Gun control, one step closer to losing all of our freedoms?

I have to admit this debate has gotten pretty old.  This week our 'leaders' in Washington are attempting to push gun control legislation through Congress.

One of the main problems I have with this though, is the FACT that we have many laws on gun control, registration etc currently on the books that are NOT being enforced.

Take for example the simple fact of lying on the background check form when you purchase a firearm from a FFL dealer.  That is a FEDERAL felony.  In 2010, nearly 80,000 were denied by the system.  Do you know how many convictions there were from those 80,000?  44...... Yes a whole 44 convictions were made from what should be considered an 'open and shut case'.

Some say the system is broken, that it doesn't work properly.  Well, if the background check system in its current form isn't working properly, don't you think you should fix that BEFORE adding an additional workload with the so called, 'universal background check'?

Technically, the power to regulate weapons is suppose to be a STATE power, not a federal power.  Many states have already passed good, (and bad) laws for their areas.  I believe a state has just a slightly better idea what its citizens want to be done within its borders vs the overreaching federal government who wants to do a 'blanket approach' to the whole country.  I'm sorry but it has been proven time and time again when you try this approach it just flat doesn't work.

Heck, take the trucking industry for example.  There are SO MANY different segments or types of trucking out here that trying to use one huge blanket approach just doesn't work.  For example, the NW part of the US allows heavier trucks to run on the roads.  Those same trucks would not be able to safely do it in the NE part of the country where there is a huge population density, and the road conditions are different.  But right now there is a push to raise the weight standards across the board.  It doesn't work everywhere.

The same goes with the different gun laws.  What works in Oklahoma, my home state, might not work as well in others.  But you know what?  That is for the citizens of that state to decide, not an over reaching federal government that refuses to even simply balance a budget let alone run anything else.

So the crux of the matter I think is simple.  FIX the current background check system, ENFORCE the current laws, and allow the states to adjust their laws as they see fit an move on.

A long week

I swear my whole week felt like one unending, long Monday.......

I needed to take some time off when my dad passed away so that the family, could get a few things done, etc.  I'll admit it was nice to be home for more than a day or two, but the bank account can only handle that for so long.

On another note, the shop FINALLY got a few major issues fixed on my truck.  I've had a major coolant leak that no one could figure out.  It turns out what was suspected all along, the EGR cooler on that wonderful ISX engine I have, and here I thought Cummins fixed that defect a few years ago.

The cooler was causing a few other issues, plus they took care of another major issue on the fuel rail.  Its really nice to be able to drive and not have the engine check light on constantly.  Between being home and the breakdown that drained all of my available funds down to near nothing, so I gotta get back to work.

As far as the whole week feeling like a Monday, I had 2 out of my 4 loads this week turn into live load or live unloads that went well beyond the gratuitous 2 hour limit we give them.  They have no idea how bad this screwed up my schedule, not to mention that one of those loads went up into the New England states where I hate to run.  I'm now sitting here in wonderful Osseo Wisconsin to end my week. I did drive over 3500 miles (I got paid 3261 loaded and empty), surprisingly with all the issues I had on the east coast, but boy did it wear me out.

Here is to hoping that the next week goes better, and I can guarantee this truck will not grace the New England states with its presence for quite some time, no offense guys.

A slice of the pie

One of the many things I have recently relearned while taking the CABS course through ATBS was the fact that there is only so much money out there to pay an owner operator.

The easiest way to explain it was to describe the money that was paid in from the loads is to describe the money like it was a pie.

You can only slice a pie so many times in order for everyone to get their piece.  This sounds easy enough doesn't it?

Now the question is whether or not the 'company' lets everyone know exactly where all of those slices are and what they go to.

The amount charged for hauling a load is not always the only income the company receives   It also receives compensation from other things, such as bulk fuel discounts.

What are bulk fuel discounts?  These are discounts paid to the company by a major fuel supplier for rather large purchases of fuel.  It's a way to lower the price and rate for the fuel as more is purchased from a supplier.  This does get a person pondering on a few things.  The owner/operators of the company I drive for number as a sizable portion of the companies fleet (such as over 20% of the total fleet numbers).  Taking this into consideration, we don't receive any type of fuel discount although we do constitute a good measurable percentage of the purchases.

I don't begrudge the company on making any profit.  Heck, that's what I'm in this for, the money, I am running a business.  What I do have a minor issue with is the company pocketing all of the discounts that my fuel purchases that 'I' pay for to begin with.  I believe there is a way to work out a system where everyone feels that they are getting what they should.  The question is, will they do right in their business practices and do it?

What did you learn today?

Like I have said earlier I am part of an interesting pilot program that the company is using.

One of the things I have learned is that there are some nice freight lanes, but they do shift around.

There for a while I was having a hard time trying to figure out where they were located at, until a fellow trucker posted on one of our forum boards a nice little website that can be used.

