How to say NO

Do you have the fear of missing out on something so you say yes to everything?

Do you know what you are really doing to your life?  You are spending it doing things for people you don’t want to be around doing things you don’t want to do. 

What are we doing?  Moreover, why do we do it?

There are some long answers to those questions.  The short answer is because we have a fear of missing out.  We don’t want to miss out on anything.  Just like a small child who is extremely exhausted but pushes through the tired to play because they don’t want to miss out on a single second of the fun. 

We all know that there are things in life that we have to do no matter what.  These are non-negotiable tasks.  Some of these include eating, sleeping, resting, working, grocery shopping, just to name a few.  I’m not talking about how to start saying no to those. 

We are doing the same things in our everyday lives.  Pushing through the stuff, we don’t really want to do because we are afraid that we will miss an opportunity.  An opportunity that don’t even really want. 

We all make these mistakes from time to time.  Shoot I used to make them all the time.  I want to give a few sure fire time saving tips to evaluate if you should be saying no more often. 

Tip 1.  Do you really want to do this?  Ask yourself if this is really something that you want or need to do.  If it is then don’t hesitate to say no.  The truth is that we say yes to things all the time don’t meet this simple criteria.  We go to parties because we feel obligated to.  We travel for work not because we need to be there, but because we feel like we should go or we feel like if we don’t go then we won’t be up for the promotion.  Life is too short, if you don’t want to do it, and it’s not a necessary task then don’t do it. 

Tip 2.  Make sure that it will help move your needle.  Everything we do should move the needle in one way or another.  I used to be caught up in money, that was what moved the needle.  Or so I thought.  Then I discovered that money wasn’t what was moving my needle it was helping others.  I absolutely love helping others.  When I discovered that money was just a byproduct for doing what I really loved then my life took a direct turn and I started getting more time to do what I really enjoyed.  I was able to use my knowledge to help others. 

Tip 3.  Does it align with your morals and end goals.  So many times I have said yes to things don’t align with my end goals.  I have done a great job of saying no, if it doesn’t align with my morals but end goals, not so much.  The only way to determine this is to write some goals for yourself.  Start with personal then move into your business goals.  If you would like some more advice on Goals check out our blog, Goals, how to set and achieve any goal!  If the task doesn’t move any closer to your end goal then don’t say yes to it. 

Tip 4.  It doesn’t matter who is asking you if it doesn’t align with the tips so far don’t say yes.  In the past I have had people who were mentors ask me to do something.  Without hesitation, I would jump in with both feet.  Later to find out that what I was doing didn’t really help me in any way, except to make me look good to them.  I once had a person ask me to build a website for him.  Ok I’m good at building websites, but it doesn’t move my needle.  I didn’t hesitate to say yes to him.  About a week later, he had his website up and running.  The fact was that it wasn’t up to me normal standard though.  My heart wasn’t in it.  Which leads us into.

Tip 5.  If your heart is NOT in, it then say no.  When I built the website I actually damaged my relationship with that mentor because, I didn’t put forth the effort that was needed to really make it a great website.  I said this should work and got him on line.  If your heart is not into the project, you need to say no.  He was expecting something similar to my website, which I have poured countless hours and time into to make it the way I want.  Not only was he disappointed by not pouring my heart into the project it took several months for him to warm back up to me.  Because I didn’t say NO to build that website, I caused our relationship to suffer.

Tip 6.  This is not the only opportunity that you will get.  The next tips kind of contradict themselves but they are both important.  Some people say that opportunity only knocks once.  While I can acknowledge that, this is somewhat true and that you need to be willing to jump in feet first at a moment’s notice.  If it is really meant to happen then opportunity will know more than once.  In fact, I believe that if it is truly written in your destiny then if you don’t answer the door when opportunity knocks, then it will peak in the window and get your attention.  If you are constantly afraid that an opportunity won’t come around again then you will be saying yes to everything that presents its self to you.  Again, go back to tips 1-5 to evaluate every opportunity to make sure that it aligns with you, your passions, and your goals. 

Tip 6 ½.  I could really call this tip 7 because it majorly contradicts tip 6 so much.  Lol.  Don’t hesitate when opportunity knocks.  You want to make sure that you are ahead and not behind the ball.  Let’s say that you really wanted to create an online retailer that could sell everything.  A place where anyone could sell his or her stuff online.  You had great prices, 2 day shipping, a small membership fee, you get priority service, and you want to offer everything to everyone.  I’ll bet you are thinking of one company right now.  That’s right Amazon.  If you had this idea 20 years ago when amazon was just firing up and you hesitate to jump in you would be kicking yourself.  There will never be another Amazon.  Just like, there will never be another Walmart.  There might be other stores like them, but they have built their names into giants.  With all of that being said tip 6 ½ is to not hesitate when opportunity comes your way.  Again, I can’t say this enough, before you jump in feet first though make sure that it meets tips 1-5. 

