First some terminology:

The term Crash, this is when a program or your entire PC stops working and may also include a frozen screen.

Reboot means to restart your computer.

Control Panel is the windows feature that gives you access to your system utilities and settings.

OK, with that said, the best thing to do when your PC crashes is nothing.  That’s right, I said nothing.   Give it a couple minutes, it could be your computer is working on something behind the scenes and has not crashed.

After a few minutes and nothing has happened try the “3 finger salute”.   The “3 finger salute” is pressing the Ctrl + Alt + Delete keys at the same time.  From here you can either restart your computer or in the Task Manager box you can End Task the program that is giving you the problem.

If your computer is still unresponsive, repeat the “3 finger salute” and click Shut Down on the dialog box.

As a last resort, press the Reset button on your CPU.   But again, this is a very last resort.

Taking care of your PC should cut down on the crashing frequency.  Here are a few thing to watch for:  Always keep about 25% of your hard disk free.  Anything less than that and your hard disk will struggle.  To find our how much free space you have go to My Computer (XP) / Computer (Vista) and right click on the hard disk icon.  Choose Properties from the drop down menu.

If your hard disk is filling up fast, delete any programs that you rarely or never use.  Do that by choosing the “add or Remove Programs” icon from the Control Panel.  This should help free up some space for you.  Deleting large audio or video files will also help.

We at Easy Trucking Software www.easytruckingsoftware.com can’t say enough about backing up your files.  We recommend using a flash drive with our program because it is inexpensive and can save hours of time having to rekey information into the program.  Use a Flash Drive, external hard drive or internet storage.  You decide what is right for you and then DO IT!  Do it on a regular basis and it will make your life much easier in the event something happens to your PC and you need to restore a program or file.  I personally have an external hard drive attached to my computer that mirrors the capacity of my hard disk (i.e. 30 GB computer hard disk and a 30GB external hard drive).   I back up everything!

Programs also need a certain amount of RAM (random access memory) to work properly.  Each program will tell you what it needs by selecting Control Panel and click on System Tools and then System Information.  Toward the bottom of the list is the total available physical memory.  Software with lots of graphics, video or sound usually need the most RAM.

Keep your hard disk (C: drive) cleaned up too.  Some regular housekeeping is necessary to keep your PC running at peak performance.

Defragment your disk by going into System Tools and click Disk Deframenter.  This process may take quite a while depending on the size of your hard disk.  Just start it and walk away and do something else for a while.

Remember – A healthy PC is a happy PC.

Easy Truckin is brought to you by Easy Trucking Software. We hope you enjoy it.

What the heck is a firewall?  I know I have one in my car and truck, but what is it doing in my computer?

Your computer firewall is a piece of software or hardware that sits between your computer and the internet that restricts what types of data can flow into your computer or out from your computer.  Viruses can be prevented by using a good firewall.  It will filter or block certain types of network traffic entering your computer.  Things like viruses, worms or unwanted/unauthorized remote access into your computer are blocked at the firewall.  The firewall is built to know the difference between a virus and email and can be configured to allow certain kinds of connections from the outside.

There are two different firewalls, hardware and software.

A hardware firewall would be a broadband router that filters traffic before it even gets to your computer.

A software firewall is a software program that runs on your computer and filters and prevents traffic from getting through to your operating system of your computer.

If you are looking for more information about firewalls, do an internet search on firewalls.

What is the best virus scanner around and will it catch all viruses trying to enter my computer?

There are a variety of virus scanners on the market.  To name one that is the best is subjective and we all have our own favorite program that we swear by.  Pick one and install it on your computer.  Something is always better than nothing.  The advantage of having a real time virus scanner, which is preferred, is it will detect viruses as they they try to enter your computer and are stopped and deleted.  You may notice that your computer runs a little bit slower in this mode but it is worth it if you don’t end up with a virus in your machine and all sorts of computer headaches.  If you feel you need a second virus scanner, run it from time to time to catch anything that slips through the first scan.  There isn’t one anti-virus program out there that will catch every virus.  Each program is a little different from the next.

