Overdrive Magazine | Trucking Business News & Owner Operator Info
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/85437
roadside attractions GUGES A Rising fuel costs push income down Fuel costs per mile rose, revenue stayed the same and income dropped in all three segments during the first quarter of 2012, according to financial services provider ATBS. Miles for dry van haulers did go up slightly, but declined for reefer and flatbed carriers. DRY VAN FLATBED REEFER Miles per month 12,000 11,000 10,000 9,000 8,000 CITATION- WRITING DRONES 2010 2011 2012 2Q 3Q 4Q 1Q 2Q 3Q 4Q 1Q Fuel costs per mile $0.80 $0.70 $0.60 $0.50 $0.40 WILL HUNT YOU DOWN 2010 2011 2012 2Q 3Q 4Q 1Q 2Q 3Q 4Q 1Q Revenue per mile $1.80 $1.60 $1.40 $1.20 $1.00 Truckers, already accustomed to being watched, photographed at some state lines, and generally over-scrutinized, might well get ready for a further intrusion. Expediting owner-operator Phil Madsen, in the April 18 entry of his Learning Something New Every Day blog (overdriveonline. com/madsen), shares this ominous prediction: "Very soon, a DOT drone pilot will be able to sit in a chair in an office building … and use an eye in the sky to monitor thousands of trucks a day." Flatbed loads can be inspected and securement citations issued with photo evidence, speeding tickets can be written, "heat signatures from wheels can be studied to detect a brake that is not working… You say it was not you who lit up a cigarette in a California city park where outdoor smoking is prohibited? The air quality police beg to differ." 2010 2011 2012 2Q 3Q 4Q 1Q 2Q 3Q 4Q 1Q Net income per mile $0.60 $0.55 $0.50 $0.45 $0.40 $0.35 DO YOU NEED A DOCUMENTED BUSINESS PLAN TO GET A LOAN? 2010 2011 2012 2Q 3Q 4Q 1Q 2Q 3Q 4Q 1Q Income per month $5,000 $4,500 $4,000 $3,500 $3,000 No, 2010 Quarterly data points represent three-month averages. 2Q 3Q 4Q 1Q 2Q 3Q 4Q 1Q 2012 2011 12 OVERDRIVE JUNE 2012 said 83 percent of owner- operator respondents, when asked in a 2011 University of Arkansas survey about lenders' requirements. BETTER HEALTH Hydration 101 Plan to get your eight 8-ounce glasses of water a day, more if you're active when not driving. • Enjoy health benefits. Drinking plenty of water has been associated with losing extra fat, improving bowel movements, reducing blood pressure and easing common ailments such as joint pain, headaches and back pain. • Keep a water bottle in your cab. Purchase a reusable, Bisphenol A (BPA)-free bottle and avoid concerns doctors have raised about that chemical, present in many plastics. • Add flavor to your water, if you need encouragement. Try buying bottles of real lemon or lime juice. They'll keep fresh longer than the fruits themselves. Squeeze in a few drops at a time and shake. • Avoid sugary drinks. The sugar has no health benefits. Also, if you're not very active while not driving, the sodium and potassium in sports drinks is completely unnecessary. –Kathleen Buccleugh