These are just a few tips to help you make sure that you are not saying YES to everything.  There are many more tips that we will be sharing.  Moreover, I'm sure that there are some that we are yet to learn.  Sometimes the best thing we can do is say NO.  Try it sometime you might be surprised how far it moves you.

Why staying in your comfort zone is not good for you.

I spent the first 10 years of my career in my comfort zone.  Refusing to start my business all because I was afraid, I didn’t have enough knowledge.  I was also scared that I wouldn’t be able to support my family.

These were present thoughts in my mind and still come up all the time.  The difference now is that I know that God has my back.  He is here for me.  I trust that he has a plan and that I am right where I need to be. 

I was in my comfort zone and afraid to move in out of it.  Therefore, I stuck with mediocre jobs with no real way to progress.  Towards the end of my career in the 8-5 world, I started for a great company.  They really treated me good.  Then a bigger company bought us out and to begin with, they were a good company to work for.  Before long, I realized that I was turning into a number instead of a person.  That was really pushed me to get out of my comfort zone and start pursuing different business opportunities. 

Little did I realize that my comfort zone was what was holding me back? 

As soon as I pushed the limits, I created my own website.  Started writing blogs.  Was inspired to write devotionals.  I pushed the limits on every aspect of my life.

It was extremely troubling at first, but after about 3 months of pushing the limits, it started to feel like the new “norm.”  Now if I have a day where i don’t push the limits I feel like I didn’t accomplish anything. 

Here are a few of the tips that I found to be the best advice to help move me from my comfort zone.

       1)      Do something new today.  Alternatively, something that you haven’t done in a long time.  It might sound crazy but if you do one thing, new everyday then before long you will already be starting the move from your comfort zone.  The new thing that you do can be crazy like calling a mentor from a podcast you listen to and ask them for advice.  It might also be as simple as eating at a place you haven’t eaten at.  Whatever it is do it today, and keep on doing something new every day. 

       2)      Take time to ask God where he needs you.  It might sound even crazier than number 1 but let me tell you it worked for me.  Every morning first thing when I woke up I would ask to help guide me to where I needed to be that day.  That simple request gave me the motivation to do what I needed to.  Almost every day it was something that pushed me out of my comfort zone.  This small step also allowed me to start my day with the good lord first.

      3)      Do something that scares you, NOW.  Don’t wait to take that chance, send that email, or try something new.  One of the hardest things for me was to send out emails to people that I didn’t know.  Don’t ask me why it was so hard to press the send button.  Therefore, I started sending out emails every day.  I started with one then the next day I would do two, and so on and so on.  Soon when I pressed the send button, I was hitting over 250 people.  I concurred my fear and pushed myself outside the comfort zone by taking small steps.

     

       4)      Made massive goals.  Not only did I make massive goals I told others about my goals, when they laughed at me I just smiled, and used that as fuel to make those goals happen.  Every time I was scared or thought this goal is too massive I could hear the laughter and used that to push me out of my comfort zone even further and reach for stars.  You can bet that I achieved most of my goals because I pushed myself out of my comfort zone.

   

      5)      When you feel the urge, don’t hesitate.  For the longest time I would feel the urge to make a phone call or send an email and wouldn’t do it right then.  Then I was listening to a podcast and the speaker said that you couldn’t wait when you get the feeling, just do it.  Do it right then, don’t wait.  Holy cow did this step push me way out of my comfort zone.  I would get the urge to send a message to someone I hadn’t touched base with in years and more often than not, it turned out to be a great thing.

   

      6)      Take time for you.  Taking time to make sure that you focus on what you need is something that everyone should do.  You can take time for you in so many ways.  Some of the ways I did it was by investing in courses that would help give me more information to move the needle.  I also used wasted time driving and turned that into podcast time.  Every time I’m behind the wheel, you can bet that I have a podcast on.  Shoot me even turn podcasts on when I’m washing dishes and working around the house.  My whole family listens to them with me.  When I was flying a couple of times a week, I used to take that time to catch up on Netflix.  Then I started listening to podcasts or reading a book, or a mixture of both depending on the duration of the flight.  As soon as I started doing that, it amazed me how quickly I started moving out of my comfort zone. 

I know that there is a TON of information here.  I also know that what worked for me won’t work for everyone else.  My hope is that as you read this if you get one thing that you can take and run with.  If only one thing helps you to step out of your comfort zone just a little then it was completely worth your time to read this, and my time to write it. 

Thank you for taking the time to read this.  If you find any value in it all, please share our blog with someone.

The Facts about inspections

This month we will be talking about the different levels of vehicle inspection that are conducted at Ports Of Entry (POE) or roadside inspection stations.  We will also discuss what the officer will be looking for in brief detail and how you as a driver can help make the inspection go great.