This is where having a firewall in place is another deterrent of viruses sneaking in and infecting your computer.  Pay attention to warnings you may get from your firewall or virus scanner when downloading anything to your computer, and don’t open an email attachment that is not recognized.

My computer is running slower and slower and where is all this junk email coming from?

What could be happening is you have spyware that has attached itself to your computer, gathering information about your internet habits and sending them back to someplace else.  Suddenly you are getting more and more email from places you have never visited making your email a nightmare to wade through.

There is help!  Do an internet search for Free anti-spyware software.  There are quite a few out there.  Read the reviews and pick one and run it to remove the spyware from your computer.  Do this on a regular basis if you are a regular internet surfer and be sure to update your anti-spyware software too.  The first time I did this to my computer it ran over 30 minutes cleaning out all the “junk” that had attached itself to my computer.  Wow, did it make a difference in my computer speed.  If you can set this up as an automatic function on your machine, so much the better.  Then you won’t have to try to remember to run the anti-spyware.

Just as you want your computer to run smoothly when you need it, so should your business.  Tracking all your data is important to know exactly how much money you are making and the expenses you incur.  That’s where Easy Trucking Software comes in.  Easy Trucking Software will keep track of all your income, your expenses, your fuel and mileage, helping you stay on top of your business every day.  But don’t take my word for it, visit our website at www.easytruckingsoftware.com and get your FREE download (don’t you just love that word FREE).  Try it out before you buy it and remember that your trial download can be turned into the real thing with just a phone call to purchase.

Easy Truckin is brought to you by Easy Trucking Software. We hope you enjoy it.

Taking your trucking business to the next level may mean:

• searching for and taking better paying loads,
• signing on with a different carrier
• expanding your business by adding another driver or two, or
• getting your own authority

Your next level will be different than the next drivers next level.  You decide and set the goals you want to achieve for your business.

Getting to that next level will involve some work on your part.  It means you need to have your finger on the pulse of your business.  You need to know where your money is going, how much are you spending, and what you are spending it on.

Evaluate your business and know where the fat is and begin the trimming process.  Do this often on a regular basis.  Why pay for services you aren’t using and things that are not necessary.

Since we have cell phones and no kids as home anymore, we got rid of our home phone last summer and haven’t missed it.  I now pocket the money I was spending on a home phone that was seldom used anymore.  All our friends and family got the email or snail mail regardlng the phone change and cell numbers.   Everyone likes being able to reach us wherever and whenever.  I’m not sure if that is a good thing or not.

OK,  its time to start with paper and pen.  Sit down and write down your business goals and your plan to get you to your goal.  Like mapping out your route to your next drop, you need a plan.  Sometimes there are detours, but take them as they come and don’t worry about them ahead of time.

Put to paper what you want to achieve in your business, for example, by year end.    Then start thinking about and writing down all the things you will need to do to reach your goal.  Be realistic with your goal setting too.  You want to be able to achieve your goals.  Analyze your map of things to do often and decide whether or not your goal is achievable in the time frame and tweak things from time to time to stay on track.

Also having good trucking software to help you keep track of all your business income and expenses is key.  Getting the reports you need to evaluate your business is also a must or you are shooting in the dark.  Easy Trucking Software can help you with this at a very affordable price.

Dropping our home phone is just one of the things we did to save money.  Now it’s your turn to trim unnecessary expenses and take your business to the next level

Easy Truckin is brought to you by Easy Trucking Software. We hope you enjoy it.

This is my new word of the day.

Definition:  To enlarge or expand the range of their business.

When doing the same thing gets you the same results and your results are poor, it’s time to diversify.

Did you ever wonder why some trucking companies are thriving while others are going under?  Do you think it’s maybe because they are better at money management than the next business?  Sometimes but not always.  Do you think they maybe this great crystal ball that is giving them insight?  Probably not!

When doing the same thing isn’t getting you the results you need, it’s time to look at diversifying.  Making a change isn’t always easy.  It takes out of our comfort zone of something familiar and puts us in a place of maybe having to learn something new.

