Once you agree upon the price you and your family must pay for success, it enables you to ignore the minor hurts, the opponent's pressure, and the temporary failures.
Vince Lombardi

Here we are at the door step of Old Man Winter, holidays and the slowest time of the year for truckers. There has been more than one driver that hasn’t made it through these dark days. At times, I have not made enough to even make a truck payment, let alone have money to send home to the family. This year is a new year. If you haven’t planned for these days, then I am about ready to show you how this year can be different for you and me. We will base this scenario on a 1,600 mile week. Fuel, for this example, is $3.00 a gallon. Some weeks may be more, but seldom will our miles drop below 1,600 miles.

MPG; make more money!
There is not a better time of the year to drop your MPH to 55. Plan your load to only run 380 to 420 miles a day. This does two things.
1. You will maximize your fuel dollar. The slower you can run your truck the more money you will make. Period!
2. At 380 to 420 miles a day, you will only be logging seven to eight hours a day driving. Saving hours and relieving the stress of pedal-to-the-metal driving. At 1,600 miles, you will use 213 gallons of fuel at 55 mph, or $639.00 of fuel. If you persist on driving at 65 mph, you will use 20% more fuel or 42.6 more gallons of fuel with a net loss of income of $127.80. Your Choice! Red Winter or Black Winter?

On every new load do a top to bottom Pre-Trip!
Earlier this year, I did a one to two minute pre-trip video. Don’t make the mistake of thinking that was an extensive pre-trip time. That works only after you have done a top to bottom pre-trip of your new load. Visual tire pressure check will not do it. You must take a tire gauge to all 18 tires at the beginning of each new load, no exceptions. The smallest of air pressure drop can cost you as much as 2 percent in fuel mileage. On your 1,600 mile week, it would cost you 5.1 gallons of fuel that week with low tire pressure or $15.30.

Never turn down a load from the planners!
When you try to outsmart the smartest people in the room, you will be sorely disappointed. The planners and customer service representatives are doing everything in their power to keep you on a load during these months. When they find a load for you, TAKE IT! If not, you may be sitting for one to four days waiting for the next one. We all need to be on the same page.

Good time to start a diet!
We all need to lose a few pounds. Make a commitment during these months to control your eating habits. Start counting calories. Cut back on your cash advances. Instead of maxing out your advances, make an effort to take $100.00 less a week. A diet on the road is hard, but doable. It will allow you to get your health in better shape, and leave more money on the table for the family at home. I found a great app for my smart phone called myfitnesspal.com. You add your weight, age, sex and the weight you would like to get down to and how much weight per week you want to lose. myfitnesspal.com calculates your daily calorie intake with an extensive database of thousands of foods from fast food to snacks to sit down restaurants. Input what you eat and it keeps track of your diet for you. IT’S GREAT! I have lost 10 pounds in five weeks on my way to a weight I haven’t seen since the 1980’s.

1,600 mile week at 1.15 per mile = $1840.00 income
Minus Fuel Costs = $639.00
Minus Fixed Costs= $655.00
Minus Cash Advance = $140.00

Money made on a bad week = $406.00

Beats the heck out of going into the red for one or more weeks.

Red Winter? Black Winter? Your Choice!

Drive Smart, Eat Smart, make more money!

Mark Maple