If you’re an owner/operator, keeping your truck on the road is always a top priority. You’re a business owner, after all – you need to find enough work to always go from one job to the next. The more you work, the more you earn.

Yet at the same time, this is often a lot easier said than done. Thankfully, load boards exist that are designed to make owners/operators not only more efficient but more profitable as well.

What Are Load Boards?

A load board is a type of online platform that connects shippers, brokers, and carriers together. Each of these parties has its own unique needs, but sometimes figuring out how best to meet them can be a challenge. Load boards try to make that easier by allowing carriers to find loads, discuss the best rates, and keep their trucks moving – no matter what.

Think of it a bit like a message board that is dedicated exclusively to helping people ship goods and find carriers that best meet their unique needs.

How Does a Load Board Work?

Ultimately, using a load board is relatively straightforward for everyone involved. A shipper or broker will list any loads they have available, providing as many details as possible. These details include pickup and delivery locations, the type of load, the overall weight, and any special requirements they might have.

Owners/operators can then search for loads that meet their own needs. Not everyone will be available to travel to all destinations, for example. At that point, the parties can contact one another and bidding and/or negotiation can get started. Once that process is complete, booking and confirmation occur, at which point the owner/operator can begin work.

How Do Owner Operators Use Load Boards?

The number one way that owners/operators use load boards is to find loads. An owner/operator is someone who runs their own trucking business. Any day when they don’t have a load is a day they’re not working. Based on the specific routes they like to travel along with their capacity and other preferences, they can use load boards to find suitable jobs to take.

Owners/operators also use load boards in several other ways. Many use them to manage their availability, for example. Load boards are also valuable in terms of optimizing routes.

In addition, the importance of load boards in building relationships is something that cannot be overstated. The type of connections that you make on load boards can easily turn into recurring work and long-lasting relationships if all parties are satisfied with the job that has been done.

Factors to Consider When Choosing a Load Board

It is key to understand that not all load boards are created equally. Some load boards are inherently more valuable than others, so when it comes to finding one that meets your needs, there are many factors to keep in mind.

Types of Loads Available

Naturally, the types of loads that are available will be a big thing to look at when choosing a load board. If you’re an owner/operator who prefers FTL (full truckload) jobs, you wouldn’t want to spend much time on a load board that only offers LTL (less than truckload) opportunities. If most of the jobs on a particular board require specialty handling that you can’t match, it reduces the potential that the board has to offer. Be sure to find the load board that fits your hauling needs.

User-Friendliness

You’ll want to make sure that your load board has an intuitive user interface. This will save you time in the long run. If you have to spend hours trying to figure out how to navigate a load board just to find a job, you’re only causing yourself a lot of stress and frustration you could avoid.

Real-Time Status

A load board worth your attention should offer real-time updates on availability, status, and trucking. This is all useful in terms of effective logistics management.

Transparent Load Details & Payment Terms

When viewing loads on a load board, you should never be left guessing about key aspects of a load like payment terms. The more transparency you have, the less likely there is to be a misunderstanding later on.

Customer Service

In the unfortunate event that an issue does arise, you want to know that the load board’s customer service capabilities will be able to step in and lend a hand. At the very least, you shouldn’t have to wait days for responses to simple questions. You should always have a way to get clear details on rates, payment methods, additional fees, and more.

How Load Boards Impact Freight Factoring for Owner-Operators

Load boards impact freight factoring for owners/operators primarily by streamlining processes. Invoicing and payment processing become far easier, meaning that workers can get paid quickly, and the administrative burden is reduced for all involved. This is a great way to improve cash flow for all parties.

Load boards also help make owners/operators who may be new to the world of logistics aware of how certain fees are structured. If nothing else, it can act as an invaluable lesson about how to break down your own costs when using load boards to find and book work for the future.

In the end, load boards give owners/operators the information they need to make the most informed decisions possible. At that point, they can optimize their business and become the most successful entrepreneurs that they can be.

Factoring is Simple with Advanced Commercial Capital. Call Us Today!

At Advanced Commercial Capital, we pride ourselves on our ability to protect you – and your business – from unpaid freight invoices. It doesn’t matter whether they’re the result of fraud, bankruptcy, delinquency, or something else entirely – we offer a non-recourse approach so that we own all the risk, not you.

Getting started is easy – all you need to do is fill out the form on our website to learn more about our freight factoring solutions. After you apply and get approved, we will begin the lightning-fast setup process – which involves giving you access to our online tools.

Once you’re funded, you can rest easy knowing that all your needs are taken care of – allowing you to get back on the road and focus on the task at hand, exactly as it should be.