Does your heart sink a little when you see the Port Open sign or when you drive up on a typical site where officers set up roadside inspection stations and see flashing lights.  We have been there before too, but we are here to help relieve that stress, and get you excited to go through those POE’s.  I know that you might be thinking that we full of it right now, but I can promise that you will better understand the process and know some of the tricks that will help you get through that inspection with no violations. 

This all starts with your daily inspection.  Your inspection can alleviate all of your stress when it comes to a POE.  Take the time to conduct a through inspection every day.  It really does pay off.  

There are 8 levels of inspection that you might draw at a POE.  And there are several key items that determine whether you are selected for an inspection.  Lets start with the different levels of inspections and what to expect.

Level VIII – North American Standard Electronic Inspection.  The North American Standard Level VIII Electronic Inspection is an inspection conducted electronically or wirelessly while the vehicle is in motion without direct interaction with an enforcement officer.  This inspection includes, a descriptive location, including GPS coordinates; electronic validation of who is operating the vehicle; appropriate driver’s license class and endorsement(s) for vehicle being operated; license status; valid Medical Examiner’s Certificate and Skill Performance Evaluation (SPE) Certificate; current driver’s record of duty status; hours-of-service; power unit registration; operating authority; Unified Carrier Registration (UCR) compliance; and federal out-of-service orders.

Level VII – Jurisdictional Mandated Commercial Vehicle Inspection.  This is a jurisdictional mandated inspection program that does not meet the requirements of any other level of inspection. An example will include inspection programs such as, but not limited to, school buses, limousines, taxis, shared-ride transportation, hotel courtesy shuttles and other intrastate/intra-provincial operations. These inspections may be conducted by CVSA-certified inspectors, other designated government employees or jurisdiction-approved contractors.  

Level VI – North American Standard Inspection for Transuranic Waste and Highway Route Controlled Quantities (HRCQ) of Radioactive Material.  This is an inspection for select radiological shipments, that include everything listed in a Level I Inspection, radiological requirements and the North American Standard Out-of-Service Criteria for Transuranic Waste and Highway Route Controlled Quantities of Radioactive material are also included in this inspection.  As of Jan. 1, 2005, all vehicles and carriers transporting HRCQ of radioactive material are regulated by the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) are required to pass the North American Standard Level VI Inspection. Select radiological shipments include HRCQ of radioactive material as defined by Title 49 CFR 173.403. And, because only a small fraction of transuranics are HRCQ, the U.S. DOE decided to include its transuranic waste shipments in the North American Standard Level VI Inspection Program. 

Level V – Vehicle-Only Inspection.  Is an inspection that includes each of the vehicle inspection items specified under the North American Standard Inspection (Level I), without a driver present, conducted at any location.  This inspection I utilized during an audit. 

Level IV – Special Inspections.  Level IV inspections typically include a one-time examination of a particular item. These examinations are normally made in support of a study or to verify or refute a suspected trend.  The reason an officer would use this inspection would be if the company has had several violations on the same items on different vehicles.  A good example would be break-a-way brakes.  

These next 3 levels of inspections are the most common types seen!

Level III – Driver/Credential/Administrative Inspection.  Level III Inspections must include, examination of the driver’s license; Medical Examiner’s Certificate; driver’s record of duty status; hours of service; seat belt; vehicle inspection report; and carrier identification and status.  NOTE: Mechanical equipment violations specific to a Level I or Level II Inspection should not be included in a Level III Inspection. If applicable, traffic violations/infractions should be included on a Level III Inspection.  Many times drivers will go through a Level III inspection and never get paperwork.  As a driver you should always ask for the documentation to prove that you had “No Violations”  this will help your company and you as a driver.

Level II – Walk-Around Driver/Vehicle Inspection.  Level II Inspections must include everything listed in  a Level III inspection plus: brake systems; cargo securement; coupling devices; driveline/driveshaft; exhaust systems; frames; fuel systems; lighting devices (headlamps, tail lamps, stop lamps, turn signals and lamps/flags on projecting loads); steering mechanisms; suspensions; tires; van and open-top trailer bodies; wheels, rims and hubs; windshield wipers.   For buses, motorcoaches, passenger vans or other passenger-carrying vehicles emergency exits, electrical cables and systems in engine and battery compartments, seating will also be inspected.   The walk-around driver/vehicle inspection will include only those items that can be inspected without physically getting under the vehicle.

 Level I – North American Standard Inspection.  The Level I inspection includes all of the items listed in Level III as well as what was listed in a Level II inspection plus the officer will be going under your vehicle to perform a through inspection of the vehicle.  You can expect this inspection to take anywhere from 30min to 1.5 hours. 

