Want to make some extra money? A little cash on the side? I think we all do, but, how far are you willing to go for it? Are you willing to cook the books, as they say? Are you willing to lie, cheat, steal? Well, unfortunately some are. Of course most drivers are honest hard-working people, but like any walk of life, there are those who would ruin it for all of us, if given the chance. We all do indeed pay for it in the end. Like any job with legitimate expenses, the temptation to pocket some money for a legitimate-looking expense is too much for some people. I came up with this top 10 list based on what I have seen and heard over the years. I didn't take a survey or anything like that, but I have seen it with my own eyes

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According to Allen Wear at Nations Best Transportation in Vancouver, Wa. (they employ about 60 owner-operators and a few company drivers, who run up and down the west coast and points east), there's always a pattern. It's usually the same drivers who always have too many expenses, flat tires, over priced lumpers, etc. all the time. They know their customers and what their lumpers usually charge. Then, along comes a driver who somehow always pays a little more than everyone else. They keep track of which tires get replaced and somehow they wind up replacing the same ones again. They also know how much reefer fuel should be used, but somehow a certain driver uses more, but coincidently, that driver seems to be getting great fuel mileage on his truck. Allen also said that it's usually the same driver doing all of the above. Then he'll make some calls and find out the truth. It's pretty transparent to guys like him. It's almost too easy sometimes. Still, some drivers think they're slick, or they think nobody ever thought of this one before.

1- The fake lumper receipt. This has to be number one. A driver unloads his truck himself and then writes a receipt that says he paid a lumper. Then he gets the Com-check and keeps it, tax-free. Too bad that companies almost always know what it costs and what the real receipts look like.

2- Other fake receipts. So, you bought a tool, or a part for your car (or your truck, if you're an owner-operator) and it looks like it could pass for a trailer part or something that the company truck needed. Or maybe you picked up one of those blank receipts that you can fill out yourself, so you do. Isn't it funny that you're the only one who always does that?

3- Selling fuel/chains/load-locks. How many times have you heard this one on the cb radio? If only I had a dollar for every time. Do you really think they don't know how many miles per gallon your truck gets? Or how many load-locks or chains you were issued?

4- Tire exchange. You notice a brand new tire or two on your company truck or trailer. So you decide to sell those to someone who gives you an old one or two to put on in its place. Or maybe you just buy one, even though the one already on there is like new, because you can then sell that one. Too bad tires have serial numbers. Tires are one of their biggest expenses. Do you really think they don't keep track of them?

5- Short delivery/keeping stuff. So, you have a trailer full of toothpaste. If only you could keep one or two cases, you wouldn't have to buy toothpaste for a few years. Tempting, huh? If only they didn't count everything all the time. Hey, maybe you can open a box and take some out, that way, it still looks like a full load. That is, until the store gets it and opens it, then calls the distributor, who calls your company.

6- Over-charging customers. This is a big one for local drivers who deliver to stores. Let's see, I've got fifteen loaves of bread (fourteen) and twelve Twinkies (eleven), that cost a dollar each (ninety-four cents) and you manage to slip that past the busy clerk. Too bad stores keep track of what they sell. Isn't it funny how the store seems to be losing merchandise to shoplifters who only seem to steal what you bring?

7- Selling skids. So, you finish your delivery and the customer put twenty skids on your trailer, that you know you don't need at your next stop and there's a place right up the road that buys them. Somebody is going to have to pay for them and they will be looking right at you when they start wondering where they went.

8- Expenses without a receipt. Hey, sometimes you just don't get a receipt for legitimate expenses, like self-serve truck washes and unmanned tolls. But, every week?

9- Reefer fuel. This is a biggie for owner-operators. They buy reefer fuel, which the company pays for, and put it in their own tank. Free fuel. Who's to know? Everybody keeps track of miles-per-gallon these days. It's funny how your truck went five hundred miles without fuel that day?

10- Using the company truck. So, your neighbor is moving and you're home for the weekend, with that big truck just sitting there. This one works out pretty well, right up to the moment that his china cabinet falls over.

Can you see the futility in all this now? Don't get mad at me for blowing your cover. That's not what I'm trying to do here. But, what I am saying is you had better stop before you get caught. If you are doing it, it's only a matter of time. I am just trying to show you the fact that more people know about all this than you would like to believe. If you stop now, you might get lucky and get away with what you've already done. But if you continue, I can almost guarantee that you will be caught. The only question is when (not if). I am just trying to save you from looking like a fool. They know, believe me.

1. Understand Traffic Waves
2. Prevent Traffic Jams
3. Stay Calm
4. Do The Math
5. Be Predictable
6. Time Traffic Lights
7. Expect the Expected
8. Compensate for the Ignorant
9. Teach Others
10. Make Sure an Accident is Never Your Fault
Read more

Here are some satisfied customers-
*Old Dominion Freight Line
*Plastic Express
*Dart Container Corp.
*Van-Pak Trucking
*GD Eastlick Trucking Inc.
*Alex Express
*Kenny Smith Trucking
*and many more.