How do you organize your documents?

As a company driver you will need to scan or physically turn in your "trip sheets" to get paid. For my company we scan these at truckstops or terminals. We have a cover sheet that is scanned along with all bill of lading or packing list documents for every trip.

Some drivers end up not getting paid for a load because they lost their paperwork. With my company you stay on "fast track" pay if you consistently get your trip sheets scanned in a timely manner, like within a few days of delivering your load. However, if you miss scanning a trip or consistently are late scanning trips then you are only paid when the trips are scanned and that can be frustrating if you miss a payroll deadline.

I use my permit book that came with my truck. It's a 3-ring binder. The CURRENT trip I'm hauling is in the binder on the top as I first open the book. Any trips that are done but not yet scanned are stored in the back of the book.

Once I've scanned the trip it goes into a separate binder. I keep these only a week to a month or so, long enough to review my payroll.

 

As i run regionally i can do up to 10jobs in a week.
That amount off papers can add up very quickly and get mixed up fast.
To avoid that i number all papers,all papers related to the same job get the same unique number.(somewhere in a corner,out off the way)
The number i asign is made up as followed:
1° i put my initials
2°part is the number off the week we are in so this week that's 47.
3°is the number off the job that i'm on for that week.

To give a example
XXX4706 initials,week 47 and 6° job off this week.

This way all papers related to the same job can never be mixed up.

I use that same number to keep track off my scans.
Having a bunch off "pdf" files with just the automatic number asigned by the computer as you scan them can lead to very long searches if you need to find a older file.

Hope this helps.

 

I use one of these.

 

Probably the best thing to do is learn to stay on top of your paperwork, followed by making sure your reports are perfect. Helps getting paid.

I scanned every piece of paper that came through my truck, as it entered my truck, then stuffed them into the trip envelope for that trip.

 

As an O/O I just love my high tech gadgets so I put my ipad to good use.
I take photos of everything on paper. Either that or I can scan each piece ready to file or send via email.
Every trip I do is recorded on another app, so I can keep track of what has been paid.
Keeps everything in order.
My dispatch can fax me stuff to my ipad. Paperwork that I may need or I've found missing.
Insurances I keep on file too this way.
it's all going this way. I have a problem with what the truck stops charge for faxing stuff. I do it all for free or minimal cost.
And I'm just scratching the surface. There's much more you can do but there's nothing wrong with keeping everything on paper and filed away.
Good luck

 

Do whatever works for you ... I use the envelope system ... 9x11 top half I write down all the pertinent trip info, shipper/receiver/weight/seal/bol/po/pu#/drop# and any other number ... bottom half is for my notes, trailer numbers. All paper for the trip goes in the envelope - bills, reimbursable receipts. I have a slot on my dash that I keep my current trip in that I can reach form the drivers seat. When the trip is completed, I fill out the trip sheet stick in the envelope and put in another slot on my dash pending scanning.

I keep two 11x14 envelopes, one for tax receipts for the year and one for maintenance receipts for the year.

 

All receipts are photo'd with my smartphone, then converted to .pdf files then backed up to the cloud. Then I email the docs to my tax guy who stays on top of my profit and loss. Carrier emails me a settlement statement in .pdf every week, I turn around and forward that also to the tax guy.

Trips, transflo scan and file away. Same thing with paper logs,scan and file away. A couple of trips fuel receipts from months ago fell through the cracks, the company asked me to for missing receipts for IFTA reporting, I pull them off the cloud and email forward to them no problem. Occasionally they say I have a missing log or something, no problem pull it from the file and take a pic of it and convert to .pdf and email to them. What happens sometimes, I finish a trip and scan my logs up to yesterday as that is the last log closed out then pick up a load tomorrow and deliver then today's log doesn't get scanned in by mistake. They catch it several weeks later. I have a better system now, I separate trips out with the mileage trip sheets and go ahead and grab the last log sheet behind the mileage trip sheet and scan it whether it needs it or not, no problems in months.

 

Cluttered dash's are also a good way of saying "Oh,oh, pick me" as your rolling through the scales...

 

That's an interesting numbering system. Is there a reason you can't use the load numbers of each of those jobs to keep track of the paperwork? Or do you use your own system for filing purposes?

I'm asking because we just developed an app to help drivers move away from paper (similar to Transflo, Drive Axle or the numerous mobile scanning applications out there) and we organize everything by load number. One of our flatbed customers recently asked us if they could search by PM number in addition to PO / load number. Currently spec'ing that out right now and interested in knowing how others organize their load documentation.

 

It is for my filling system that i use my own numbers.
So all papers get my number AND all email concerning a certain job get the same number so all info can retrieved without much effort.
Also lets say you load in place X and unload at Y.
X will ask for a loading number
Y will ask for a unloadnumber
A lot off the time they are not the same number.
How do you keep track off it?
That's were my number comes in.
Another reason why i use my own reference is let's say you have to pay a toll for a bridge.
Using my own numbers it is easy to attribute that cost to that load.(like if you were calculating cost off certain loads on a spreadsheet)

Hope this helps.
If you have any more questions ,i will be happy to explain more.