Frequently Asked Questions

A tax preparer may possess a variety of basic tax knowledge. A competent accountant can prepare accounts and tax returns for sole traders and basic self-assessment returns.

You can usually deduct business expenses from your taxes if you’re self-employed. Here’s a rundown of some of the things you might be able to write off: Tolls, parking, maintenance, fuel, registration fees, tires, and insurance are all examples of vehicle expenses—dues to trade associations or trade magazine subscriptions.

To file your IFTA fuel tax reports, you have to keep track of where you drove, how many miles you drove, fuel receipts or fuel tickets, and odometer readings. You have to file for IFTA four times a year, and you have to keep the records on file for four years. They’re due on January 31, April 30, July 31, and October 31. You can also send us your trip sheets, and we’ll do your fuel tax reports for you.

Shippers and brokers can cut out the middlemen by partnering with FleetCare. Our fleet of trucks is capable of delivering cargo on time. We offer 24/7 support, load tracking, and total cost transparency during operations. Our dispatchers make direct contact with carriers, saving brokers time. You gain more while risking less when you use our services.

Contact us for a no-obligation phone consultation in which we will explain what we offer and how our services will assist you in focusing on what you do best while running your business.

Fleet management software enables fleet managers to continually monitor their vehicles, equipment, and drivers from a single application. Examples of software capabilities include: Locating specific vehicles. Monitoring driver behavior and measuring performance. Managing and reducing fuel costs.

Fleet management refers to the overall actions that take place to keep a fleet running efficiently, on time, and within budget. It can be defined as the processes used by fleet managers to monitor fleet activities and make decisions from asset management, dispatch and routing, and vehicle acquisition and disposal.

Fleet maintenance is the process of keeping your vehicles operating in a good enough condition so that they are safe, reliable and can stay on the road longer.

Idling is leaving a vehicle’s engine running while the vehicle is not in motion. Drivers are sometimes forced to idle in traffic, but in most situations idling is not necessary. Idling is merely a habit that drivers can break, especially when they realize how harmful it can be to health and the environment.

A commercial motor vehicle (CMV) is any vehicle used to transport goods or passengers for the profit of an individual or business. Examples of CMVs include pickup trucks, box trucks, semi-trucks, vans, coaches, buses, taxicabs, trailers and travel trailers.

GPS tracking requires a tracking device installed in a vehicle, on a piece of equipment, or worn by a person. This tracking device for vehicles provides information about its exact location so that it can report details on where a vehicle, equipment, or person is.

A GPS Trailer Tracker is the most effective way to protect your valuable trailer and the contents inside. Our 5G trailer tracking system will give you complete visibility and unmatched protection with up to 72 satellites constantly monitoring the location of your trailer, 24/7.

A geofence is a perimeter boundary created around the location of a smartphone or other device, based on GPS or RFID signals. Geofencing has mainly been used to allow advertisers to send targeted messages to users who enter their area.

ELD – Electronic logging devices

The ELD mandate, or ELD Final Rule, is a U.S. federal government regulation specifying that operators of commercial motor vehicles covered by this law will be required to use electronic logging devices, or ELDs. These devices are designed to record data related to operation of the vehicle and to driver activity.

The ELD mandate, or ELD Final Rule, is a U.S. federal government regulation specifying that operators of commercial motor vehicles covered by this law will be required to use electronic logging devices, or ELDs. These devices are designed to record data related to operation of the vehicle and to driver activity.

ELD Compliance means installing and properly using an FMCSA-registered ELD to record hours-of-service in required vehicles. The following vehicles are subject to the mandate: Interstate CMVs where drivers are currently required to keep record of duty status. Vehicles that weight 10,001 pounds or more

Dash cams work by using your vehicle as a power source, recording video whenever the car is on or, when the device is hardwired into your vehicle, when a sensor detects a collision or when the camera detects motion.

According to the FMCSA’s 30-Minute Break Rule, a driver has a window of 8 hours to drive after their last off-duty period of at least 30 minutes. In the old rule, once a driver went on-duty in a day, the driver had to take a 30-minute break by the 8th hour before being allowed to drive again.

