there’s no telling what types of food and merchandise would be offered to truckers and the public, offering a lot more revenue for the state and convenience for drivers.

Are You For Or Against Expanding Rest Stops?

We want to know what you think about the possibility of expanding rest stops or privatizing them, so please share your thoughts in the comment section below. Also, keep checking back with ExpressTruckTax.com for more trucking news.