ExpeditersOnline.com The Expedited Freight Information Center

The Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA) is a bill that's been bouncing around the US Congress for the last few years. The chances are pretty good that you've heard something about it--but given that it's still on the block, and doesn't look to be exiting terribly soon, it's probably worth something of a summary.

Whether you're an Owner/Operator or a direct employee, it's never good to see your carrier go under. Granted, it's rarely as bad a situation as what we've seen happen lately with Arrow Trucking, and many situations were made worse for Arrow truckers because they were direct employees. Too, it seems to continue to be getting worse for Arrow, specifically in that reports are beginning to surface that medical and other financial claims are apparently being allowed to sit unpaid.

So, here's the question: what recourse, if any, do you have when your carrier goes under, and what should you do?

2009 was a pretty bad year for most folks in the Expedite industry; a cursory glance at the EO forums will tell you this. Carriers went out of business, Owner/Operators and drivers left the business, miles and rates were down. All told, it seems like most folks were driving in circles, so to speak.

Question: My family is expanding and home prices and mortgage interest rates are low. The special $8000 tax credit for buying a home is due to expire December 1, 2009. Is this a good time to buy?

Answer: We ARE NOT about to recommend to anyone to buy a house...

It is a good idea to make IRA and pension-plan contributions now. Don’t delay making contributions for the year. Deposit the full amounts now, AND START EARNING TAX-DEFERRED INCOME SOONER.

For 2009, you can contribute $5,000 to a deductible or Roth IRA ($6,000 if you are age 50 or older by year-end). These amounts might be increased by the end of the year.

A tax projection is a mini tax return using actual results from current operations annualized to reflect what a full year result would be. When doing a tax projection, your tax professional uses that profit, annualizes it and uses the expected profit for the year with current tax information such as equipment changes to calculate and project your tax liability for the year.

Expediter truck fleet owners are people who own a number of trucks and contract with drivers. In general, the owner purchases and maintains the truck, the drivers run the truck and the revenue earned by transporting expedited freight is split according to the contract they have. Some fleet owners own just a few trucks, others own dozens.

TravelCenters believes this is the first rewards club that is designed specifically for the needs of the expediter community.