Overdrive Magazine | Trucking Business News & Owner Operator Info
Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/687054
PULSE June 2016 | Overdrive | 5 By Max Heine Editorial director mheine@randallreilly.com panded rail infrastructure to remove some trucks from the road, highway system improvement has been at least a part of all candidates' planks. Problem is, the same was true four years ago and eight years ago. Re- cent polling shows fairly clearly that few truckers would say negative effects on their business, whether in the form of equipment harm or other added ex- penses, have not been the reality as things get worse. Surveyed this spring and asked to identify their biggest equipment issues, almost half of Overdrive readers singled out main- tenance-related concerns. Such issues tied with low rates as the biggest small-business trucking problem. Readers believe road conditions are playing a greater role in acceler- ated wear and tear. Bob Stafford responded with the suggestion of includ- ing a " 'check all of the above' box on your poll! [See preceding page.] I was an owner-op for 39 years, and I saw the roads getting worse right up till the end, when I thought, 'It is time to retire.' " George McKay noted a distinct fuel-mileage effect when running on worn-out roads. "I see a 1.5-mpg difference between operating on smooth concrete" vs. the "frost-heaved highways" of Northern Ontario, he says. – Todd Dills P art of Overdrive's mission is to help owner-operators prosper as they choose their own destiny. That idea, with a fo- cus on action over whining, has been preached by Kevin Rutherford at Overdrive's Partners in Business seminars for years. He's shared what he's learned from early financial failure, running a small fleet, processing income taxes for owner-operators and hosting his trucking radio program. These experiences helped him develop his Certified Master Contractor training sessions. Attending part of the recent five-day CMC Live event in Council Bluffs, Iowa, I heard plenty about taking personal responsibility: • Podcaster and small-fleet owner Kenny Long recounted what he's learned from oper- ating with his own authority. In addition to the common advice of identifying and marketing your niche, he suggested that instead of com- plaining about problems, be "a problem solver." He gave the example of calling around to secure a forklift on his own at a drop where the lack of one was going to cause a long delay, hurting his schedule and the shipper's. "Being a problem solver in itself can also be a niche," he said. • Speaking on six common mistakes made by new owner-operators, Rutherford elaborated on "partnering with the wrong carrier." He recommended not losing focus on pleasing your customer, which is primarily your fleet if you're a leased operator. "Bust your ass to provide value" to your fleet so that a mutually beneficial relationship develops, he said. But if it doesn't and you've done all you can, by all means find a carrier that appreciates your work ethic. Griping by itself solves nothing. • "You like your life the way it is now, or it would be different," Larry Winget told the 350 CMC Live attendees. The best-selling author, motivational speaker and frequent television guest has built his career around telling his audience as bluntly as possible to quit making excuses. Winget, host of the former TV show "Big Spender," recounted an episode with a woman many thousands of dollars in debt. "Don't yell at me, yell at the credit card companies," he recalled her saying. "If they'd quit sending them to me, I'd quit maxing them out." Any owner-operator with an outlook that irresponsible gets gobbled up quickly in the trucking jungle. Still, it's human nature to blame someone else – an unreasonable dispatcher, a greedy broker, a demanding spouse – for circumstances best addressed by you mak tough changes. Yes, bad things beyond our control happen to us every day. How we respond to them is 100 percent under our control. Taking charge " You like your life the way it is now, or it would be different. " — Best-selling author Larry Winget