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Wednesday, July 15 2009
Heavy Highway Vehicle Use Tax season is just around the corner. For most tax 2290 filers, the due date for tax period July 1, 2009, through June 30, 2010, is August 31, 2009. IRS has mandated e-filing for taxpayers with 25 or more taxable highway vehicles with registered gross weight of 55,000 lbs or more, but always encouraged everyone to file their forms electronically.
Also for vehicles placed in service after July 31, 2009, Tax 2290 and schedule 1 must be filed, and the tax paid, by the last day of the month after the month the vehicle is first used in the tax period. For example, if a taxpayer begins using a taxable highway vehicle in September 2009, the due date for filing Tax 2290 and paying the tax is October 31, 2009.
“Taxpayers should take advantage of the benefits of filing Tax 2290 electronically,” IRS Excise Tax Program Director Ricky Stiff said. “This really isn’t new. Most taxpayers file and pay their personal federal income taxes using a computer and this is no different. The best part of tax 2290 e-file is that taxpayers will receive their Schedule 1 almost immediately.
“There is no more waiting for Schedule 1 to come in the mail and truckers can then register their vehicles right away.” Most states require a stamped Schedule 1 before a trucker can register their vehicle and obtain proper license tags.
E-filing Tax2290 will also reduce errors that can occur with paper filing which means less correspondence with the IRS.
Try http://www.tax2290.com for free.
In addition to Tax 2290, excise Tax 720, Quarterly Federal Excise Tax Return, and Tax 8849, Claim for Refund of Excise Taxes (Schedules 3 and 6), may also be filed electronically.
Please learn more about Tax 720 at http://www.irs.gov/efile/lists/0,,id=176152,00.html and Tax 8849 at http://www.irs.gov/efile/lists/0,,id=182699,00.html
Information provided by ThinkTrade Inc. Owner of http://www.TaxExcise.com / http://www.Tax2290.com / http://www.Tax8849.com / http://www.Tax720.com
Thursday, June 18 2009
Might the Obama administration be minded to look favourably on a mooted increase in US GVW?
This report suggests that upping maximum GVW to 97000 lbs (43998 kg) on six axles from the current 80,000 lbs (36287 kg) on five could reduce US diesel consumption by an annual three billion gallons, and take 32.6 million tons of CO2 out of the atmosphere at the same time.
The Safe and Efficient Transportation Act of 2009 or HR 1799 is legislation that supports the increase in GVW on heavy trucks. The trucks must have 6 axles with a triaxle group supporting 51,000 lbs. Axle weights would increase by 2,000 each for this GVW. Weights are only applicable on interstate roadways. This comes with a tax hike in highway usages taxes to $800.
In theory, the idea is a good one but let us examine this a bit closer. Our infrastructure is suffering collapses now under the 80k rule. In the present economy, there are no or limited funds for fixing and repairing what is in place yet alone replacing our bridges and overpasses to accomodate this extra weight. Longer trucks and extra axles may be the norm in MI but they do not work on the east coast in all that congestion. Not that I support Unions, but they opposed doubles and triples claiming it "stole a driver's work" and their opinions are not very different on these new proposed monsters.
This new weight limit will not reduce congestion as some law makers lead you to believe. Trucks are not the only factor in congestion. Mainly the problem is all the 4-wheelers especially at rush hours. If states would make a left hand lane or two just for trucks that are looking to do nothing but pass through their city and restrict those 2 left lanes to just trucks; that would help solve congestion. It never made sense to me why trucks were restricted to right lanes where there is constant merging of 4-wheelers and motorcycles causing the trucker to constantly be on the brakes. Trucks generally want through a city unlike 4 wheelers who are looking to go or come from work, shopping and other errands. Many cities came up with HOV lanes to help the "long distance" commuter. Why not do the same for the trucker?
Trucks already pay too much in taxes. A rise in the Highway Usage Tax is not justified. It is just another excuse to tax the trucker for the benefit of all motorists.
