The life you save ...

OOIDA Life Member Rick Ash mouthed numbers while counting each person that walked by him in Health Walk.

As OOIDA members Penny and Kelly Thigpen of Logan, Utah, walked by, Penny playfully distracted Ash's count.

"Seventy-three ... seventy-four ... seventy-five."

Ash, chairman of Trucking Solutions Group, laughed even as he continued counting. And for good reason.

Saturday's Health Walk, hosted by Trucking Solutions Group and sponsored by OOIDA Medical Benefits Group and Inter-Americas Insurance Corp., had more than 200 truck drivers signed up – a new record, Ash said.

"We've been doing this since 2010, and this is the highest turnout we've ever had for a health walk," Ash told the crowd. "We're really excited!"

The Health Walk proceeded for the length of the grandstand at the Kansas Speedway – three-quarters of a mile – and back to total 1.5 miles.

Ash said the Health Walk has become an annual event at the Mid-America Trucking Show and the Great American Trucking Show.

But the program isn't merely about building numbers.

"Thank you for participating," Ash told the crowd of mostly drivers and spouses.

"The whole idea behind this is to be healthy," Ash said, adding that being healthy can help drivers be safer.

"The life you save might just be mine."

OTR Tax Service offers truckers tax tips

Carmen Grunsten’s message for truckers is simple: Knowledge is power when it comes to tax preparation.

“If you know where you stand with your deductions, you have the power,” she said.

Grunsten, of OTR Driver Tax Services in Vinton, Texas, has spent the past 12 years specializing in tax preparation for self-employed owner-operators and small-business trucking companies.

During a seminar at OOIDA’s Heart of America Truck Show on Friday afternoon, she encouraged drivers  to find their “lowest legal tax liability.”

In order to do that, Grunsten said drivers need to be aware of more than 25 deductions that are available to claim when filing yearly income tax returns – on everything from depreciation of equipment like tractors and trailers to repairs and maintenance, home office, advertising, even truck washes and waxes.

One of the newest deductions available to drivers is a $500,000 deduction on new and used equipment purchased in 2012 or 2013. The deduction can be applied on equipment purchases of up to $2 million.

Another potential tax savings can be realized by organizing into a specific type of business entity, such as a sole proprietorship, limited liability corporation, a C Corporation or an S Corporation.

Each designation has its own benefits and disadvantages, depending on the goals and circumstances of the prospective owner. Grunsten advised consulting with a tax professional before making a decision. A sole proprietorship, for example, is one in which the owner receives all profits but assumes all liabilities.

In addition to tax services and incorporation, Grunsten offers bookkeeping services, payroll processing and legal representation for IRS issues and audits on referral. More information about her company and services can be found at her website here.

Light up the night

The clouds and rain won't be considered ideal conditions for much, but it really was the perfect backdrop for the lights at night competition.

The super dark night sky with the wet pavement offered a canvas for the truck lights to sparkle and dance off the pavement and into the night sky.

LL's ace photog Nikohle Ellis and I didn't want our blog readers to miss out on the amazing light show, so we braved the cold just to bring you these.