The first day of fall was last week. Not that you could tell here in northeastern Ohio. We’re having a late summer – just the time to get ready for the weather that’s to come. When is it better to get your truck ready for fall? Do it while the sun is shining, because you don’t want to get caught out in the wind, rain, and snow this winter.
How to Get Your Truck Ready for Fall
The most obvious things to do to get ready for the winter are to prepare for poor road conditions. Get those tires checked. Get chains if you don’t have them. Check your brakes and suspension systems. Load up on those fuel additives that you know will cost you double if you get them at a truck stop.
Some less obvious things might include getting your winter gear into the bunk. Those long johns don’t walk out to the cab by themselves! Extra gloves, scarves, hats and boots might feel like overkill, but when you’re getting your truck ready for fall, you might find yourself in an unexpected snowstorm – or in balmy 80 degrees. Fall in North America isn’t predictable, so prepare early.
Look at Your History
We think that taking a look at last fall might give you some ideas about how you should prepare.
Do you have those records?
You should.
DOT requires certain records – maintenance records in particular – be kept for your trucking business. IFTA and IRP records need to be kept for years.
But not only those records, but the records of your trips need to be maintained. Depending on your state, you may be required to keep business transactions (invoices, payments, expenses, and deductibles) for up to 15 years. The IRS expects you to keep at least 3 years of business returns, unless you need to keep them longer.
So you should have them. But what are you looking for?
What did it cost you to drive a mile last year?
Can you figure out how much it cost you to drive a mile last year?
Why does it matter?
Because you might be facing trouble this year.
Your rig is a year older. Little problems can get bigger with time. A great way to determine if you’ve got a problem is to look at your miles per gallon.
A fantastic way to determine if your business is growing is to look at your statistics from last year and compare this year’s.
Maybe it’s time
- to look at a new insurance provider
- to check your engine if needs some attention
- reconsider if your ELD costs are too high
- examine your trucking software
As you examine your past year, you can get your truck ready for fall to prepare for a profitable winter. If you find a problem, you can take care of it before it ruins your business.
How do you look at your past year?
With TruckingOffice PRO, you use Trucker Stats™. These reports can be customized to dates, so you can look at the same month last year and compare how you’re doing now.
Trucker Stats™ are the tools you didn’t know you needed, but once you get started, your trucking business will never be the same.
Sign up today for a free TruckingOffice PRO trial and discover details you never knew about your trucking business – and get your truck ready for fall.
Recent Comments