[WRITTEN BY KAYLA HALL] Telematics, in the most basic sense, is a computerized system that businesses use to monitor their fleet of vehicles and drivers. It involves using GPS or onboard diagnostics (OBD) within vehicles to track real-time conditions, like location, speed, fuel efficiency, and maintenance issues. Data from the vehicle is sent through a wireless network to the fleet manager’s portal. These insights can help you cut down vehicle maintenance and fuel costs, enforce driver safety standards, improve customer service, and make more money in the long term.

[WRITTEN BY KAYLA HALL] When you have a package number that begins with “1Z,” you can be pretty sure that it’s a tracking number for the United Parcel Service (UPS). UPS assigns a tracking number to each package that goes through its system, and most of their tracking numbers begin with 1Z (some are a bit different, but more details are below). The tracking number is the ID code to enter when you’re finding the status of your delivery, either on UPS.com or through a free tracking app like Circuit Package Tracker. Keep reading to learn how UPS tracking numbers work and how you can get the most up-to-date status on your UPS packages.

[WRITTEN BY KAYLA HALL] If you or your drivers spend a lot of the workday driving around and servicing customers, having the right vehicle is critical. Trying to run a full-fledged delivery business with a small coupe or sedan-style car can come with challenges. You might have inadequate cargo space or a weak engine that doesn’t have enough horsepower to transport a heavy payload. Limited space and payload capacity, low horsepower, and other missing features can all serve as obstacles to your business, leading to wasted time and money. That’s why many small businesses rely on cargo vans to transport packages, tools, replacement parts, and more. It’s important to consider several things when deciding if a cargo van is the right solution for your small business. And if it is, you have to decide which van best suits your specific needs. I’ll go into detail on how to make those two big decisions so your business can grow.

[WRITTEN BY KAYLA HALL] Whether you’re a FedEx driver who makes routine rounds to local businesses or you’re an Instacart delivery driver taking orders by the hour, your route is a pretty big deal. You can waste a lot of time, money, and opportunity by using the wrong route planning method. No one wants to get stuck in traffic and piss off customers because their deliveries are late. That’s bad for business and bad for your wallet. But if you plan delivery routes the right way, you can shorten your routes, reduce the time you spend completing each stop, and make your customers as happy as possible — all of which can mean more money. One of the biggest things last-mile delivery drivers should know about route planning is the difference between static route planning and dynamic route planning. If you’re wondering which routing method to use as a new delivery driver, or you’ve been driving for a while and are looking for ways to make bigger bucks, I’ve got you covered.

[WRITTEN BY KAYLA HALL] Would you know if you had a termite infestation in your home? Fortunately, when termites have moved into a structure, there are always a few telltale warning signs of the new colony. It’s important to be observant of these signs and call for a professional termite inspection early on if you find termite damage. In this article, we will explain the most common signs of termites, the best ways to handle a termite infestation, and how to prevent termites in the future.

[WRITTEN BY KAYLA HALL] When you’re minding your business making a delivery, and someone’s furry best friend starts giving you the business, what do you do? Run? Freeze? Drop down and play possum? Unfortunately, delivery drivers often have to deal with dogs that get loose and attack. In June 2022, the US Postal Service (USPS) released its dog attack national rankings as part of National Dog Bite Awareness Week, reporting that there were 5,400 dog attacks on postal carriers in 2021. Of course, USPS drivers aren’t the only delivery service people challenged by aggressive dog behavior. In June 2022, an Amazon delivery driver ended up in the hospital after being attacked by a dog in Southern California. And in December last year, an Instacart delivery driver was bitten in Georgia. These are just a couple of recent stories that happened to make the news. The real-life consequences when dogs attack delivery drivers can include both financial and physical costs. I’m here to help with important tips on how you can avoid dog attacks while still completing your deliveries, and prevent any dog from ruining your career as a delivery driver.

[WRITTEN BY KAYLA HALL] “If you’re a kid with powers, then where’s the place to be? You belong at “Hero Elementary!” Four young students take the cartoon stage as superheroes-in-training on the kids’ TV series “Hero Elementary.” This animated show on PBS Kids is free for millions of children to watch across the globe. In each half-hour episode, uniformed student superheroes practice their superpowers and learn regular skills in day-saving scenarios at their special elementary school for super kids.

[WRITTTEN BY KAYLA HALL] Today’s online educators know all too well that presenting lessons on camera in an online classroom is quite different from teaching students in person. Teaching through a virtual learning platform may leave you as a teacher feeling insecure, or unsure about your ability to transfer your in-person teaching style to a virtual learning environment. This article will help, offering ways you can build your confidence on camera before the video turns on, and how you can stay confident when video conferencing fatigue hits.

[WRITTEN BY KAYLA HALL] To make good money delivering orders for Postmates, it’s important to drive at the best times. Wasting time on low-paying orders or sitting around in your car waiting for orders to come in can put a big dent in your hourly pay. The solution is to drive for Postmates during peak demand hours so that you have a steady stream of work available and you can maximize your earnings by focusing on high-paying orders. Putting that solution into practice doesn’t have to be a big challenge because the best times to drive for Postmates are no mystery. And that’s what I’m going to reveal here.

