Thousands of men and women drive big rigs in order to get the goods to the stores for us to conveniently walk in and buy. They also haul dirty and other materials for building homes and roads. Just as each person needs to fulfill basic requirements in order to get a traditional driver’s license, there are requirements in order to get a commercial driver’s license (CDL) to operate a big rig.
There are two types of tests that have to be successfully passed in order to obtain a CDL in the United States. There is a written test that goes over the various rules and regulations. This is completed first at any local Department of Motor Vehicles or through a truck driving school. There is also a driving test that has to be completed just like there is for operating a regular vehicle.
An individual must be at least 21 years of age before they are allowed to apply for a CDL. There are some special laws that apply for individuals from 16-20 years old who operate semi trucks used in conjunction with agricultural work. They also have to be able to successfully read and write English due to the many road signs pertaining to trucks on the road and the necessary paperwork.
The Department of Transportation requires all CDL license holders to successfully pass a physical completed by a doctor trained in their requirements. This physical has to be renewed annually in order for the individual to remain in compliance. Since the terrorist attacks of 09/11/01, those individuals applying for a CDL also have to be a citizen of the United States and pass a background check.
There are special endorsements for a CDL that a person can apply for as well. Hauling chemicals and flammable materials requires the individual to complete a Hazardous Materials course. Upon doing so they will be given an endorsement to acknowledge this on their drivers license. To find out the specification of obtaining such endorsements ask your local DMV or take a look at the information found online.
The driving record of an individual is going to determine if they are able to obtain a CDL. While you can if you meet all the other requirements and have a valid traditional driver’s license, it doesn’t mean you will be able to get a job. Most employers look very closely at a driving record when hiring drivers. The cost of insurance for big rigs is very expensive, and the get a discount when they have a fleet of drivers with a safe driving history.
Any individual holding a CDL has to understand that they can lose this privilege if their regular driving privileges are suspended or revoked. In many states failure to pay child support according to the court order can result in a driver’s license being suspended. This can also happen due to excessive amounts of speeding tickets, accidents, or driving under the influence of alcohol.
There are various ways in which a person can learn how to operate a big rig. Many students enroll in a truck driving school. This is a program that lasts for several weeks and teaches them all the fundamentals for both passing the written exam and the driving test. Most students master the rules faster than they do the driving skills. Instructors watch closely and work with students in many areas until they master the necessary skills to safely operate a big rig on the public highways.
Others learn from someone else who already holds a CDL. It is very common for fathers to teach their sons how to do this, especially if they have a business where holding a CDL is vital. The rules for obtaining a CDL in the United States are in place to ensure that the roads are safe. They are also in place to prevent those who have a poor driving record from having control of such a large and powerful piece of equipment.
Thursday, April 19, 2012
Thursday, February 16, 2012
Third-Party Hardware Maintenance vs Manufacturer’s Warranty: What’s Best For Your Business?
When purchasing computer hardware for your business, system availability is a major consideration. While you hope it will remain reliable, you need to manage the risk that at some time a critical system component will fail, calling for hardware maintenance.
Such failures often result in the system being unavailable to users until repaired. This ‘system down-time’ can be very costly when users sit idle and unproductive.
Many assume that the standard manufacturer’s warranty will adequately protect them. But the ‘small print’ of standard warranties can result in less than satisfactory hardware maintenance results for businesses. Even expensive warranty uplifts may not deliver adequate protection against these costs.
RESPONSE TIMES
One of your systems fails, so you call the warranty-provider’s telephone hotline and speak to an operator in a call centre -- perhaps overseas -- who simply takes a message.
If the failed system is under a ‘next business day’ telephone response arrangement for hardware maintenance, then your staff could be unable to do their job for a day or more before the warranty provider even gets around to diagnosing the problem. And with a ‘best effort’ onsite response, it could be several days before a hardware maintenance engineer arrives.
If the system loss has company-wide impact then the implications are even more serious. Standard warranties only cover you for hardware maintenance during working hours -- so a failure on a Friday afternoon could leave your business crippled well into the following Monday.
Businesses that can’t afford this sort of downtime should look to specialist third party hardware maintenance providers that maximise system availability by tailoring support arrangements to meet your specific business needs.
Look for hardware maintenance service providers who offer short, defined response times -- such as a guarantee of a response to your call within ten minutes from a trained hardware maintenance engineer who will solve your issue, and on-site response within two hours for critical system failures.