There is a 60/70 hour limit for drivers. According to this rule, a driver may not drive after 60 hours on duty in seven consecutive days, applicable for carriers that do not operate every day of the week, or 70 hours on duty in eight consecutive days, for carriers that do operate every day of the week.

The DOT 14-hour rule is a law that dictates how long a driver can work in a 24-hour time period. According to the rule, a driver must fit all of their drive time for the day into a 14-hour shift. This law states that a worker must take a mandatory ten hours off duty after their 14-hour driving shift.

The 34-hour rule is a way for commercial motor vehicle (CMV) truckers to quickly reset their workweek if they are nearing the maximum number of hours allowed in ‘On Duty’ or ‘Driving’ statuses: 70 hours in eight days or 60 hours in seven days.

The split sleeper berth rule allows a truck driver to extend a shift by splitting the required 10 consecutive hours of off-duty time into two shifts. This means that drivers can adjust their schedules for longer hauls or warehouse hours by “dropping in” a rest break to comply with driving hour limitations.

In essence, the short-haul exemption is a limited regulatory exemption available to commercial drivers who operate exclusively within a 150 air-mile radius of their normal work reporting location and who are released from duty from that location no later than 14 hours after they start working on a given day.

If you start at 8 AM and drive after 10 PM, you will be in violation. Beyond that 14-hour window, you can still work (ON-duty time) but you can’t legally drive again until you take a 10-hour break.

The changes to the HOS Adverse Driving Conditions Exception give commercial truck drivers extra time to complete their routes after experiencing unexpected delays caused by weather or traffic conditions. It expands their driving window by up to two hours.

International Fuel Tax Agreement (IFTA) — a plan involving a majority of the 48 contiguous states, most of which require interstate motor carriers to report how much fuel they use within the borders of their state for taxing purposes. Under IFTA, such carriers may report fuel used in all such states to one base state.

The International Fuel Tax Agreement (IFTA) is an arrangement among U.S. states and Canadian provinces. Taxes are paid on motor fuels, and IFTA allows commercial motor carriers to register in one state and have these tax assessments paid out to all participating areas according to their fair share.

IFTA is the cooperative agreement between 48 states in the U.S. and 10 provinces in Canada. It allows inter-jurisdictional carriers to report and pay taxes for the fuel their vehicles consume across states. Using a single fuel tax license.

IFTA is the cooperative agreement between 48 states in the U.S. and 10 provinces in Canada

You must obtain an IFTA license if you operate a qualifying motor vehicle in two or more U.S. states and/or Canadian provinces that are members of the International Fuel Tax Agreement.

If you operate a qualifying vehicle only within the boundaries of your home state and do not cross other jurisdictional boundaries, then you are not required to register with, or obtain an IFTA license or permit.

Operators may obtain a one-time or limited permit to operate into another state. This requires prior planning and authorization. Operators my obtain a maximum of 10 special permits per calendar year. If more than 10 interstate trips are necessary, IFTA membership is required.

For example, recreational vehicles, farm plated vehicles, school buses, tow trucks, and government-owned vehicles are exempt in some states and provinces but not all. Biodiesel is also exempt from IFTA according to the 2024 list

You must obtain an IFTA license if you operate a qualifying motor vehicle in two or more U.S. states and/or Canadian provinces that are members of the International Fuel Tax Agreement.

Under IFTA, licensed carriers can submit one quarterly tax return to their base jurisdiction concerning fuel usage. This avoids the hassle of individual returns for each state visited. Complying with IFTA regulations is important for the longevity and sustainability of all commercial carriers.

Any IFTA licensee in good standing with the Department may request a temporary permit from the Bureau of Motor and Alternative Fuel Taxes to operate a qualifying vehicle without IFTA decals.

However, if that truck makes even one trip outside of the state without an IFTA license (or a special permit), the operator is subject to fines, penalties, even possible impoundment of the load and/or the vehicle. Operators may obtain a one-time or limited permit to operate into another state.

Surprisingly, no. If you want to recruit capable and competent talent, you need to develop and undergo a pretty vigorous recruitment process, which takes time and — if you need the services of headhunters — money.