If the weight is only raised for interstates; how will the load be delivered? Are we going to implement the NY Tollway rule? You can pull highway doubles but only to the exit then the units are broken apart or off loaded. Five axle units find it hard enough to maneuver on the coasts and in town delivery areas. Triaxles and 6 axle vehicles will find it even more difficult if not impossible to maneuver those small streets of Philly or Fairfax. NYC - forget it! Moreover, the state roads and city streets will not support the weight.
Do we have cross docking facilities created at interstate exits for local drivers to deliver the goods? Now that would be a reasonable idea IF, and this is a big IF, companies could "play" that well together. Let the big rig roll the highway while the straight trucks and local drivers load the city work and carry it to/from the cross docking facilities. It would be a new trucking horizon. The city drivers could do as NYC suggests and deliver in the off hours reducing congestion. Road drivers could stick to the highways. Everyone would have a job and get a piece of the pie. Road drivers no longer would have to contend with driving back streets trying to find their delivery or pick up location. Local drivers, familiar with the area, would handle those aspects. It would be safer and easier for all. IF companies would share the pie in this fashion.
Supporters such as the Univ. of MI Transportation Research Institute claims their research shows that these heavier and longer trucks "would yield significant improvement in fuel consumption, cost, congestion, distribution efficiency and driver availability". I have to question this since my experience with 25 years in the industry showed me that the move to 53ft trucks yielded lighter loads filled with bulk goods like toilet paper. Occasionally you were able to add the 2 extra end pallets but then the driver generally had to be concerned for bridge and axle weights. Why not make the adjustments there instead of this large GVW increase? Maybe area increases like in MI where they haul products that are conducive to this increase and already have the multi-axle vehicle on the roadways. Even their state roads accomodate the 90K GVW allowed during the "season".
Personally, I fell this increase should be handled on a state level where states can supplement their state highways to handle any GVW increase they allow. States that handle product transports, which are generally under a 500 mile radius, of a nature to require this need should handle this internally. Coal, rock and cement haulers could benefit from the increase as would the specialized/permitted hauler. These products are naturally heavy as well as localized. The general freight hauler would not.
Are manufactures going to build better brake systems to accomodate this additional load? To work properly, this would not be just a trailer issue but a full rig issue that is spec'd to pull these heavier and longer trailers. Trucks already take longer to stop than smaller vehicles. Stopping an additional 17k on a downgrade requires better mechanics and driver considerations. Think Eagle Pass, Eisenhower, Donner, Cabbage or Grapevine. The proposed governor to limit top speed at manufacturing is not the answer here. I do not think it is the answer to anything unless you are going to do the same to ALL vehicles else you are just creating another road hazard like Swift and Schneider trucks already do on the highways due to their inability to maintain highway speed.
Are bridge lengths and overall truck lengths going to be increased as well? It is already ridiculous to allow a 53 ft, 57 ft or 62 ft trailer and still require it to meet the bridge laws of a 48ft. Imposing those restraints is what defeats the purpose of the longer trailer. Yes, the roads cannot accomodate the longer pin to wheel which brings me back to point 1. Who will pay to change all the roads if this increase is passed? How long will it take? What will the trucks do in the mean time that will try to run under the new laws without an adequate infrastructure? Less us not even discuss vehicles that will be involved in border crossings?????
COMMENTS WELCOMED! Voice your opinion to your Congressman or local Motor Truck Association.
Wednesday, June 17 2009
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Wednesday, May 06 2009
Road Check 2009 is June 2-4
For 72 hours, 8500 officials will be inspecting over 60,000 vehicles.
Last year 21% of the vehicles were placed out of service for mechanical issues.
almost 6% of the drivers for hour of service issues / expired documents
It is time to check those files, update DOT cards, licenses and give your vehicles a pre-inspection look over.
Avoid tickets, fines and shut downs. BE PREPARED!
Need help? Contact the DOT Doctor today. (info@thedotdoctor.com)
Wednesday, May 06 2009
Happy May!