Trucking companies are having to close their doors and lay off their employees and/or owner operators because of lack of freight to haul.  Lack of freight coupled with low or even lower rates makes it difficult to make money.  I’ll bet you can name off a few companies and people that you personally know in this situation right now.  Life isn’t always fair.

I talked with a trucking company the other day that has diversified what they were hauling and are now growing and making money again.  Good for them.  I love hearing success stories.  This wasn’t always the case though.  They had to figure it out and change direction with what they were hauling.  They had to change their thinking and open up the possibility to change and learn something new.

Change can be a positive word if you let it.  Change can be a good thing, especially if it means the difference between making money and NOT making money.  Change is inevitable and a daily thing.  Think of change like a detour, a detour to making more money.

I don’t have a magic pill that I can recommend to you that will suddenly make you smarter at selecting loads to haul or give you insight to what you should do in your business.

Being an owner operator means keeping on top of your business and making sure it’s profitable.  This may mean looking to haul something else other than what you have been.  Keep your mind open to other possibilities of other freight to haul.  Don’t be afraid to learn something new.

Ask other truckers what they are hauling and who they are working for.  Get input and weigh your options for something better than what you already have.

Get yourself a good trucking program to keep track of your business.  Know where your money is going and what kind of expenses you have.  Easy Trucking Software is a GREAT software that is economically priced and created just for you, the owner operator and small fleet owner.

The economy isn’t going to turn around overnight and we all need to help ourselves as best we can.

Easy Truckin is brought to you by Easy Trucking Software. We hope you enjoy it.

Things may not be quite that bad, yet.  Those things out of your control like fuel prices and food prices are just that, out of your control so don’t worry about them you’ll only make yourself sick trying.  Look at the things that are in your control like your insurance expense.

Just like the multitude of insurance companies out there, so it is with trucking software companies.  But not all are equal.  Here at Easy Trucking Software we pride ourselves on our outstanding customer service that is the foundation of our operation.  We pack a lot of tools into our software for a reasonable cost, giving you the reports you need and want.  We can help you keep your business on track for success just as your insurance carrier can help shield your business with a blanket of insurance protection.

Insurance companies too have a lot of tools at their fingertips to aid in your decision making of what coverage is right for you.  There are many insurance carriers out there to choose from to do business with.  Here are a few things you may want to consider when you next review your truck insurance.

It is a good idea to review your coverages if:

• Your insurance agent deals mostly with homeowners and auto insurance and knows very little about the trucking industry but writes a policy here and there.  You want a professional in trucking insurance to help guide you through the process to make good decisions for your business and to answer your questions.  You want a reputable and knowledgeable agent.
• You have had your insurance for more than a year or have recently had an accident or near accident.  Don’t get caught on the short end of missing or a lack of proper coverage.  Don’t rely on the other person having insurance coverage because some do not, crazy as that is.
• You have recently bought a different or new truck or are adding an additional truck for your business.  Adequate coverage at a minimum is a must.  One accident could put you into financial ruin without sufficient coverage.  You also do not want to be insurance poor by paying too much  for the coverage you want or for coverage you do not need.  Shop around and compare costs and agencies.
• You get an unexpected bill from your insurance carrier.  Something has changed with your insurance or new policies going into effect by your carrier and now is a good time to review your policy.   Sit down and review your policy in depth if needed to get a clear understanding of what you are paying for and why.

Work with a reputable insurance company and agent.   Ask other truckers who they use and whether or not they would recommend their company.  Word of mouth is a powerful thing and people are always willing to share what they think, good or bad.  Outstanding customer service should be a given when dealing with your insurance carrier.  If you are not treated well why are you doing business with them and giving them your premium dollars?

Don’t get caught short on insurance or without a trucking software like Easy Trucking Software to help track your business. We even offer a FREE download to try the software before you buy it.  Can’t do that with insurance can you.  Visit our website at www.easytruckingsoftware.com and click on Download.   Easy Trucking Software has been in business since 1993 and isn’t going anywhere but forward.  No bailout money taken here.

