Zombie Preparedness: Tractor Trailers

In a world where all the conspiracy theories and apocalyptic TV shows have finally come true, the definition of “basic necessities” is drastically different. You'd still need food, water, and shelter of course, but by then it would also be a must to have weapons and a big, strong mode of transportation such as tractor trailers that could move a lot of people and supplies.

Most people treat it as a joke, but even if the possibility is slim, the idea of a worldwide catastrophe is still very serious. While these days food, water, and medicine are easily transported by truckers on a daily basis, it might not be the same reality in twenty, fifty, or a hundred years. In the future, you yourself might be the trucker who'd move important supplies around as well as protect them from looters.

Having said this, you can't do anything if you don't have a truck to drive or supplies to move. Even now, the dangers of moving big loads from coast to coast are many and cannot be ignored. Everyday, truckers are faced with the possibility of meeting accidents or getting stopped by thieves, so a way to safeguard your goods is definitely important.

If you want to have food, water, medicine, weapons, and maybe a tractor trailer in the possible future where zombies run rampant, then you have to insure your goods today. In all likeliness, the zombie apocalypse will never happen, but it's always good to be prepared.

Protect Your Vehicle, Your Business, Yourself, and Your Fellow Motorists: Getting Trucking Insurance

The truck is an essential vehicle for any business. Its size enables it to transport a large amount of goods of varying forms, such as agricultural produce and even bulky construction materials. The truck's size may be an asset, but this factor can also lead to the truck's downfall, especially if the wheel is in the hands of a reckless driver.

A vehicle as massive as a truck is difficult to maneuver. The driver who does not rise to the task may cause not only the destruction of the truck but also injuries to himself and to other motorists nearby. A vehicular accident brings a lot of complications to all parties involved, so it is important to have the truck insured to cover and compensate for damages.

Wise entrepreneurs know that their business will suffer if the company truck is out of order. With insurance, the risk of delays in the delivery of goods is eliminated. A quality insurance package can also prevent the company's reputation from being ruined by drivers who claim to have been inconvenienced by the company truck.

Truck insurance takes care not only of damages incurred through accidents on the road but also of problems resulting from fire, theft, or vandalism. It is a lifeline that keeps business operations going. 

Getting Permission to Deliver: Applying for a Motor Carrier Number

Before you can deliver goods from one state to another, you have to obtain a motor carrier permit. This small sheet of paper serves as proof that you are allowed by law to travel across state lines to transport goods for private or commercial use. The motor carrier number in the permit is important as it enables authorities to look up your information in their database.

To apply for a motor carrier number, you must go to your local Department of Motor Vehicles or DMV and fill out the application form, which asks for employer details and vehicle information. If you are working for another person, your boss must fill out a separate form and attach a proof of financial responsibility, in case your vehicle gets involved in an accident.

The DMV also demands from you or your employer a compensation insurance form and requestor code number, which varies depending on the type of commercial vehicle used. Once you have provided the DMV with these requirements, you have to present a carrier identification number and pay the application fee.

After doing the necessary leg work, you are in for a long period of waiting. Processing the information may take the DMV a few weeks before they can issue the motor carrier permit and number that you requested.

Get an MC Number and Participate in Interstate Trade

To transport goods from one U.S. State to another, you need a motor carrier or MC number. Some states will require you to get an MC number even if you do not take part in interstate commerce. This number should be printed on the vehicle as it serves as identification: it allows the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration or FMCSA to track you by looking up your number in their database.

To obtain an MC number, visit the nearest Department of Motor Vehicles or DMV office. Get a DMV 706 MCP form and fill it out. Afterward, submit it along with DMV 65 MCP. The DMV 65 MCP is a form that proves financial responsibility. If you are employed, have it accomplished by your boss. If you are self employed, then of course you will be the one to accomplish it.

Apart from these, you also have to give a copy of your insurance or your boss's compensation insurance (which one you give will depend whether you're employed or self-employed), and your requestor code number. Then, give your carrier identification number, too and pay the required fee.

After all of these, you will need to wait for the updates on your application. Don't worry, it might take a while but you will get your MC permit in a few weeks.

Some Basics on Securing Your Own Trucking Authority

If you own a trucking company that has interstate operations, you need to secure an MC Authority. Regulated by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), MC Authority dictates the kind of operations a certain company can engage in, including the kinds of cargo and passenger services it is allowed to render. It may come with the prefix of either MX, FF, MC. MX is given to carriers domiciled in Mexico, FF is for freight forwarders, and MC is for all other types.

When getting your own trucking authority, you need to submit an application to FMCSA. As a new entrant, you have to fill out MCS-150 and once it's submitted, you will be assigned a temporary USDOT number. Aside from this application package, you also need to secure all other registration and licensing requirements set by the FMCSA.

You also have to complete the OP-1 form series and pay a fee of $300. Private and for-hire vehicles are exempted from paying this fee. On the other hand, vehicles that carry hazardous materials and those that are domiciled outside the US may have additional requirements.

The next thing to do is to file BOC-3 in order to assign a process agent. Then finally, you have to buy the right insurance for your business. You'll need to have your permanent MC and USDOT numbers, too.

Special Delivery: If You Bought It, Chances Are a Truck Brought It

Have you ever stopped to think just how important trucks are? Right now, you're probably looking at something that once rode at the back of a truck. Your gadgets, furniture, food, and even the grass on your lawn have likely gone on very long journeys—epic trips that involved countless different trucks—before they landed in your possession.

Many drivers absolutely hate trucks, but they don't realize that trucking plays a crucial role in the economy. Trucks are noisy and sometimes rude, but they're also responsible for bringing people the luxuries they've gotten used to. Without trucks, food can't make it from the farms to the market; there would be no gasoline to fuel the cars in the country; and construction materials or equipment would not get to where they need to be.