Also look for organisations who will assign a hardware maintenance engineer permanently to your account. This ensures that they become familiar with your IT environment and personnel -- a factor crucial to ensuring speedy response and resolution of critical system failures.
PARTS HOLDINGS
Hardware maintenance response times are irrelevant if you then have to wait for parts to be shipped from interstate or overseas. Equipment manufacturers generally hold replacement components for warranty service in a single location nationally. As a result, you may be waiting for 24 to 48 hours while the part you need is shipped, delivered and installed.
A hardware maintenance provider which is focussed on maximising system uptime holds spares locally to shorten delivery times. Ask potential service providers for an explanation of their parts holding strategies and methodologies. Find out what ratio of spares are held against systems under contract and whether these parts are regularly tested. With sufficient local spares, hardware maintenance engineers can attend site with the appropriate part in hand to further speed the repair process.
BEYOND HARDWARE 'BREAK-FIX'
A standard warranty will only cover you for the repair of your system, including the delivery and installation of replacement parts, and provides no guarantees as to when your hardware maintenance issue will be resolved.
A hardware maintenance service tailored to maximise systems availability, however, offers a lot more, including:
- taking ownership of the ‘grey’ areas -- such as operating system issues and other causes of hardware problems.
- a first-call fix rate of over 95% -- which means you won’t have to wait for multiple engineer visits before system functionality is restored.
These superior service levels meet the operational needs of businesses which are dependent on system availability. Ask potential hardware maintenance providers for customer testimonials and references to substantiate their service levels.
SO, IS A STANDARD MANUFACTURER'S WARRANTY REALLY GOOD ENOUGH FOR YOUR BUSINESS?
A standard warranty service might be ‘free’, but having staff unable to work -- or customers able to contact you -- could end up costing your business heavily in the long run. Even expensive warranty uplifts do not completely mitigate the risks.
The good news is that specialised and highly-focused third-party hardware maintenance solutions are available to solve this problem.
Your hardware maintenance agreement can be tailored to meet your specific operational needs and risk management strategy. Paid on a monthly basis, they offer you better cash flow and operational flexibility -- for around the same as a manufacturer’s warranty uplift.
But most importantly, they can reduce system downtime by many hours a year -- saving you many thousands in lost productivity and revenue.
Such failures often result in the system being unavailable to users until repaired. This ‘system down-time’ can be very costly when users sit idle and unproductive.
Many assume that the standard manufacturer’s warranty will adequately protect them. But the ‘small print’ of standard warranties can result in less than satisfactory hardware maintenance results for businesses. Even expensive warranty uplifts may not deliver adequate protection against these costs.
RESPONSE TIMES
One of your systems fails, so you call the warranty-provider’s telephone hotline and speak to an operator in a call centre -- perhaps overseas -- who simply takes a message.
If the failed system is under a ‘next business day’ telephone response arrangement for hardware maintenance, then your staff could be unable to do their job for a day or more before the warranty provider even gets around to diagnosing the problem. And with a ‘best effort’ onsite response, it could be several days before a hardware maintenance engineer arrives.
If the system loss has company-wide impact then the implications are even more serious. Standard warranties only cover you for hardware maintenance during working hours -- so a failure on a Friday afternoon could leave your business crippled well into the following Monday.
Businesses that can’t afford this sort of downtime should look to specialist third party hardware maintenance providers that maximise system availability by tailoring support arrangements to meet your specific business needs.
Look for hardware maintenance service providers who offer short, defined response times -- such as a guarantee of a response to your call within ten minutes from a trained hardware maintenance engineer who will solve your issue, and on-site response within two hours for critical system failures.
Also look for organisations who will assign a hardware maintenance engineer permanently to your account. This ensures that they become familiar with your IT environment and personnel -- a factor crucial to ensuring speedy response and resolution of critical system failures.
PARTS HOLDINGS
Hardware maintenance response times are irrelevant if you then have to wait for parts to be shipped from interstate or overseas. Equipment manufacturers generally hold replacement components for warranty service in a single location nationally. As a result, you may be waiting for 24 to 48 hours while the part you need is shipped, delivered and installed.
A hardware maintenance provider which is focussed on maximising system uptime holds spares locally to shorten delivery times. Ask potential service providers for an explanation of their parts holding strategies and methodologies. Find out what ratio of spares are held against systems under contract and whether these parts are regularly tested. With sufficient local spares, hardware maintenance engineers can attend site with the appropriate part in hand to further speed the repair process.
