Driver Newsletter

If you do not have your paperwork uploaded on (or before) Monday, you will have to wait until Friday to get paid.
If you do not have your paperwork uploaded on (or before) Thursday, you will have to wait until Tuesday to get paid.

This schedule provides TWO opportunities each week to be paid for your completed trips.

NOTE: WE WILL NO LONGER PAY OUTSIDE OF THESE DAYS.

New! Trip Expense Type Categories in Truckbase

As you may have already noticed, you can now select an Expense Type from a NEW list of types/categories.

When you are adding an Expense to your Trip in Truckbase, you can simply select the correct Expense Type, such as "Fuel" or "Hotel", instead of having to type them in manually. Then, in the "Description" field, type in the description of the expense, such as "Pilot" or whatever the fuel station is called.

Please use the correct Expense Type when you add your expenses.

You should only use "Other" Expense Type if the expense is truly a miscellaneous expense and doesn't fit in any of the existing Types.

DO NOT ADD ANY NEW EXPENSE TYPE CATEGORIES – all the Expense Types you need should already be available. But, if there is one that is not there, let us know.

Assigning Travel Expenses to the Correct Trip

When you finish one delivery and travel to your next pickup, it's important to split your travel expenses correctly between the two trips. To determine which trip each travel expense belongs to, it may be helpful to understand what specific transportation expenses are included in a single trip:

What's included in a single trip:

Transportation to the pickup location:

Rideshare from home or Chase Driver
If flying to pickup location:
- Rideshare to the airport
- Rideshare from the airport to pickup location
- Airfare + one (1) checked bag
If driving a rental car to pickup location:
- Rideshare to Rental Car pickup location
- Rideshare from Rental Car drop-off location
- Rental Car rate + Rental Car fuel

Transportation from the delivery location:
- Rideshare to home or Chase Driver
- If flying:
  - Rideshare to the airport
  - Airfare + one (1) checked bag
- If driving a rental car:
  - Rideshare to Rental Car pickup from delivery location
  - Rental Car rate + Rental Car fuel

In other words, a new trip begins with your rideshare/chase (from the airport or rental car drop-off) to your next pickup location.

Other Trip Reminders

Generated Bill of Ladings in Truckbase:

Remember, we are only using the Bill of Ladings that are generated in Truckbase. So, you should be collecting signatures in Truckbase from an authorized representative at the pickup and delivery locations to generate Bill of Ladings for your trips. For pickup signature, it's under the "Add Signature" under pick up address. For delivery signature, it's under the "Add Signature" under delivery address.

For After-hours Pickups or Deliveries:

If you are picking up or delivering after-hours, YOU STILL NEED TO ADD A SIGNATURE.

Write in the Name field: "After-hours P/U" or "After-hours Delivery" and sign the word: "N/A"

Paper Copies of BOLs

Even though the Bill of Lading will be automatically generated when a signature is added, you should still carry some paper Bill of Ladings in case you don't have a phone signal or if the customer wants to have a paper copy when you pickup or deliver.

Please remember you still MUST complete Vehicle Inspection Report (VIR) for each run.

In case you’ve forgotten or need a refresher on how to collect signatures in Truckbase, you can review the instructions by clicking the button below:

Adding Signatures in Truckbase Guide

Updating Load Statuses in Truckbase:

It is very important that you provide status updates in Truckbase as you complete your stops so your load statuses are up-to-date. Clients receives notifications that the truck is delivered so it is very important to mark the truck delivered soon as it is delivered.

We also get notified when trip statuses are updated so you do not have to contact us to confirm your delivery.

But, do not mark breakdowns as delivered until we split the order to show where you actually delivered (Dealership Location) because the client is being falsely notified that the truck is delivered to it's final destination when it's not. We will update Truckbase to reflect the date and service location where the truck was dropped off. Remember to use the Notes section to explain the breakdown.

In case you’ve forgotten or need a refresher, you can review the instructions on how to update trip statuses in the Truckbase Driver Training Guide.

Uploading Expense Receipts to Truckbase:

Make sure you are uploading the entire receipt for hotel and fuel purchases so we can see all the details of the charges. Some people have been uploading receipts with some of the information cut off.

Truck Washes & Fill Ups on Delivery:

Delivery Fuel & DEF

Please fill the fuel and DEF to the provided fuel levels in Location Notes section of the Delivery stops. If a fuel level is not specified, fill up to at least 1/2 TANK. Please don't fill up unnecessarily.

Truck Washes

Please follow the Truck Wash instructions listed in Location Notes section of the Delivery stops. If the notes say the truck must be washed, please wash it. Some trucks have been delivered dirty when they were instructed to be washed.

On the other hand, some trucks have been unnecessarily washed, which is a cost we must eat. So, please wash the truck when instructed to, and do not wash it otherwise.

Demos: If the truck is a DEMO, you must ALWAYS WASH and FILL TO FULL TANK.

For a complete guide of all Truckbase features for drivers, view the Truckbase Driver Training guide using the link below:

Truckbase Driver Training Guide

Winter Safety Reminder

As the weather gets colder and more inclement, make sure you are driving safely and preparing accordingly for weather conditions while on the road. Be sure to keep in mind the following winter safety reminders:

Maintain adequate spacing between you and other vehicles for an effective escape route.
Watch out for black ice.
When the weather is below 30 degrees, it’s important to add fuel Anti-Gel additive.
- Power Service Anti-Gel (white bottle) or Howes Diesel Anti-Gel Fuel Additive is preferred.
- If it the truck has fuel in it at pickup, add Anti-Gel. Otherwise, fill up then add the Anti-gel.
- Read the bottle instructions to see when and how much to put in. (at least 3-4 inches)
- ONLY use Power Service Diesel 911 when it is already frozen - IT SHOULD NOT BE USED AS A ANTI-GEL
Shut down for the day or pull over as needed if you feel the road conditions are unsafe or you are tired.
Be sure you are communicating any unexpected changes on the road so we can adjust expectations with the client as needed.

Chain Laws & Regulations

You can reference this document for the chain laws for each state:

Chain Law Guide

Chains for Vactor trucks

Vactor supplies chains so please verify that the chains are in the trucks if you know you need chains per the chain laws & regulations per state. If the chains are not the truck, contact Brian Owens at Vactor during work hours at: 815-326-8785

If after-hours and to chains in the truck, you will have to stop and get some. You can go to a Midwest location – see the provided link below:

Find a Midwest Wheel Location

Contacting the Office

Unless it is an emergency, please do not contact the office during off-hours – we do not work 24/7.

Also, please have patience when contacting the office, even during business hours, as we are managing multiple drivers and other responsibilities at once. Give us an appropriate amount of time to respond to your calls and requests.

Please leave a voicemail or send a text to explain the reasons you are calling – that way, we can prioritize accordingly.

Office Hours

Monday through Thursday
- Shawn: 7:00 AM - 4:00 PM CST
- Taylor: 8:30 AM - 5:30 PM CST
Friday
- Shawn: 7:00 AM - 3:00 PM CST
- Taylor: 8:30 AM - 5:30 PM CST
Saturday & Sunday
- Do not contact over the weekend unless it is a emergency or for important travel-related needs.

For questions or concerns about mechanical issues or anything truck-related, contact:

Kevin (773-617-7627) or Robert (708-431-6288)

If you have any questions about any of the information above, please reach out.

We appreciate all of your hard work. Stay safe out there!

–––

Taylor Anderson

Operations & Technology

708.372.0360 • tanderson@gdaway.com

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