If you’re the lucky one to be chosen, you will be greeted by an inspector who will take you into your own lane.  You will have to turn the truck off and in some cases, remove the key from ignition.  Wheels chocked, brakes released, and hand over your electronic log device.  This begins level 1 of the inspection.  One of the most important things, is to be organized.  This will not only help the inspector, but it can also help speed up the process.  A couple tips to move it long, know your dashboard, know where your controls are.  Know how to work your electronic log, you will need to access it and be able to email your logs.  Organizing your permits will also help to save time.

If you have pets, you need a plan.  Pets have to be secured before the inspection can begin.

* Driver’s license

* Electronic log

* Truck and trailer registration

* Insurance

* IFTA Card (International Fuel Tax Agreement)

* Permits

* Bill of landing, shipping papers or invoices

* USDOT Hazmat permit

* FMCSA Safety Permit (high risk loads)

* Special Permit (hazmat materials)

* State Hazmat Permit

* Emergency Response Information or MSDS

* Written Route Plan (hazardous materials)

* Copy of FMCSR Regulations

* Oversize Load Permits

The best outcome every driver hopes for is No Violations!

All Violations can still warrant a ticket.  An example of this type would be an error in the form and manner on the electronic log, or as simple as a clearance light.  Sometimes these violations can be “forgiven” and no ticket is issued, but remember that any violation that is issues will stick with you as a driver for 7 years and the company will feel the pain for the next 2 years.

Out of service (OOS). This violation is one of the federal regulations listed by the CVSA. It must be listed in the criteria or it falls under non-out of service violations.  You will get a ticket whether you own the truck or you drive for a company.  It is important to listen to the officer because every state is different.

Even though violations my not come with a citation, every violation still counts against you and the company.

With the trucks, typical violations include 

· Brake problems such as out of adjustment

· Tires

· Load securement

· Lights

· Oil leaking

· Windshield damage and obstruction

· No proof of annual inspection

 Hazmat loads

· Improper placards,

· Improper marketing

· Expired permits

· No permit

· Violations with shipping papers

We’ve all failed a road side inspection in the past but that’s not going to stop us from driving. So let’s wipe away those tears and pull up our big girl panties and keep on trucking. 

There’s a few things that you really need to know about passing a road side inspection.  I know what you’re thinking, “Everyone has an article on this.” We are going to let you in on some of our secrets that not everyone knows.

First off ATTITUDE is everything! 

If you get pulled into a weigh station or road side inspection area, don’t get stressed.  Go ahead and put on your “Yes Sir / Yes Ma’am” hat and get that inspection started.  Officers are just like everyone trying to make a living and support their families.  So let’s quickly shed the “they don’t like me attitude” and show them some respect.  In turn they will respect you.  It sounds crazy but start the inspection off by seeming somewhat excited for the opportunity to get inspected.  In a lot of the companies we have helped we have initiated an incentive plan for No violation inspections. In all out honesty the drivers for those companies are truly excited for the opportunity to get an incentive. When the officer finds an issue don’t argue, or banter with them.  Simply say “Yes Sir”, fix the issue and move on.  Don’t forget to take pictures of all violations. There’s a few things that this does to help both the driver and the company.  First off if the violations are bogus you now have picture proof.  There’s not much better evidence than a picture. 

A lot of enforcement officers will ask the driver for their credentials and the paperwork for the unit.  If there are no issues, there be sure to ask them for your level 3 inspection paperwork.  This not only helps the company but also helps the officers with any MCSAP funding their department might be receiving. 

Before you ever get to the inspection take the time to invite the surrounding law enforcement agencies to your yard and have a conference with your employees.  I know there’s a couple of guys out there right now reading this saying “No way, this guy’s crazy for even suggesting that I invite the cops into my yard!”  Again we are going to say that law enforcement officers are just people trying to do their job.  As soon as we change that mind set we will be so much better off as drivers and company leaders. By inviting them into your yard it shows your hand (or at least the cards you want them to see).  While they are there asking them to provide some feedback from what they’ve seen in the field lately.  Listen to everything they have to say. You’ll probably see a trend in violations. As a company you should start targeting those violation trends in your own fleet.  Also provide the officers with the vital information that you offer incentives for no violation inspections.  They will ask the drivers about this at the roadside inspection, so don’t lie.  One of the most important things this does is it starts the relationship between your company / drivers and local law enforcement.  Who knows you might even be on a first name basis in the very near future. 

The last action item we’d like to mention is encourage your drivers daily to make smart choices.  Encourage them to be a step above the rest of the drivers in the industry.  Make every employee of your company feel as though they play a vital role in the companies wellbeing.  Because let’s face it without all of our employees we would be nothing more than an one person show working our butts into the ground for a dollar.

If you start following these few short objectives your drivers might start looking forward to going through the port of entry, and maybe even a little disappointed when its closed.  Your DOT scores will rapidly improve, you’ve built a relationship with people who enforce the regulations, and added to the foundation of your company.