Overdrive Magazine | Trucking Business News & Owner Operator Info
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/376180
BUSINESS 24 | Overdrive | September 2014 Startup package for independents Factoring service Apex Capital announced a new Apex Startup Program designed to help own- er-operators get their own author- ity. The program's $885 base fee, covers federal filing fees, BOC-3 process agent setup and more, said spokeswoman Sarah Schimpff. Customers using the Startup Program have access to a new cus- tom load board and other services such as account management, fuel discounts, a tire program, hotel discounts and more. Visit ApexCapitalCorp.com. Rand McNally updates services Rand McNally has updated its IntelliRoute TND line of truck-spe- cific GPS units. The new 730 and 530 TND models – 7-inch and 5-inch units, respectively – have redesigned, sleeker hardware and an updated user interface, along with a faster processor for quicker route calculations, point-of-interest searches and route comparisons. Rand McNally says its maps have been upgraded with improved text and road shields, new colorization and more personalization. The company also announced its HD 100 electronic logging device now works with smart- phones, tablets and its IntelliRoute GPS devices. The ELD is compliant with the proposed federal mandate. TruckingOffice broadens load planning TruckingOffice announced an upgraded version of its online pack- age, TruckingOffice Pro, for own- er-operators and small fleets. The software now offers advanced load planning capabilities so users can track both full truckload and less- than-truckload loads. The new TruckingOffice Pro starts at $30 per month. A 30-day free trial is available via www.truck- ingoffice.com. Improved services announced PARTNERS IN BUSINESS TIP: LEARN FULL PRICE WHEN FINANCING YOUR TRUCK Get full disclosure before you sign a finance contract. Make sure the total price is defined clearly. Truth-in-lending laws do not apply to commercial loans such as truck financing, so dealers do not have to give full disclosure, but most will if asked. Partners in Business is produced by Overdrive and the con- sultants at ATBS, the nation's largest owner-operator business services firm. It is sponsored by Ryder and Goodyear Smart Fleet. The new Partners in Business manual is available for order at eTruckerStore.com. America's oil field fracking is a "gold rush" that will lead to energy indepen- dence and financial recovery, said Avondale Partners' Donald Broughton at the Commercial Vehicle Outlook Conference in Dallas. The meeting imme- diately preceded the opening of the Great American Trucking Show. "We are living in a slow-growth, no-growth economy except for fracking," said Broughton, Avondale's senior research analyst. Another bright economic sign is that truck tonnage is growing at 3 per- cent, and loads are up 2 percent, he said. During the Great American Trucking Show in Dallas last month, some of the industry's leading companies announced expansions and other improvements to their offerings for owner-operators and small fleets. FRACKING TOWARD RECOVERY