Just want to be sure everyone has the proper I-9; since we seem to updating these left and right at this time.
Mandatory Form I-9 Revision:
Are Your Forms Current?
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has published a revised Form I-9. Use of this revised form is mandatory as of April 3, 2009.
The new I-9 shows a revision date of 02/02/09 (found in the lower right corner of the form) and an expiration date of 06/30/09. Previous versions of Form I-9 may no longer be used.
One of the most significant changes is that expired documents are no longer acceptable. The previous I-9 allowed employers to accept expired U.S. Passports, as well as expired identification documents from List B. Note that documents without expiration dates (e.g., social security cards, birth certificates, etc.) are assumed to be unexpired.
Employers do not need to replace previously-completed I-9s with the new version. Any completed I-9 which was valid at the time will remain valid, and must be kept for the required retention period. However, older versions of the I-9 can no longer be used. For example, when an employee must be reverified because employment authorization has expired, employers must use the revised Form I-9 with its new List of Acceptable Documents. An employer may not reverify the employee by completing Section 3 - Updating and Reverification on a previous version of Form I-9.
Please go here to download if in doubt - http://www.uscis.gov/files/form/i-9.pdf
A Spanish verison is also available however it can only be used as reference unless you are in Puerto Rico.
Thursday, March 19 2009
Breaking news as promised -
Wednesday, March 11 2009
I have had many folks IM, email or phone me asking about a career in trucking. Is it a good time to become a driver? I was laid off and hear driving pays well. Should I do it? These and other similar questions often come my way.
Honestly, right now I would have to say no. First, the pay is generally no where as good as one thinks it is. Second, the hours are long. You are gone from your family and friends for weeks on end. This means missing the ballgame, birthdays, holidays and other events....as well as dinner with the family or tucking the little ones into bed. You "work" about 100 irregular hours a week and log about 60. Be real, anyone making out there knows you do. Work can range from driving, loading or waiting on dispatch for a load just to name a few. Third, the economy is just supporting the need for drivers at this time. Companies have hiring freezes on and go talk to a driver. Stop by a truck stop and have a chat. Buy him/her a cup of coffee and talk to them. Miles are down for most drivers. O/Os are hanging on by threads unless they are a rare, well established "lucky" one.
Need more proof - read on..........
Tue Mar 10, 2009 7:51 pm (PDT)
Trucking jobs fell 2.5% in February
By Avery Vise
Continuing a string of unprecedented percentage decreases, the trucking
industry lost 33,400 employees on a seasonal basis in February -- a 2.5 percent
drop from January, according to preliminary figures released March 6 by the
Bureau of Labor Statistics.
The 33,400 trucking jobs lost in February represent 5.1 percent of the net
651,000 nonfarm payroll jobs lost. And the rate of decline in trucking
employment in February far exceeds that of the 0.5 percent employment decline in the
overall economy.
Trucking employment was down 1.8 percent in January, 1.3 percent in December
and just less than 1 percent in November. Each decline was the highest
recorded monthly percentage drop at the time except for April 1994 during a
Teamsters strike. Since October, trucking employment is down 6.4 percent.
Trucking employment is down 11.8 percent from its peak of 1.45 million in
January 2007, according to BLS figures.
**************Need a job? Find employment help in your area.
(http://yellowpages.aol.com/search?query=employment_agencies&ncid=emlcntusyelp00000005)
Saturday, March 07 2009
Thu Mar 5, 2009 10:59 am (PST)
There has been another round of fraudulent letters issued to U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) contractors and potential contractors purporting to be issued by DOT. These fraudulent letters request that current or potential contractors register by submitting their company's financial information on a release form entitled, "Authorization to release financial information". They are dated January 27, 2009, and signed by "John Steinberg."
Please be aware that DOT does not require any financial information to be submitted in order to be eligible for procurement.