BEYOND HARDWARE 'BREAK-FIX'
A standard warranty will only cover you for the repair of your system, including the delivery and installation of replacement parts, and provides no guarantees as to when your hardware maintenance issue will be resolved.
A hardware maintenance service tailored to maximise systems availability, however, offers a lot more, including:
- taking ownership of the ‘grey’ areas -- such as operating system issues and other causes of hardware problems.
- a first-call fix rate of over 95% -- which means you won’t have to wait for multiple engineer visits before system functionality is restored.
These superior service levels meet the operational needs of businesses which are dependent on system availability. Ask potential hardware maintenance providers for customer testimonials and references to substantiate their service levels.
SO, IS A STANDARD MANUFACTURER'S WARRANTY REALLY GOOD ENOUGH FOR YOUR BUSINESS?
A standard warranty service might be ‘free’, but having staff unable to work -- or customers able to contact you -- could end up costing your business heavily in the long run. Even expensive warranty uplifts do not completely mitigate the risks.
The good news is that specialised and highly-focused third-party hardware maintenance solutions are available to solve this problem.
Your hardware maintenance agreement can be tailored to meet your specific operational needs and risk management strategy. Paid on a monthly basis, they offer you better cash flow and operational flexibility -- for around the same as a manufacturer’s warranty uplift.
But most importantly, they can reduce system downtime by many hours a year -- saving you many thousands in lost productivity and revenue.
Job Searching: The Importance of Examining Company Websites
Are you in need of a job? If you are, there is a good chance that you may turn to the internet, namely job posting websites, or use the employment section of your local newspaper. While these are all nice approaches to take, when looking for a job, there is another tool that you should use in conjunction with job posting websites and local newspapers. That tool is a company website.
In today’s society, which is based on the latest technology, many businesses have online websites. In fact, business websites have, in a way, become a necessity. Even locally owned and operated businesses have started using online websites to their advantage. Although we often think of business websites from a customer standpoint, they can also be of use to you as a job seeker. For more information on how, you will want to continue reading on.
As previously stated, you can use online job posting websites and newspaper employment sections to help you find open jobs in or around your area. While these resources are nice, you may find the information that they contain to be limited. This is most common with newspaper employment advertisements, as they are often limited on space. Of course, you can still go ahead and submit your resume or a job application for a position that you do not know much about, but you may end up wasting your time. If you are serious about finding a job, this wasted time is something that you may not have.
If you are able to get the name of the company that is posting a job listing ether online or in print, you will want to use that company name in a standard internet search. A standard internet search should lead you to websites where that company is mentioned. Often times, a standard internet search will connect you to that company’s online website, should they have one. This website, should you be able to come across it, can be a wealth of information.
When examining the online website of a company that you would like to apply to, you will first want to search for any information on employment or careers. This section, if there is one, may provide you with more information on the positions that are currently open in your area. You may find more detailed information, such as salary and job requirements, than you would in a traditional job posting. In fact, you may even find that you are able to submit your job application or your resume online!
In addition to searching for a careers or employment section, you will also want to examine the website in general. If you are looking for a career in retail, examine the company’s website to see where they may have retail locations, which type of products they sell, as well as which type of customers they target. This may help make deciding if you should apply for the job advertised online or in your local newspaper easier. For instance, you may find that the company you found a job opening for specializes in selling adult entertainment items. If that the case and if you feel uncomfortable working in that environment, you can simply move on, without having to take any other action.
In addition to helping you decide whether or not the company in question is a company that you would like to work for, you can also use a company website to your advantage later on. If you are ever contacted for a job interview, the information that you retained from the company website may be able to better assist you. It can give you an idea of your intended job duties or the type of employees the company is looking to hire.
As outlined above, there are a number of benefits to taking the time to examine a company website before officially submitting your resume or job application. This process is one that should not take too much time; therefore, it is an action that you can only benefit from.
In today’s society, which is based on the latest technology, many businesses have online websites. In fact, business websites have, in a way, become a necessity. Even locally owned and operated businesses have started using online websites to their advantage. Although we often think of business websites from a customer standpoint, they can also be of use to you as a job seeker. For more information on how, you will want to continue reading on.
