Daily documentation

Discussion in 'Ask An Owner Operator' started by Wild Murphy, Apr 25, 2015.

  1. Wild Murphy

    Wild Murphy HAPPY TRUCK DRIVER

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    O/O's, in 4 weeks I will have my own truck and will lease on with a mega pulling a dry van. I want to keep track of as much information as I can so I can mine the data to improve on operations. I was thinking of making a daily sheet to fill in what I need to keep track of. Then I would keep them in a 3 ring binder and compile the info weekly, then monthly. I like organization. I would include things like date/time, shipper/receiver( and whether I had issues with either), mileage, cpm, fuel, mpg, detention, live load/unload, d&h, parking, dh miles etc... Repairs, maintenance also. Do you keep a notebook or something like this? Also, what would you add to keep track of?
     
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  3. TruckerPete1990

    TruckerPete1990 Road Train Member

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    i got my first truck yesterday. I've loged it all into letstruck.com tracks your fuel millage free. Then tracks your profit's for like 20 bucks a month and print it out at end of year and your done
     
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  4. Wild Murphy

    Wild Murphy HAPPY TRUCK DRIVER

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    I'll check that out. Thanks.
     
  5. Prom Night Dumpster Baby

    Prom Night Dumpster Baby Medium Load Member

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    Open Office. It's free. Mega dry van's your gonna need all the free stuff you can get! May God have mercy on your soul.
     
  6. Wild Murphy

    Wild Murphy HAPPY TRUCK DRIVER

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    Thanks. I'll check that out too. Us Tennesseans like a challenge.
     
  7. Allow Me.

    Allow Me. Trucker Forum STAFF Staff Member

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    I did it the old fashioned way…..1 manilla envelope per trip, with all receipts, paperwork etc going into the envelope. Pro #, dates on front of envelope. Filed at the house when home. Pretty easy to refer back to if need be.
     
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  8. Long FLD

    Long FLD Road Train Member

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    I do mine a little different. I can go from 2 or more short loads a day to bouncing out for a 1200 mile load coming back. I use a big day planner to keep track of what I do on what date and also write my fuel purchases down by date. I keep track of everything else by the month. At the end of the month I figure my gross, expenses, etc and file it. Then I also figure everything at the end of the quarter. The quarter is peace of mind for me because we hit ups and downs and it's easier for me to see the big picture and not let a bad month get me down.
     
  9. Wild Murphy

    Wild Murphy HAPPY TRUCK DRIVER

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    I like to have things written out. A day planner will help immensely. Good idea. I like to have a hard copy I can see at a glance. I think I will just scan any thing I log at the end of each week as an electronic copy but I will input everything daily in a day planner or binder... Thanks for the input.
     
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  10. NavigatorWife

    NavigatorWife Road Train Member

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    Do you have a laptop to use. I have Microsoft 2007 on my 2012 HP with the Old version of One Note. The newer version is Evernote, which I used for something else.

    On the ONe Note I have started a tab for each different vendor, then a new page, with the address, date, directions, if there were specific directions, if they allowed parking, where the closest parking spot is, etc. I haven't used it for awhile, get sidetracked too much at home, but it would let you copy and paste the directions off google map, not sure what this new google map torture is going to let me do in the future if I start using it again.

    I write husband's order up in a regular wirebound notebook, one page usually for each load, miles mty and loaded, date load picks up and time, delivery date and time, p/u vendor name, address, shipper vendor address. Sometimes you might have to hunt an address in the area to use if you use GPS and can't get it to find it, this is where google maps comes in handy to find a cross address or something close. Any other specific info if the vendors provide it, etc. Fuel up info, where at, etc. If there were tolls paid, extra money paid out for scales, tolls in cash, etc. This can be flipped through if in the future you go back to the same place, sometimes it takes a little looking though to find info. It is also good to keep each order written up anyway just in case the qualcomm goes down.

    Good luck. Paperwork is time consuming so keep it simple.
     
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  11. NavigatorWife

    NavigatorWife Road Train Member

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    I also use www.findfuelstops.com to help find truckstops along the way. It will also give you other info of places in the area, if you pull up a truckstop, such as if a weigh station, rest area, Walmart is in the area.

    Just remember to make sure it is a truckstop and just not a fillup place, like most of the Wilco-Hess. Also call any Walmart and make sure you can park there and google map it to make sure it is an easy one to get into without all the little tree islands. Some of the ones esp in PA will have you towed.
     
  12. Cranky Yankee

    Cranky Yankee Cranky old ######

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    if he is leasing onto a mega they will still tell him where to fuel for best price
     
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