In addition to this most recent example, the following is a list of fraudulent letters to date which have been faxed out to current or potential contractors:
December 29, 2005, signed by "Frank M. Orell"
February 8, 2006, signed by "Randy Cohen"
April 27, 2006, signed by "Dan Jacobs"
July 28, 2006, signed by "Dan Jacobs"
November 8, 2006, signed by "Lisa Johnson"
February 26, 2007, signed by "Lisa Johnson"
March 26, 2007, signed by "Jason Scarlett"
May 10, 2007, signed by "Jason Scarlett"
July 11, 12, and 20, 2007, signed by "George Mason"
August 27 and 28, 2007, signed by "Julie P. Wenzel"
September 10, 2007, signed by "Julie P. Wenzel"
October 12, 2007, signed by "Julie P. Wenzel"
October 21, 2007, signed by "Julie P. Wenzel"
January 28, 2008, signed by "Julie P. Weynel"
February 7, March 3, March 31, 2008, signed by "Bradley K. Wash"
April 1, 2008, signed by "Bradley K. Wash"
April 28, 2008, signed by "Bradley K. Wash"
June 3, 2008, signed by "Robert Dal"
June 4, 2008, signed by "James Buchanan"
September 5, 2008, signed by "David Jacobson"
October 20, 2008, signed by "Jennifer Donaldson"
December 8, 2008, signed by "Jennifer Stewart"
December 19, 2008, signed by "Jeffrey Steinberg"
All letters were signed as the Senior Procurement Officer.
The USDOT has issued the following warning: "Please DO NOT complete the release form which is attached to the letter and DO NOT release any information to the facsimile number cited in the letter."
To view an example of the latest letters being sent out to contracting personnel, visit: www.dot.gov/ost/m60/jsteinberg_012709.pdf. The point of contact concerning these fraudulent letters is the Department of Transportation Office of the Inspector General Hotline at
(800) 424-9071.
Saturday, March 07 2009
Thu Mar 5, 2009 9:47 am (PST)
Hillmann Institute of Training (a division of Hillmann Environmental Group, LLC) is holding an 8-hour Hazwoper Refresher course on Tuesday, March 31, from 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
The cost is $250.00 per person and $200 per person with 3 or more from one company.
There will be an 8-hour Hazwoper Supervisor Course on Thursday, April 2 - same time and same cost.
Cost will include morning refreshments, lunch, copies of class handouts and a certificate of attendance.
To register or get more information, please contact Elaine Bentley at 908-688-7800, ext. 20.
You can mail your registration along with your check or credit card information to
Hillmann Environmental Group, LLC
1600 Route 22, East
Union, NJ 07083
Fax or email your registration along with your credit card information to:
ebentley@hillmanngroup.com
Cancelations less a 20% handling fee are allowed until March 17, then substitutions only.
Thursday, March 05 2009
More paperwork and documents needed for air travel.
Posted by: "PC" pcjr101@yahoo.com
New US entry ID required June 1
Mar 2, 2009
Reported at:
< http://bulktransporter.com/management/tank-truck/cross-border-identification-requirements-0302/ >
On June 1, 2009, all travelers entering the United States will be required to present a single document denoting both citizenship and identity.
According to information from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), many cross-border travelers already have the necessary documents such as a passport, passport card or a trusted traveler card (NEXUS, SENTRI, and FAST), or an enhanced driver's license (EDL) currently issued by the states of Washington, New York, and Vermont and the Province of British Columbia. The State of Michigan and additional Canadian provinces will be issuing EDLs in the coming months.
The document requirement already is in place for all air travelers, and applies to travelers entering the United States who were previously exempt, including citizens of the US, Canada, and Bermuda.
The requirement is part of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative prompted by security concerns following the terrorists attacks on the United States in 2001.
DHS announced recently that all statutory criteria required by the initiative have been met so that the program implementation can begin June 1.
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800# is no longer in operations.
Please dial direct at: 903-910-9075
With the small profit margin, while pay unnecessary fines? TDD can help!
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If you receive a letter, validate it valiadity. Then contact the DOT Doctor for preparation for your audit. (