People have a love-hate relationship with trucks and truckers, and that's okay. After all, it's the mutually beneficial relationship between customers and truckers that keeps the ball rolling. Both sides can honk at each other in the streets all they want, but in the end they need each other to survive.

If all the different products that move from city to city will be considered oxygen, then truckers would be the red blood cells that get the job done. Without the red blood cells to deliver the oxygen, all the different body parts will waste away. Now, how's that for important? Cheers to the truckers!

Don't Just Play with Luck: Insure Your Truck

Just because trucks are big and powerful doesn't mean there's no need to insure them. Vehicles, regardless of size and capability, are prone to damages. Whether it is caused by natural conditions or driver negligence, all bases must be covered when it comes to truck insurance—and this includes insuring the truck contents for any incidents of loss during transport.

Trucks, most especially the really huge ones such as tractor trailers, are exposed to a lot of risks. They aren't just used for hauling heavy stuff, they also travel hundreds of miles to transfer their load. They do these regardless of the weather condition; rain or shine, these trucks travel those long and winding roads in the hope of bringing goods to their proper destinations in time. It's no wonder that apart from accidents, they are also prone to wear and tear.

The trucking industry enjoys a good reputation for its dependability, something that is reinforced by the way it treats safety and security as a priority. By getting truck insurance, truckers can protect themselves and their clients from shelling out a huge amount of money in the event of an accident or any other untoward incident. In business, leaving something to luck just won't cut it. 

With Big Trucks Come Big Responsibilities: Why Trucks Need Insurance Too

Every time traffic occurs, civilians are quick to blame the colossal trucks that fill the highways. It's easy to see why trucks take all the heat; with their massive sizes, trucks intimidate other vehicles on the road. Unbeknownst to the average motorist, however, big trucks come with big responsibilities.

Trucks are vital to shipping; they can carry huge amounts of goods from one state to another. Trucks are the obvious choice with regard to the transportation of agricultural products like corn and even animals like cattle. A lot of industries count on them to deliver the materials or supplies they will need to manufacture their products or to provide services that the community needs to thrive.

Even with their sturdy, imposing bodies, trucks are not invincible. Trucks that get run-down while on duty will cause problems to the establishments awaiting the contents of the vehicle and to the citizens who consume the products made available by these enterprises. To avoid delays caused by road mishaps, it is vital to get trucks insured before they are allowed to venture out of the garage.

Trucks may take up a lot of road space, but clueless drivers should consider that trucks carry a burden of great importance on their backs. The lives of businesses and the community are riding on every truck that cautiously streaks past automobiles and their passengers. 

Get a Motor Carrier Permit in Three Steps

If you are driving from state to state and have products or properties in your vehicle, you may need a motor carrier permit from the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV). Applying for an MC permit is actually as easy as one, two, three if you have all the requirements with you at the time of application.

Step 1: Fill out the “DMV 706 MCP” form in the local DMV office. The application form is about 10 pages long or so and asks information about your vehicle, employer, the goods you are transporting, and so forth. Be patient. Submit the DMV 706 MCP together with the pre-filled DMV 65 MCP (proof of financial responsibility for the vehicle).

Step 2: Hand in the compensation insurance form either from you or your employer. Prepare your requestor code number, too, from the Employer Pull Notice Program showing the type of vehicle being operated. The DMV clerk will also take a look at your carrier identification number, so be sure to have that handy.

Step 3: After all the documents have been handed in, pay the required fee according to the state you will go to. The processing and releasing of the MC permit may take a few weeks.

Trucking for the Long Haul

Whether it's driving their own trucks or managing their own fleet of trucks, many men are drawn to trucking as a business because not only does it give them the opportunity to be their own bosses, the business also offers them the chance to earn money while doing what they love to do—driving on the open road and traveling across cities and states.

When starting your trucking business, capital is the first order of business. Then you have to get all the relevant paperwork for your business. Documents for tax, insurance, a Department of Transportation (DOT) number, and of course an MC number are among the most important to get started in your own trucking business. The MC number, for example, is needed to cross state lines and will be handy when your business extends across state borders.

An MC stands for Motor Carrier. An MC number also allows the government to track freight brokers through their system, as they travel and conduct their interstate commerce. To get started with trucking, one must first show a clean driving record that should be without any moving violations or DUI or DWI convictions. If violations exists, it will take a wait of from three to five years before one can apply for a driving license that require interstate transporting of goods commercially.

Any person or business that uses the motor vehicle for commercial transport, with conditions on vehicle size and weight, is one requirement to apply for an MC number.

Let's Go, Teamsters!: the Trucking Industry in Popular Culture

Throughout the last century, the trucking industry has had a fair amount of exposure in popular culture. The truckers and their lifestyle were celebrated (and satirized) in various media, mainly in music and film. The film noir's 1940 film They Drive by Night which co-starred Humphrey Bogart, depicted how independent truck drivers cope with the Great Depression.

In 1963, country music singer Dave Dudley had a hit with the song “Six Days on the Road”. It is often referred to as the song that started the wave for songs that told stories about a trucker's life on the road. In it, the protagonist is driving home to his lover after being on the road for six days. The 1970s was the peak of trucking culture. Steven Spielberg's first feature-length film, the made-for-TV Duel, tells the story of a motorist being stalked by an anonymous tank truck driver on a deserted highway. Another film released during that time was the highly successful Smokey and the Bandit, an action comedy starring Burt Reynolds.

The century ended with a couple of television animation series telling stories about the truck itself --as the robot Optimus Prime in Transformers, and Homer as an accidental truck driver in The Simpsons. With the the History Channel's reality television show Ice Road Truckers, the trucking industry seems to be carving its own niche in the 21^st century, both in network and cable television, as well as in the public imagination.