Easy Truckin is brought to you by Easy Trucking Software. We hope you enjoy it.

Being prepared for the next time is a good idea.  You don’t need a lot of any one thing, just a small amount that is easy to store.  These are also things you may already have around the house.

Here are just a few things to have on hand in your truck first-aid kit.

For headaches and body aches –  There are things such as Bayer, Advil, Tylenol and Aleve.  You decide which works best for your situation.

Band-aids are a good quick fix to a cut and don’t forget some disinfectant ointment of your choice. 

Waterless hand cleaner is also a must.  You eat on the go in your truck and want to make sure your hands are clean before touching food that will be going into your mouth.  I never said staying healthy was going to be easy.

Because you have hard working hands that band-aid may not last too long.  For minor cuts I personally like New Skin.  It’s a liquid you brush on to your cut that seals and protects it and is waterproof.  It also dries pretty quickly, lasts longer than a day and does a nice job protecting your cut.  This isn’t something to put on kids as it does sting, so be warned.

Baking soda may sound like a crazy thing to have in your truck but it has a variety of uses.  

• For a quick antacid – mix 1/4 to 1/2 spoon baking soda with 1/2 cup water and drink.  May not be the tastiest drink but it will help calm your stomach.
• Toothpaste – Baking soda is also good for brushing your teeth.  May not taste the best but does the job to give your pearly whites a cleaning.  And it’s cheap!

For diarrhea keep some Imodium handy.  Works pretty quick and gets the job done or should I say stopped.

When you need to really see medical personnel for a quick diagnosis, there are a variety of of mini health clinics such as MinuteClinics located in 26 states and are expanding like crazy.  MinuteClinics’ team of board-certified medical practitioners are trained to diagnose, treat and write prescriptions (when clinically appropriate) for a variety of common family illnesses.  In-network with most major insurers, patients are responsible for either their co-pay or the price clearly listed on the treatments and services menu. For those who are uninsured or prefer to pay out-of-pocket, MinuteClinic accepts cash, checks and credit cards.

To find a MinuteClinic in your area, go to MinuteClinic.com, where you can also see the list of treatments available and the exact cost for each.

Another place to check is Wal-Mart.  They began partnering with local health providers in 2007 and are managed by local or regional hospitals or other organizations independent of Wal-Mart. The providers operating the clinics determine what services to offer, which generally includes preventive and routine care for conditions such as allergies and sinus infections, as well as basic services such as cholesterol screenings and school physicals at affordable prices. They are staffed by either certified nurse practitioners or physicians.  

Check with the local Wal-Mart in your area for this service.

Easy Trucking Software can also help keep your business healthy.  Software at your fingertips that will give you a Profit & Loss report for any timeframe you enter.  Track your income and expenses and know how much that last load really paid you.  Knowing your bottom line is what is going to keep you in business.  Don’t let a minor cut to your business disable you. Use Easy Trucking Software as your first aid for your business.

Visit our website www.easytruckingsoftware.com for a free, yes I said FREE, download to try it out.  We have such confidence in our product that we offer you a 90-day money back guarantee when you purchase.  Not everyone is willing to do that anymore and FREE 90-day tech support with real people.  

See for yourself and get your free download today.

Easy Truckin is brought to you by Easy Trucking Software. We hope you enjoy it.

Continue to watch your expenses and think twice before spending any extra money.  Now I can hear you saying that you’ve already cut all the fat out of your business and cut it to the bone to the point you are bleeding.  We all feel the pain of trying to keep our business in the black and we do what we must.  Grab a band-aid and keep on going.

Check around your office and home and sell anything you no longer need or use.  Get rid of the clutter and put some cash in your pocket.

Being savvy about your purchases may take some work on your part other than cruising the local ads.  Do your homework with research before making any major money decisions.

Plan your purchases and if you can budget for them.  If you have cash in hand for that next business purchase it may give you price negotiating power at a local level.  

