MARCH 2008 TRUCKER TALK
ARE YOU PREPARED?
BY OWNER OPERATORS ROD & KIM GRIMM
Most husband and wife teams today are set up so that the wife does most of the paperwork and what I call the “fair weather driving” while the husband is in charge of loading and unloading, big city driving, and the bad weather driving. And that’s a fine system if it works for both of you. But what if something happens? What if one of you can’t work – either temporarily or permanently? Would the man be able to do all the paperwork and survive on half of the miles? Would the woman be able to back into a dock or chain up and drive in the snow? These are important questions to ask yourself now, before something happens and it’s too late to change things. Rod and I recently learned, first-hand, the importance of both drivers of a team being able to go it alone if necessary.
On December 23rd, Rod fell at the end of our driveway on the ice and broke his knee, effectively giving himself the winter off. But we are lucky (or smart) because both of us have always shared ALL of the trucking responsibilities, therefore I was able to go out on the road without my partner since after Christmas. Of course, I can’t run the miles we ran as a team, but the company we are leased to is understanding and has done all that they could to keep me moving and busy.
Over the years, I have heard so many women say that their husband or boyfriend won’t let them back up, saying, “It’s just quicker for me to do it.” Or some women just don’t want to learn. Maybe you should rethink that. The only way you learn is by doing it and the more you do it, the better you get at it. None of us were born knowing how to back into a dock. And even after all these years, there are still some days that a “newbie” could do better than one of us veterans. It also might be a good idea for you to know some of the routine maintenance that your truck gets. If necessary, could you fuel up, check your tire air pressure, or raise the hood and check the fluids on your own?
Winter driving is another big issue. If you don’t feel comfortable driving in a blizzard (and who does), then you probably shouldn’t be driving – whether you are a male or a female. That’s when your odds of causing or having an accident go way up. On the flip side, it can be just as bad when a driver is too comfortable on the snow and ice and drives too fast for the conditions. Experience is the great equalizer – you must be confident in your driving abilities but know your limits as well. Having the knowledge to do it, though, is essential. Depending on the situation, it could literally mean life or death. Being prepared to drive in any conditions is part of being a professional truck driver.
What if something happens to the woman who does all of the paperwork and she suddenly can’t do it anymore? Will the guy be able to do it or will he have to call someone for help? This mountain of paperwork us truckers need to do keeps us legal and it allows us to get paid – you can’t get your money if you don’t turn in your paperwork. So, it is pretty important that you both know how to do all of that, too.
I am sure that there are a few husband and wife teams out here that are prepared enough that if something happened to one of them they could just shut the truck down and go home for a few months, but in most instances that’s not the case. So what happens then when the husband gets hurt and the wife can’t go out by herself to run the truck and keep everything at home going, too? You are now out two incomes, and thanks to all of those medical bills, your payments and debt just increased. If you are company drivers, the truck payment and other truck expenses are not a factor, but if you’re owner operators, you probably just got sunk. You might get lucky and find a driver to run your truck while you’re both off, but, personally, I’d be pretty picky about who I would let run our truck. Of course, if the only other option was losing your truck, I guess you’d just have to take whoever you could get. That might not be a pretty scene.
You can’t “fix” things after something happens. You have to be at least somewhat prepared for something like this to occur at some point in your trucking career. So many owner operators out here don’t have health insurance. I know it’s expensive, but being in the hospital is even more costly. We joined our local Farm Bureau when we first became owner operators, and for $41 a year dues, we are able to get good medical insurance coverage at a more affordable group rate. Those high monthly payments might seem hard to handle month after month, but in times like these, after you have an accident or get sick, it is nice to know that you are covered.
Whether you are a company driver or an owner operator, if you can afford disability insurance you should look into it. Unlike workman’s comp, which will only pay if you are hurt on the job, this type of insurance will cover an accident that happens at home, while you’re on vacation, or any other time you could get hurt. In Wisconsin, where we are leased, they allow us to carry disability insurance and will honor it like workman’s comp because we are owner operators. So yes, we have insurance, and while it won’t make up the whole part of our income that’s been lost, it’s a lot better than nothing.
Our friends Wendell & Lynda Foss once found themselves in a tough situation. Although they usually ran as a team, on this particular trip Lynda had stayed home for the week to get some things done around the house and spend time with family. Wendell was in Lodi, California when he had a heart attack. When Lynda got the call, she immediately flew to California to be with him. The doctor wouldn’t let Lynda drive the truck home with Wendell in it – he wanted Wendell to fly home and see his cardiologist as soon as possible. Rod and I split up and loaded our truck and their truck and brought them both back to Wisconsin.
After getting the truck back, Wendell & Lynda were fortunate to find a driver to put in the truck until Wendell could get back on the road. The company that we are both leased to, D&G Transportation in Germantown, Wisconsin, was very willing to help and work with the Foss’ in any way they could. Lynda couldn’t run the truck by herself, but she was there to help with everything else, and took care of all the insurance claims and doctor’s appointments, and made sure that Wendell had all of his medicine. They are now back on the road with a new-found appreciation for life, and spending as much time as possible with their grandkids.
Being able to generate some income by putting a driver on the truck in their place was Wendell & Lynda’s financial saving grace, but not all companies would allow this. It would be wise to see if the company you are leased to would allow you to put a driver in your truck if you had a serious illness or injury. Unlike some people we know that have had something like this happen on the road, Wendell & Lynda had health insurance! Like the side of their truck says, “God Made Life A Gamble But We’re Still In The Game!” Years ago we had some friends that were not so lucky or prepared. They did not have health insurance, and after the husband had a heart attack, the wife was forced to go out alone. Thankfully, she could, but they ended up with a really big hospital bill and a whole lot of problems. You don’t want to find yourself stuck in that terrible situation.
Something else that many people don’t adequately plan for is being gone for good. An injury is bad, but it is usually temporary – death is forever. Talking with a friend the other day, the subject got around to a will (she did not have one). I asked her if she’d like the state to get everything she’s worked for all these years, or tie it up for years and then give it to whoever they thought should have it. This conversation motivated her and hopefully it will motivate some of you, too. After we talked, she made a call and set up an appointment to begin the process of writing her will.
If you do not have a written will, get one! You can get a form online for a minimal amount of money or go to a lawyer and spend a few hundred dollars, but either way, you will know that all of the “stuff” that you have worked so hard for will go to the people that you want it to go to. And while you are at it, look into a living will, too. With both of these documents in place, there will be no question as to what your choices would be if certain situations arose.
One last thing to consider on this dark but necessary subject is a preplanned funeral. A preplanned and prepaid funeral will save your loved ones from having to make hard decisions while they are grieving and finding the money to pay for a nice funeral. Funerals are extremely expensive today – just imagine what they will cost in 30 or 40 years! Yikes!! With a preplanned funeral, you are locked into a price and you know that it will be just the way you want it.
I know that these are not topics that anyone wants to think about or talk about, but look at the job we do – it’s right up there on the dangerous list. Maybe this column will make some of you think, “What would happen if…?” The key is to do something now, while you can, to help protect you and your family in the event of an injury or even death. Once something happens, it’s too late! So learn to be self-sufficient, get insurance, and get all of your affairs in order. You never know when the bad times will come, but if (or when) they do, you will be glad that you are prepared.
And one final note. There is one good thing that I have found since driving alone – I really enjoy all the peace and quiet! It took some time, but after 20-plus years of driving as a team, I am getting used to it. But I still can’t wait until Rod is better and he (and our dogs) can join me in the truck again. Enjoy the winter at home, Rod – but it better be your last forced vacation for a long while!