How To Be Healthier,
Happier, And Successful As A Lease Purchase
Owner Operator!
Everyone wants to be successful and
make money. Many trucking lease purchase owner operators
complain because they aren’t making any money and blame
everyone in the system but themselves. You have a lot more
control over what you take home than what you may realize.
There are many ways to be more successful as a trucking lease
purchase owner operator but you want to make sure you do so in
a manner that will make you a happier and healthier
individual. The tips I am offering will help you to be better
organized.
Being more efficient will make your job and life a little
easier while pleasing your company, customers and DOT. Any
driver understands that if DOT ain’t happy…. ain’t nobody
gonna be happy!
Stay current on all your
paperwork.
Logbooks and freight bills should be kept handy while
expense receipts should be kept together so that you can
track your expenses per run. File toll receipts, meal
receipts, scale tickets... in a manila envelope to keep them
together until you can turn them over to your accountant.
Paperwork can be overwhelming, but it's worse if you get
behind. Be sure to keep your logbook up to date and plan
ahead if you think you will be pressed for on-duty time. You
never know when the DOT man at a weigh station is going to
pick your truck for a paperwork check.
If everything isn’t in order or if it takes you a long time
to get it together before going inside, the DOT man might
just take a closer look. And that means he's more likely to
find something wrong...
Get Organized.
Keep your truck clear of clutter by deciding where your
things belong and keep them there. You'll find that you
waste less time looking for things when you know where they
are to begin with.
If the DOT man looks up at your dash and it’s cluttered and
then see the same inside the truck when you open the door,
he might want to check your paperwork a little more closely
to see if you’re as unorganized and messy there. Maybe you
aren’t up to date or there is something wrong…
If you have a laptop...
You might want to download software to help you track your
expenses; GPS software to help you locate your addresses; or
maybe even the new computerized logbooks that will help you
track your hours-of-service.
Reduce the stress!
Each of the items listed above are to help you reduce your
stress level and to help you run your truck like a business.
By running it like a business, you’ll be able to manage your
expenses, control your income, and reduce your stress level.
You should also find ways to relax to reduce your stress
level such as a hobby, watching a movie, or reading a book.
Find events close to your location or within a short taxi
ride so that you can get out of the truck when you’re laid
over waiting to load or unload. Share a ride with another
driver if you can to save money on the taxi and have company
while you’re out enjoying yourself.
Be professional.
In dealing with people always be professional. Maybe they’re
having a bad day. You could make it a little easier by being
nice and respectful instead of showing up grumpy with an
attitude.
By making their day a little easier they might just be a
little bit more accommodating to you and make your day a
little brighter as well. A smile is contagious and uses
fewer muscles than a frown… so smile!
Be active.
Find a way to increase your activity level. Exercise speeds
up your metabolism and gives you more energy. You feel
better, are more alert, improves your memory and it burns
more calories to help you shed or keep off the extra pounds.
Keep a football or a baseball and glove in your truck or
maybe a Frisbee. There are other drivers out there that
would enjoy tossing one around a little so you’ll be able to
get out of the truck, socialize with other drivers and get
in a little exercise instead of just sitting in the truck
staring out the windshield watching the world go by.
Become and stay healthy.
Eat a healthier diet. Make better choices if you feel you
have to eat in a truck stop or restaurant. Order grilled or
broiled selections versus fried foods. Have a salad or have
a side salad to add vegetables to your diet. Shop at the
grocery store and pick up fresh fruit to keep as a snack.
Increase your water intake by keeping bottled water at hand.
It will reduce the number of empty calories you take in,
flush out the toxins in your system, hydrate your body, and
make you feel better.
One of the key elements of being successful at anything is to
be efficient and reduce your stress. Not only will you be
happier and healthier, but you’ll make those you work with and
around happier as well.
By being organized, keeping your paperwork current and correct
you’ll make friends instead of enemies in the accounting
department. You’ll stop having to make those monthly stops in
safety departments to correct or explain your logs to ensure
you’re running your truck legal.
By the way, this will also allow you to get the proper rest
you need and you’ll stop running around the country
over-tired. You don’t want to become one of the statistics
that lays their truck down in the median because they fell
asleep.
Eating better and adding a little exercise into your routine
will help you to stay more mentally focused on the road and
surroundings. This will improve the safety level of your day.
Doing things when they need to be done will improve your
efficiency and thereby improve your success as a trucking
lease purchase owner operator.
Want More Ways To Save Money As A
Lease Purchase Owner Operator?
"How To Make Money As A
Lease Purchase Owner Operator"