Price around what you are considering buying.  Find out who has the highest price and the lowest price locally.  Then check the internet for prices.  I like to use Froogle for price comparisons.  Weigh your options of buying on the internet or local.  Sometimes buying over the internet you can waive local/state sales tax but will have to pay for shipping.  When buying locally you may have sales tax, if it applies, but no shipping.  Like I said, you’ll need to do your homework and weigh the options available to help make your decision.   

If negotiating locally, know how much you want to spend and have cash in hand ready to buy to show you are serious.  Ask the salesperson for a lesser price because you have cash in hand or ask to talk with someone in the store who would have that power.  Be prepared to walk away if the store doesn’t want to deal with you or bend on a price when faced with cold hard cash.  Did you know that most all countries in the world negotiate the sale price except us.  If you don’t ask for a deal you won’t get one.

If you know sales have been slow for the store, bring that to light.  Wouldn’t a lesser sale be better than no sale and be reasonable in what you offer if you expect to negotiate.

Dealing with local merchants helps your local economy, a local business and you develop a business relationship locally.  Plus if something is wrong with your purchase, you have a local merchant to deal with.  

Avoid the impulse buying and think twice about every purchase.  You control the time to buy and if you even really need it.

Let’s face it, everything goes on sale sooner or later and sometimes more than once.

Larger “big box” stores such as Sam’s Club or Costco can also provide you with some better deals as well.  This is especially true if you buy in volume.  Whether you have need of tires or toilet paper, these larger stores stock the main staples of living and business office supplies.  These stores also require membership, but weigh that against how much you can save in several visits could well pay for the membership fee.

Stash that credit card and use cash or debit card whenever you can.  Pay off/down any credit cards you have starting with the smallest and working your way up to the largest.  If you don’t have any credit card debit, give yourself a pat on the back because you are one of a very few.  Negotiate for a lower interest rate on your credit card or do a balance transfer to a lower interest rate card and close off the old one.  

When times are tough like now, there are lots of things you can do without.  You decide what is right for you and your circumstances.

Easy Truckin is brought to you by Easy Trucking Software. We hope you enjoy it.

If you are a trucker, you know about IFTA reporting and that it is done on a quarterly basis.  Whether or not you are responsible for doing it or your company does it for you, it needs to be done on a quarterly basis.  All those fuel receipts need to be accounted for and reported.

The quarters for IFTA are as follows:  

January – March and are due April 30^th

April – June and are due July 31^st

July – September and are due October 31^st

October – December and Due January 31^st

You are required to report the following information with IFTA:

Miles in each state traveled and licensed in for the quarter

Fuel purchased in each state traveled and licensed in for the quarter

Fuel price per gallon of each purchase in each state traveled and licensed in for the quarter

All states require you to file your information quarterly and on time with them or be prepared to pay a fine.  Don’t expect any extensions on time, your state has heard every excuse in the book and can be pretty unsympathetic regardless of your excuse.

Some states will offer electronic reporting on the internet at their website.  Check with your state if this is available to you.  Otherwise your state will provide you with the tax rates and a reporting form for you to complete and mail back before the quarterly deadline.

To find the IFTA rates, visit their website at www.iftach.org and don’t forget that this information is FREE to everyone, no membership fees required.  Click on Compliance Tax Rates and then the quarter.  There is even an area to Download Tax Matrices which comes in very handy if you are licensed in more states than not.  Decide on what format you want and download the information to your computer.

Keeping track of all those little fuel receipts can be a real pain, but if you have a way of tracking it electronically, so much the better.  There are quite  a few different trucking software programs available such as www.easytruckingsoftware.com that will provide the tools needed to help you do your IFTA reporting by providing you with reports.

Easy Truckin is brought to you by Easy Trucking Software. We hope you enjoy it.

Depending on how much computer data we are talking about will determine how much storage you’ll need.  It’s like renting a storage unit.  You don’t know what size to rent unless you know what you want to store.

Your computer data can include all those precious pictures you have taken over time and saved to your computer that can never be replaced for a variety of reasons.

Data can also include all your business files, tax returns and anything else you have saved to your computer that you don’t want to lose.

