Hours of Service, Flu Season, and Per Diem Increase

October 8th, 2015

Assume Nothing.  Someone much smarter than me coined the acronym G.O.A.L. – Get Out And Look.  Simply put: do a physical and visual check around your vehicle for debris, equipment, barrier guards, installed tire chocks, and personnel that could be in your path if you back up or move forward.   Also, no matter what your driving experience don’t let your pride get in your way when backing...G.O.A.L. 

 

HOS Restart.  The HOS restart rules for truck drivers will remain suspended until trucking regulators provide Congress with a review of the rule’s safety provisions.   The suspension was scheduled to expire on 30 Sep 2015.

 

Per Diem Rate Increase.  The Internal Revenue Service issued Notice 2015-63, updating the special per diem rates under tax code Section 274, which is used to substantiate the amount of ordinary and necessary business expenses incurred while traveling away from home. Effective Oct. 1, 2015, through Sept. 30, 2016, transportation’s per diem rates will increase to $63 (currently $59) for any locality of travel within the continental U.S. and $68 (currently $65) for travel outside the continental U.S.

 

To your Health. Flu Season will soon be upon us.  The CDC claims that the best way to prevent flu is to get vaccinated.  If you are like me and don’t like putting foreign stuff in your body, the following health practices can also help protect you from getting the flu or from spreading it:

 

  1. Avoid close contact with people who are sick.

  2. Keep your hands clean – washing your hands helps protect you from germs.  Especially after touching door knobs, stair railings, shopping cart handles and even money.

  3. Avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth – your eyes, nose, and mouth are points of entry for germs.

  4. Practice good health habits – get plenty of sleep, be physically active, manage stress, drink plenty of fluids and eat nutritious foods.

  5. Keep your distance from other people when you are sick.

  6. Cover your mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing.

     

    Common Flu symptoms include:

  • Fever;

  • Cough;

  • Sore throat:

  • Runny or stuffy nose;

  • Muscle or body aches;

  • Fatigue; and

  • Vomiting

     

    When taking over the counter medicines, be sure that you understand the medicine’s side effects and its potentials for interaction/interdiction when taken with other medications.  Ask your pharmacist for assistance.