As previously stated, you can use online job posting websites and newspaper employment sections to help you find open jobs in or around your area. While these resources are nice, you may find the information that they contain to be limited. This is most common with newspaper employment advertisements, as they are often limited on space. Of course, you can still go ahead and submit your resume or a job application for a position that you do not know much about, but you may end up wasting your time. If you are serious about finding a job, this wasted time is something that you may not have.
If you are able to get the name of the company that is posting a job listing ether online or in print, you will want to use that company name in a standard internet search. A standard internet search should lead you to websites where that company is mentioned. Often times, a standard internet search will connect you to that company’s online website, should they have one. This website, should you be able to come across it, can be a wealth of information.
When examining the online website of a company that you would like to apply to, you will first want to search for any information on employment or careers. This section, if there is one, may provide you with more information on the positions that are currently open in your area. You may find more detailed information, such as salary and job requirements, than you would in a traditional job posting. In fact, you may even find that you are able to submit your job application or your resume online!
In addition to searching for a careers or employment section, you will also want to examine the website in general. If you are looking for a career in retail, examine the company’s website to see where they may have retail locations, which type of products they sell, as well as which type of customers they target. This may help make deciding if you should apply for the job advertised online or in your local newspaper easier. For instance, you may find that the company you found a job opening for specializes in selling adult entertainment items. If that the case and if you feel uncomfortable working in that environment, you can simply move on, without having to take any other action.
In addition to helping you decide whether or not the company in question is a company that you would like to work for, you can also use a company website to your advantage later on. If you are ever contacted for a job interview, the information that you retained from the company website may be able to better assist you. It can give you an idea of your intended job duties or the type of employees the company is looking to hire.
As outlined above, there are a number of benefits to taking the time to examine a company website before officially submitting your resume or job application. This process is one that should not take too much time; therefore, it is an action that you can only benefit from.
How To Figure Out If You Belong Online
No matter what the technology is behind your home business, you are going to have to figure out eventually if you have a market that should be online, or one that is going to be best locally served. There are home businesses that work well online, and there are others that don’t rely as much on online services because what they are doing is something that caters to the local crowd. So, you have to decide where you belong, and then you have to figure out how to market yourself from there.
Where Do You Fit?
The first thing that you have to figure out is where your customers are going to be. Are you opening up a day care or a hair salon that is going to rely on people in your home town to be your clients? If this is the case, then online marketing is not going to be what works best for you, you will instead do much better if you can be localized. So, this is going to be your first decision.
If this is the case, you are mostly going to want to have print media. You can have a website, and you should have one, in today’s day and age, but if you are looking for people in your home town, you are going to need lots of things like business cards, posters, bill boards and other things that people can see which will direct them to your services. This is either going to be something that is easy for you to do, or it is going to be something that takes some time. Either way, you are going to find that print media works best, even if you only use it to bring local people to your website.
If you don’t find yourself with a local clientele, or you think that you are going to serve people better if you can reach more people than are in your town, then the internet is going to be the place for you. This means that you are going to have to get yourself out there online and see how well you can get your name into the websites and the other directories so that you know what you are looking at when it comes to clients.
If this is the case, then you are going to want to spend your time concentrating on your website and trying to get people to come to your site based on what your site can do for them. You are going to need to get your name into different directories, and do as much online advertising as you possibly can to make sure that it works for you.
Where Do You Fit?
The first thing that you have to figure out is where your customers are going to be. Are you opening up a day care or a hair salon that is going to rely on people in your home town to be your clients? If this is the case, then online marketing is not going to be what works best for you, you will instead do much better if you can be localized. So, this is going to be your first decision.
If this is the case, you are mostly going to want to have print media. You can have a website, and you should have one, in today’s day and age, but if you are looking for people in your home town, you are going to need lots of things like business cards, posters, bill boards and other things that people can see which will direct them to your services. This is either going to be something that is easy for you to do, or it is going to be something that takes some time. Either way, you are going to find that print media works best, even if you only use it to bring local people to your website.
If you don’t find yourself with a local clientele, or you think that you are going to serve people better if you can reach more people than are in your town, then the internet is going to be the place for you. This means that you are going to have to get yourself out there online and see how well you can get your name into the websites and the other directories so that you know what you are looking at when it comes to clients.
If this is the case, then you are going to want to spend your time concentrating on your website and trying to get people to come to your site based on what your site can do for them. You are going to need to get your name into different directories, and do as much online advertising as you possibly can to make sure that it works for you.
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