You can save data as simply as using a flash drive,  burning your information to a CD, using an external hard drive or going to off-site storage on a web server.

Using a flash drive is as easy as plugging it into a USB port on your computer and copying over the files you want to save.  A flash drive can cost you as little as $5 on up depending on the size.  Back to that size thing like the storage unit.

A flash drive is small and very portable and can also easily get lost or destroyed.  They make them pretty sturdy but lets not try standing on one just to test it out with your data on it.  Not a good idea.

Cd’s are also very handy and inexpensive to use, especially if you buy them in quantity.  They are thin but can also scratch.  

External hard drives are my favorite choice, especially for in-house storage of pictures and data I don’t want to lose.  Again, cost will depend on storage capacity.

The rule of thumb I like to use if buying an external hard drive, is to get one that is at least the same size as your computer hard drive.  That way whatever you have on your computer can easily be stored on your external hard drive, no problem.   Cost will vary depending on size and they come with instructions on how to use them for backing up your computer.

There is also off-site storage that you can send your files to.  You rent space from an on-line hosting company such as iDrive.com.  They will give you 2 GB FREE if you have less than 2 GB of information to store.  Why pay for something if you can get it free.  

If you want more space, iDrive.com starts at 150 GB of storage for $4.95 a month.   This is just one of many other vendors available.

Start with the FREE stuff before you start spending money.  Be frugal and put your money back into your own pocket every chance you can.

To do your own internet search, bring up your internet browser and search for free online data storage. You decide what is right for you.

Many options to choose from to protect all your family photos and data.  Be sure you hook up with a reputable company if you do the online storage.  Check them out and also look for a Better Business Bureau logo on their webpage.  

Easy Truckin is brought to you by Easy Trucking Software. We hope you enjoy it.

Being a busy trucker, there are just so many hours in a day you can work to make money.  It is not like working a 9-5 job and being able to pick up a part-time job on your off hours or weekends for some extra pocket cash.  You are in your truck working hard and gone more hours than you are home.

Some of you have a website and some of you don’t and that’s OK too.  This will work for both of you.

Here at Easy Trucking Software we have an affiliate program that’s available to anyone wanting to participate.  It’s very easy to do and outlined at our website www.easytruckingsoftware.com

Visit our website at www.easytruckingsoftware.com and at the very bottom of the page you will see Affiliates.  Click on it.  This will take you to the Affiliate information and how to sign up. 

We have banners that you can add to your website and every time someone buys the Easy Trucking Software program from your link, you earn money.  This is a completely hands-off operation for you once you have the link on your website and are signed up.

Below are a few Q&A about the affiliate program directly from the Easy Trucking Software website.

Can we send you a check?

Simply grab an EasyTruckingSoftware.com banner
(click on sign up link below), and put it on your web
site as a link to EasyTruckingSoftware.com It’s totally free! 

What if I don’t have a Website?

We want our affiliates to succeed and we realize everyone doesn’t have a website. You don’t need a website just send your friends to our website using your special web address.

What’s in it For You?

We are currently offering an 20% commission on all sales to all our affiliates. Our store has a sales average of 2% among all unique visitor (a normal store has 1 to 1.5%). With the #1 Trucking Software and aggressive pricing, we offer a good opportunity for you to make easy money. We also offer an extra two-tier commission of 10%.

Two-Tier System 

Two Tier Programs pay you commission for the sales you generate and also pay a percentage of the sales generated by affiliates you refer to the program. This form of Affiliate Program is currently the hottest on the Internet and many sponsors are creating new two-tier programs to capitalize on the trend. Getting involved early will ensure you a steady stream of income with the right referrals.

Once You Are an Affiliate

You will have real-time access to your stats because of a 100% reliable tracking system (CGI and cookies). Our affiliate program is as easy as 1-2-3 to install, takes no more than 10 seconds to activate and is 100% free! Follow the step-by-step sign up procedure and start making big bucks! 

sign up now!  www.easytruckingsoftware.com
Remember, it is totally free! 

Easy Truckin is brought to you by Easy Trucking Software. We hope you enjoy it.