Truckers and Travelers

Hello, Fellow Drivers,   I came across a great article in the May 2010 issue of the Home Business Connection magazine by Ann K. Levine.  The magazine is filled mostly with junk ads, but this article seemed to fit those in the trucking business who have a home office.  This bit of trucking industry news will hopefully help you run your trucking business home office with greater efficiency.  I have condensed the article for time’s sake.  Enjoy the read and remember to be safe out there.

There are six secrets to managing your home office.  These tips will help you manage your life in a way that allows you to enjoy what you do.  Here are the first three tips.

1.  Delegate

Figure out what needs to be done by you and what can be done reasonable well by someone else.  I do not need to be the person who returns things to stores and runs to the drug store.  I found a great errand-running service that helps me grocery shop and take items to the tailor and dry cleaner when I do no have the time.  Find a friend who wants to make extra money that will run some errands for me to free up my time for more important tasks like quarter-end reports. 

If you don’t have the money to spend on this kind of help, find a friend who always does Costco or Target runs and ask them to pick up a few things for you and agree to return the favor.

2.  Use The Stopper

do you feel like time runs out of your day like water down the bath drain?  find the leak and stop it.  Evaluate where you are wasting time and just delete it.  I used to complain I had no time to get to the gym, but I knew I was spending an hour and a half each day on Facebook and Twitter, and probably another thirty minutes browsing for things I couldn’t afford (or just flat out would never buy) online.  I cut myself off from these activities for a week and found I could return and just spend 20 minutes a day on my online activities.  Facebook and Twitter are work-related for me, so I can justify that investment.  With the “extra” time, I actually make it to Pilates class twice a week.

I also decided–after three seasons of dedication–to forego Grey’s Anatomy so I could have time to read and participate in a book club with a group of dynamic, inspiring women.  I’m even considering giving up American Idol this season!

3.  Retain Focus

During my busy season with work, I schedule myself according to what I can handle so I can avoid feeling overwhelmed on a daily basis.  No more lunches or coffee dates with friends.  Unless someone wants to go along on my weekly three-mile fun, my friends know to count me out of thing three months out of the year.  I make up for it by taking them out for really nice dinners on their birthdays, and I try to say hello on Facebook– but I make no plans.

I protect my schedule so I can focus on work when I need to be working.  I do not schedule routine doctor appointments for me or my family during my busy months.  Also, I never schedule workouts or meetings for the non-profit board that I chair on Mondays because I anticipate that I’ll have more emails and phone calls waiting for me after the weekend. 

Whether you take one or more of these tips to running a trucking business home office, use them consistently and you will see increased success.  Look for Part Two of this article in tomorrow’s blog.