If you’re interested in finding out more about load boards and freight factoring, or if you have any additional questions that you’re eager to talk to someone about in a bit more detail, please don’t hesitate to contact the team at Advanced Commercial Capital today.

When you think about all the various jobs that might earn you a lot of tax deductions, truck drivers probably wouldn’t be on your list. After all – the chances are high that someone else owns your truck, and you’re already getting reimbursed for gas. What more could there possibly be to claim once tax season rolls around?

The answer, as it turns out, is quite a lot. If you want to make sure that you’re making the most out of your truck driver tax deductions, there are a few in particular you won’t want to miss.

Insurance Premiums

By far, one of the most important tax deductions that truck drivers should always take advantage of comes down to insurance premiums. Know that not only can you deduct the premiums for any health insurance that you need to buy if it isn’t provided by your employer, but you can also deduct business-related insurance, too. That includes both liability and vehicle insurance, if applicable.

Medical Expenses

Another common type of tax deduction that many truck drivers take has to do with medical expenses that they incur throughout their lives. This includes both any out-of-pocket costs that they need to pay, as well as any other medical costs that are directly related to their life and career as a truck driver.

Work Clothing & Meals

Just because you spend all day on the open road doesn’t mean you don’t have to buy something like a uniform now and again. Not only do you get to deduct the cost of that uniform, but you can also deduct any work-related meals during a long haul. Note that there are specific IRS rules pertaining to this that you’ll want to research further before you file.

Tools & Equipment

Again – a lot of people who are on the outside of this industry looking inward don’t necessarily realize that truck drivers have to purchase their own tools and equipment, similar to other professions. Some truck driver tax deductions can include the cost of those tools and supplies, as well as expenses related to any other equipment that you have to buy to aid in your trucking duties.

Travel Expenses

This is where most people assume that the majority of a truck driver’s potential deductions will rest. This won’t necessarily apply quite as much to someone who works for the same company all day and who makes it back to their own home at the end of the night. But if you’re the type of truck driver who takes long trips that have you away from home for days or even weeks at a time, know that at the bare minimum, you can deduct costs related to any hotel stays or other lodging that you need, meals, and other transportation-related costs. That might mean taking a cab from the airport to your employer if you’re flying away from home and driving back to your original destination. It will obviously vary depending on the situation.

Personal Products

Many truck drivers don’t realize that they can also deduct the cost of a lot of personal products that they purchase, especially since they become essential items while you’re on the road for long periods. That can include any hygiene products that are necessary for trucking purposes. Some of the most obvious examples of this include but are not limited to things like hand sanitizers, shaving cream, and toothbrushes/toothpaste.

Vehicle Costs

Another major source of truck driver tax deductions comes by way of vehicle costs. This is especially true if you’re the type of truck driver who owns your own vehicle. You can get deductions for not only fuel but also any maintenance that may be necessary to keep you on the road. You can also take depreciation-related deductions relating to the truck as well.

Education

Sometimes, you may need to invest in specific training related to your trucking duties so that you can advance your professional career. In those situations, a lot of the expenses are likely tax deductible. Therefore, if this is a step that you’ve always wanted to take but hadn’t up to this point because you were concerned about the cost, it might not be the big issue you thought it was.

Association Dues

Depending on the area of the country that you’re based out of or even the types of clients that you take on, you may need to be part of a professional trucking organization. That organization may charge membership dues – exactly what that money goes to will likely be outlined in its charter. The good news is that those membership dues are generally deductible, especially considering that they’re directly related to the job you’re being asked to perform.

Office Expenses

Last but not least, just because you don’t have what most people would call a traditional office doesn’t mean that you can’t deduct a lot of office-related expenses from your taxes as a truck driver. The chances are high that you probably need to have a cell phone to stay informed while you’re on the go. The cost of that phone is deductible. The same is true of any laptop you need to buy, which is getting more and more common these days. Other office supplies that are used for not only trucking, but running a trucking-related business, can be deducted.

These are just a few of the examples of truck driving tax deductions that you should take full advantage of. Rest assured that there are many more, and you’ll always want to consult the help of a seasoned tax professional so that you don’t miss any.

If you’re interested in finding out more information about how to use truck driver tax deductions to your advantage, or if you’d just like to speak to someone about making sure that your career on the road is headed in the direction you’d always hoped it would be, please don’t hesitate to contact the team at Advanced Commercial Capital today.

Being a truck driver is a career decision that brings a wide range of different benefits that cannot be ignored. In addition to the fact that there is a low barrier to entry in that, there is no degree required, truck drivers usually have a tremendous amount of job security. The transportation industry and truck drivers, in particular, are the essential backbone of the United States economy, after all.