[WRITTEN BY KAYLA HALL] Instacart delivery can be an awesome side hustle to make some extra cash as a shopper and driver — you might even pull in a full-time salary. Yep, according to Indeed, Instacart shoppers make anywhere from $7 to $49 an hour, with an average of $21.04 an hour. But the likelihood is that you’ll flounder at the low end of that pay range if you don’t drive for Instacart like the real money-making pros do. To see how much time can be wasted by driving for Instacart without a strategy, just take a gander at the complaint threads that pop up in the InstacartShoppers subreddit, like this low-paid driver rant. And then, reassure yourself that Instacart driving really is worth it by checking out rave reports like this post made by one of the many successful Sunday Instacart shoppers on Reddit. Luckily, it’s not too hard to learn their secrets!

[WRITTEN BY KAYLA HALL] Saving time in the last-mile delivery process is the trick to maximizing profits. Let me explain. A 2019 report showed that last-mile delivery made up 53 percent of costs associated with the delivery process (which also includes line haul, sorting, and collection). That means the key to substantially saving money through your delivery operations is to cut last-mile delivery costs. How can you do that as a manager or dispatcher?

[WRITTEN BY KAYLA HALL] Purchasing a used phone can be a great option for saving money compared to an expensive new phone, but it’s important to know how to avoid wasting money on a blacklisted phone. Blacklisted phones are ineligible for cellular service because they have been reported as lost or stolen by the original owner, or because either the current or previous owner did not pay off the device after financing it with the manufacturer. Although these phones aren’t complete bricks and can connect to Wi-Fi to play music, watch movies, play games, etc., your service provider will be unable to deliver cellular service to a blacklisted phone. So how can you make sure you’re purchasing a used phone that has not been officially reported as a stolen phone or lost phone? This article will explain the details behind a phone’s blacklist status and what you can do to verify that a second-hand mobile device is still eligible for cell service.

[WRITTEN BY KAYLA HALL] Getting your job listings in front of the right talent is essential to filling job openings and successfully growing your organization. We have compiled a list of job posting sites designed to help you find qualified candidates for your open position. Fumbling through hundreds of applications and potentially not finding the right talent is a hassle. Put time back into your day and out of the tedious hiring process with the right tools. Below are the 12 best free job posting sites for employers in 2022. Explore each one to create an effective strategy for finding your next team member.

[WRITTEN BY KAYLA HALL] “Pivoting” is a Fox comedy TV series that follows three middle-aged lady friends after they lose the fourth member of their group, Coleen, to an untimely death. Rocked by Coleen’s passing, the remaining friends dive into their own midlife crises, “Pivoting” in major ways to find true happiness and live their best lives.

[WRITTEN BY KAYLA HALL] Academic conferences serve as an important vehicle for researchers, business leaders, educators, students and other academics to share their work, learn from one another and further the goals of their fields. In the COVID era, those who organize these essential conferences are having to adapt, often transforming what used to be an in-person conference into a virtual academic conference. If you are facing this challenge at your institution, this guide will help you create a cohesive method for planning a virtual academic conference using a video conferencing platform. With these detailed recommendations, you will be able to host a successful virtual conference that may even rival the traditional in-person version.

[WRITTEN BY KAYLA HALL] Because operating expenses play a large role in the profitability of a business, business owners should understand the details of their own operating costs and how they impact the bottom line. This guide will help. Read on to learn about the different operating expenses and how to calculate these expenses for your company.

[WRITTEN BY KAYLA HALL] Choosing the best EdTech tools for your K-12 school or other educational organization can be an overwhelming task, but answering a few key questions can help. This spotlight on how to purchase EdTech solutions outlines the top five questions to consider as you research various EdTech tools, talk with salespeople, watch demos and ultimately decide on the right EdTech products for your needs.

[WRITTEN BY KAYLA HALL] AmeriServe Inc. is a local plumbing company in Easton, PA, complete with proper licensing and many years of hand-on experience. Because we have a strong reputation, we are among the top-rated “local plumbing companies near me” in the area. Our Pennsylvania office is located in Easton, and we service homeowners throughout Northampton County and surrounding communities.

[WRITTEN BY KAYLA HALL] Watch a discredited journalist (Kate Beckinsale) try to earn her career back by entering the seedy world of gun-running as she works to prove the innocence of an imprisoned young mother. “Guilty Party” is a little-known television series on Paramount+ with a TV-MA rating. The single-season show stars Kate Beckinsale as journalist Beth Burgess. It follows Beth’s investigation into the murder that landed Toni Plimpton (Jules Latimer) in prison for the murder of her husband. Believing in Toni’s claimed innocence, Beth takes on the challenge of telling her story, finding her estranged young daughter, and ultimately setting Toni free.

[WRITTEN BY KAYLA HALL] Feedback between teachers and students has always been an essential part of the educational process, allowing both parties to make the most of the learning experience. If you are teaching in a virtual classroom, however, you may find that the traditional ways of exchanging feedback are no longer ideal or accessible. What before came naturally in person doesn’t so easily occur in a remote learning setting. That’s why we’ve put together this guide for collecting and providing feedback in the virtual classroom. Teachers and students alike can benefit from these simple methods for exchanging feedback and improving their classroom experience.