This website does have a monthly service fee, BUT, the small cost of the site can be more than made back just by the fuel savings router it has that you can use just in that.  That portion of it is real nice finding you the cheapest fuel on the route you want to take.  Just that alone pays for the fee in one to two fuel ups.

This site also allows you to create and look at various freight lanes, the going rate in a specific state, and other things of that nature.  It is also a load board showing current loads that are in that area that you are looking at.

There is an age old axiom... Work smarter, not harder.  I also use a nice saying that was coined by Kevin Rutherford who has the website Lets Truck, and a XM/Sirius radio show on the RoadDog channel.  His saying is 'You have to do the hard work'.  What he means by that is you have to do the work that is not easy for you to do.  It doesn't necessarily means work that is harder physically, but work that is more demanding, that you don't do out of habit...yet.  It's the work that can really make you more successful if that is what you want to do.

So, what did you learn today?  You know its a fruitful day when you learn something, even if its small.

Procrastination, a business killer?

There has been something I have noticed in the last few years or so.  It seems to me that there are more people in 'positions of power' that refuse to make any critical decisions.

Now is this just a matter of procrastination  low confidence or a combination of that and a few other things?

We see this not only around us in our lives, but with major business leaders, and unfortunately the leaders of our country.

I know one of the first things I learned when I became an NCO (non-commissioned officer) of the military I was taught that you had to have confidence in not only yourself but in others so that you could make a decision.  In the military, you can find yourself in situations where a decision has to made quickly on the spot.  You don't have time to procrastinate on it.  The thing about any decision is even if its a bad one, you learn from it and move on.

When you find yourself in that position to make a decision, look at your options then make it.  Keep in mind that by NOT making a decision, you just made one so putting it off gets you nowhere.  Honestly if you are afraid that you are going to make the wrong decision, or people might not like it, the position you currently hold might not be for you and you need to step aside and let someone who will make a decision step up.

You have to have the courage and confidence to make decisions in life.  It's how we learn and evolve.

I will say in closing, and a sidenote that I am getting pretty tired of ALL politicians blaming everyone else for the ills of the country without taking a huge portion of blame for themselves.  They need to man up, step to the plate and do what we voted them in to do, have the confidence to make a decision and stick to it.

Is failure really a failure?

I read an interesting blog today that brought up a nice line of thought so I thought I would pose this question to you.

Is failure really a failure?

What do I mean by that?  Well in any sense, your personal life, business etc.  When you have a goal set in mind, what is your first thought if you don't reach it?

Are you the type of person that gets in a bad mood, let it affect how you are the rest of the day? In essence do you see it in the light that 'you failed' and were not good enough, or tried hard enough to meet the goal?

Or are you the type of person that looks at what happened, reviews it, then re-adjusts how they did things to ensure that the next time this goal was tried it would have a better chance at success?

Did you notice I didn't put down the fact you WOULD succeed the next time, only that it could change the chances of success?  The reason is that sometimes you might have to fail at something multiple times before you succeed at it.

The key in all of this is to LEARN from those mistakes, and try to take it in a positive light.  It is much easier to focus on the negative side of things than to look at the positive.  Positive does take work, constantly but it has its rewards in the end.

 "I have not failed 700 times. I have not failed once. I have succeeded in proving that those 700 ways will not work. When I have eliminated the ways that will not work, I will find the way that will work." -Edison. 

That is one of my favorite quotes from Edison.  He looked at things in a positive light and was eventually very successful.

In both business and your personal life, this is a good way to approach things.  I know I have failed, rather spectacularly at times I might add.  The great thing though is I try to look at those times as a learning experience and grow from them.

I know nothing worthwhile is risk-free, but that is what adds the zest in life I think, taking those risks and seeing where the ride takes you.

Rewards for stepping out of the comfort zone

Good evening everyone!  I can definitely say that this program that I am in will give me the chance to really add to that nice revenue stream.

Since I signed up on the program, I have been unable to get to a spot where I could start getting loads off of the board.  I will give the brokers many kudos to the fact that they did not want to give me any freight that would have ended up being cheaper than hauling the company freight.  That in itself tells me the level of professionalism that these guys have and my hat is off to them.

Right now the load I am on will net me .20 cents more per actual mile than if I had gone through the company with this load.  The way I figure if I can only average say 1 1/2 loads like this per week.  Yes I know its a fraction but it is an average too lol.  This will add 'on average' about 360 per week to the revenue stream.  Doesn't sound like much?  Multiply that by 45 weeks (gotta have some vacation etc lol) and that gives me 16,200 in extra revenue for the year.

I don't know about you but that sounds like a really really good deal to me.  I make more money turning the same amount of miles, burning the same fuel with the other costs the same.  It adds that 16,200 to my bottom line profit.

The great thing about that is that the numbers I am throwing around right now are possibly on the low conservative side.  It could potentially be much higher than that.

Am I excited about this program?  You bet I am!!!  Having the ability, and the responsibility to be able to earn more revenue for my business is very exciting!!

Here is to what I hope will be a great year.