Often, the best strategy to avoid accidents is to avoid going on the road.  Stay put until the storm has passed.  This may avoid accidents, but the hit to your pocket book is heavy if you have to sit in a truckstop for one, two, or three days!  However, if you are in an accident you will probably suffer a bigger hit because you will likely have a damaged rig and may be down for several weeks (not days). There is also the unfortunate reality that big rigs can very easily injure or kill somebody, even though it may not be the truck driver’s fault.

One alternative that made sense for a driver hauling a load from Sacramento, CA to Salt Lake City, UT was to DETOUR around the storm.  When Tioga Pass was shut down for two days, this driver found that the roads through Bakersfield and Las Vegas and then up I-15 to Salt Lake City were clear and would remain so for two days.  Road conditions were good.  The problem was that the Detour was 200 miles over the direct route through Tioga Pass on I-80.  The driver could either sit for two days and then crawl through Tioga Pass at 20 MPH (that would cost him a third day of delay), or he could take the detour that would cost him operating costs about $1.80/mile x 200 miles = $360.  Ouch!  He didn’t want to be out the extra money either!   Being the creative fellow that he was, he called the Shipper and the Receiver and told them that their load would deliver at least three days late if he had to wait to get through Tioga Pass.  But if they would pay the extra mileage ($360) for detouring, the load would deliver on time.  The Shipper agreed to pay the extra mileage and the driver avoided the storm, kept his customer happy, and made good money on the load.

A Professional Truck Driver does not always have the option of a Safe Detour available.  If you must drive, drive only in the best and safest conditions that you can.  Drive defensively; be aware of icy bridges and slick spots on roads.  Give yourself extra room to stop from the vehicle ahead of you.  When the roads are bad, get off them to some-place safe. Pullover for a short while and wait for weather to clear up. An accident is too costly for a small carrier and could easily put you out of business.

What do you do?  Usually, Carriers go to a Used Truck Equipment Dealer and find a truck that will work for the job at hand.  Then, you will have to complete the Credit Application that the Dealer gives you, so you can obtain financing through the Dealer’s Lender.  You will try to negotiate a very low down payment and try to finance as much as you can, if possible, because cash is tight, Then, EVERYTHING COMES TO A CRASHING HALT! The Dealer informs you that you don’t have sufficient credit to qualify for a loan.  However, being a wise Dealer, he does provide several alternatives that might work.  He will suggest that you find somebody to Co-sign on the loan, or that perhaps you put an additional 10% or 20% down.  Typically, it is hard to find anybody to be a co-signer in the current economic climate. And where in the world can you find more cash to put down?  Money already is too tight!  Unless you have family members or friends who will loan you the money, increasing your down payment isn’t going to happen. Money to grow the Company will have to come from your current cash flow.

Now adding that new truck really becomes a problem! It’s a fact that most Carriers have immediate expenses and delayed revenues. This means you need to pay for fuel, tires and repairs now, while your customers pay the freight invoices 30 to 60 days after service. This time gap, between expenses and receiving income, forces Carriers into a position where it is really difficult to grow!

HERE IS A REAL WORLD SOLUTION: Consider factoring your freight bills (invoices) through AmeriTrust Capital Corp. Freight factoring is the best way to instantly improve the cash flow for your trucking company. Factors tend to be more willing to finance smaller companies and startups than banks, and we require less paperwork. How does this help you?  It accelerates your Cash Flow by about one month.  In other words, if you are doing $16,000/month in Revenue, by using AmeriTrust to accelerate your Accounts Receivables by 30 days, you will have about $16,000 in Cash! NOW YOU HAVE OPTIONS!!!

With better cash flow, you can now increase the down payment on your rig. More money down means you can qualify for financing through the Dealer’s Lender.  Or you can go to your bank, who should charge a lower interest rate because you now are a lower risk for them. More money down and a low interest rate will lower your payment for the new rig.  Regardless where you get financing, the bottom line is that you can now get that second truck. You can continue to meet the needs of your Customer and make more money!

AmeriTrust does factoring to help Small Carriers and Owner-Operators. Factoring is the only source of funding that directly builds as your company does.  The more you grow, the more you can factor.  The more you factor, the more money you will have to grow.

This is what AmeriTrust Capital Corp. brings to you:  (1) An easy path for the growth of your company,  (2) a whole list of services that make your life easier, and  (3) a better way to manage your Cash Flow.

Call Juan Cardenas at 1-800-732-2921, Ext #216 for additional information about how to get started. Let AmeriTrust earn your business. It’s easy to sign up, and we can quickly put your deal together!

At AmeriTrust, we have an optional savings program being utilized by several of the carriers with whom we work.  Upon their request, we withhold a small amount per load in order to accumulate a type of Registration Fund. Let’s say the carrier designates a $50/load investment. This carrier typically hauls 9 loads a month.  $50 x 9 loads = $450/month.  Since the average rig costs about $2400/year for Registration and Tags, it takes a little over 5 months for this savings reserve account to be fully funded. Some carriers ask us to continue building this reserve account beyond the five months so that they also have an “extra emergency fund” accumulating.  $450/month x 12 months = $5,400/year.  Have any of you ever broken down on the road and had to call a Tow truck to take you to the nearest garage?  How much did that cost?  A small fortune!  The funds you save at AmeriTrust can help you avoid severe financial distress. Saved money is available any time you want it! AmeriTrust will release the reserved money, no questions asked. We can even pay it directly to a towing or insurance company, on your behalf.  For more information on ways that AmeriTrust helps its small carriers and Owner-Operators stay in business, please call Juan Cardenas at 1-800-732-2921, X-216.

How do you avoid hauling a load for which you will never be paid?  Check the Credit!  One FREE SERVICE that AmeriTrust Capital Corp. offers its Carriers is FREE CREDIT CHECKS!  Check the Credit of the Carrier BEFORE YOU HAUL THE LOAD.  If you sell your freight bills to AmeriTrust, the credit checks are FREE!  To find out more about other AmeriTrust services that help small carriers and Owner-Operators stay in business, call Juan Cardenas at 1-800-732-2921, X-216.

We provide Financial Services to help trucking companies solve their cash flow problems. Our customer service and support can help your company grow and prosper. AmeriTrust’s Quick Pay Programs will relieve your cash flow problems!