Becoming a truck driver offers tremendous opportunities for career advancement, gives people access to a highly competitive salary, and, of course, gives them a chance to travel in ways that they might not otherwise have access to. It’s no wonder it’s become so appealing to so many.

But there are several common pitfalls that brand-new truck drivers in particular tend to make in their first days and weeks on the job. Understanding what they are is the key to avoiding them in your own situation moving forward.

Rookie Truck Drivers Tend to Speed

In a lot of ways, new truck drivers tend to be a lot like their rookie contemporaries in that they have a “heavier foot” than most. Especially when you’re on the job, you always need to follow the speed limit. Be mindful of traffic laws and remember that you’re not just a driver anymore – you’re also performing an important service and are representing a business, too.

Newbies Often Ignore Safety

People who have never been truck drivers before are often surprised by the enormous checklist of things you need to do before you can even think about starting the engine, let alone driving. But it’s all critical and those safety checks should not be neglected. They could save your life or the life of someone else on the road one day.

New Truck Drivers are Often Overconfident

Overconfidence can come in many forms. Sometimes, a new truck driver simply thinks they’re able to work for longer periods than they actually can. Other times, they think that safety rules don’t apply to them because “skill” will always win out in the end. No matter what, you need to be mindful of your own limitations and act accordingly.

Physical & Mental Health Are Often Neglected

Being a truck driver is a sedentary lifestyle, and you need to be mindful of that moving forward. If you’re going to be sitting for at least eight hours a day you can’t just eat whatever you want. Likewise, you need to use every opportunity you have to get up and go for a walk at truck stops. Neglecting your mental health is also a bad idea. Make sure you’re getting enough sleep at night and seek professional help should you feel that you need it.

New Truck Drivers Tend to Neglect Relationship Building

As is true with any other industry, success in terms of being a truck driver comes down to your ability to build a relationship. Yes, it’s true that truck drivers spend a lot of time by themselves. But when you drop off a load you’ll still be interacting with people. People who might be able to help you out one day or otherwise advance your career. It would be a shame to waste that type of opportunity just because you don’t see the point of relationship building in the present day.

Many Rookie Drivers Think They Know Everything

Many rookie truck drivers think that “being a good driver” and “being a good truck driver” are interchangeable. In reality, you don’t know everything – and that’s a positive thing. Always take advantage of opportunities to learn new things and continue to develop yourself. It’s what will always keep the job as fresh and as interesting as possible.

Think about it like this. In a traditional job, the moment you feel like you’ve “learned enough” or are “as good as you can be” is the moment you start to plateau. You’d get bored with that job pretty quickly. Why would you then want to add something as physically and mentally demanding as truck driving on top of that?

Most New Drivers Have Unrealistic Expectations

Not every moment behind the wheel of a truck is going to be stellar. You will experience traffic delays, even if you didn’t today. You will hit a construction zone, even if you didn’t today. Unfortunate circumstances happen all the time and if you don’t start mentally preparing for them now, you’ll have a hard time dealing with them down the road (no pun intended).

Many Rookies Lack Organization Skills

Many rookie truck drivers make the mistake of assuming that since the cab of a truck is small, it isn’t really possible to be too terribly disorganized. However, when you consider the receipts that you have to manage and items that need to be both scanned and organized, it’s easy for your lack of organizational skills to fail you fairly quickly.

Newbies Often Avoid Asking for Help

Just because you’re a new truck driver who is on the road by yourself doesn’t mean you have to do everything on your own. When you pull into a truck stop, for example, you’ll be surrounded by like-minded individuals. On the road, you can use your radio to communicate with just about anyone. If you need help, ask for help – it truly is as simple as that.

Lots of Rookie Truck Drivers Switch Jobs Too Early

Finally, one of the biggest mistakes that rookie truck drivers seem to make involves switching companies too early in their careers.

There are a lot of trucking companies out there and each has something unique to offer. But at the same time, you need to focus on the development of your own personal skills to make yourself as attractive as possible in the marketplace. As a general rule, most professional truck drivers say that you shouldn’t switch to a new company within the first year after you’ve been on the road. Trucking is all about long-term commitment, and you may be doing more harm than good if you can’t show potential future employers that you’re willing to stick to it and won’t leave them at the drop of a proverbial hat.

If you’d like to find out even more information about the types of rookie truck driver mistakes that your organization would do well to avoid at all costs, or if you just have any additional questions that you’d like to speak to someone about in a bit more detail, please don’t hesitate to contact the team at Advanced Commercial Capital today .