[WRITTEN BY KAYLA HALL] Are you a regular customer of DoorDash? Would you be surprised to learn that paying for a DashPass can save you money? DashPass is a DoorDash subscription service you can sign up for to save money on DoorDash delivery fees and service fees. The program includes occasional deals and priority customer service. It also applies to Caviar (another food delivery service owned by DoorDash) orders. You probably already have a DoorDash account and place orders using their delivery service, but the actual orders aren’t free. DashPass discounts can help. Since you typically have to pay to get DashPass, it’s important to think about whether it’ll help you save money in the long run. The answer depends on how often you order through DoorDash or Caviar and how much you pay for your DashPass subscription (not all members pay the same). As a longtime DoorDash customer and DashPass subscriber, I know that my DashPass benefits have saved me thousands of dollars. The unlimited free deliveries and other perks have been well worth it for me. I’ve written this quick guide to help you figure out if DashPass is worth paying for in your own life. If you’ve never used DashPass before (or if you signed up a while ago and are wondering if it makes sense to keep paying), I’ve got you covered. Read on to make sure you’re getting the biggest bang for your buck when it comes to DoorDash and Caviar with DashPass.

[WRITTEN BY KAYLA HALL] The moment is here! It’s time to create your free HiLink account. Starting today, the HiLink virtual classroom is open to use for free for a limited time. Educators can now access the full suite of features within HiLink. You can test out this state-of-the-art virtual classroom free with your students and decide if it’s right for you. Discover how HiLink makes online education easier for teachers and tutors, as well as your students. Sign up for free today. Enjoy your new online classroom!

[WRITTEN BY KAYLA HALL] If you work in last-mile delivery, supply chain management, or another logistics business, you probably have to deal with a lot of jargon. There are plenty of random webpages floating around that offer definitions of various acronyms and abbreviations, but it’s important to have the right definitions for logistics purposes. If you get caught using the wrong terminology when talking with a customer — yikes. Their impression of your company might drop. Get something severely incorrect when deciphering documents, and you risk losing sales to wary customers, or even gaining lawsuits thanks to major business mistakes. I’ll give you an example. While “ABC” means one thing in the Alcoholic Beverage Control industry, it means something completely different when working in logistics. Don’t get lost in “on-screen display” articles when looking up OS&D, and don’t dive into a slang search trying to figure out what JIT means. I’ve got the meanings you’re looking for here. With these abbreviations in your back pocket, you can speak the same shortened lingo as your customers and business partners and stay on track toward your money-making goals.

[WRITTEN BY KAYLA HALL] Managing your company’s supply chain is one of the most crucial elements to making sure your customers are happy. If you’re busy dealing with bottlenecks and other supply chain problems, you’re likely to piss off customers — who may look elsewhere for those same products. Not to mention you could lose money. To practice supply chain management (SCM) that works and keeps your business running smoothly, you’ll want to keep tabs on a few important supply chain key performance indicators (KPIs). By tracking supply chain metrics — like your average order fill rate and on-time delivery — you can identify any weak areas in the supply chain. That big-picture information lets you take action to improve supply chain performance, specifically where metrics don’t meet your desired benchmarks. Track the right KPIs as they relate to your business, and you’ll have better insight into how you can improve your supply chain processes. Below, I explain the main KPIs that can help delivery managers like you stay on top of your order fulfillment, inventory, and more.

[WRITTEN BY KAYLA HALL] Keeping your students engaged in their language lessons can be challenging – we get it. They need to work toward fluency in their new language, so they can take advantage of the . But students aren’t always as interested in their education as we’d like them to be. If your language students are paying attention to anything but your language lessons, keep reading. Foreign language learners often get frustrated if they’re struggling to progress. Low engagement can also result from sheer boredom or communication barriers that come with remote learning. In fact, overcoming those barriers and forming a stronger student-teacher relationship is the number one strategy teachers of all grade levels can focus on to improve student engagement. Easier said than done though, right? No matter why you’re looking for new ways to engage foreign language learners, we have a few ideas that might help. Technology can enhance the language learning experience for students and teachers in several meaningful ways. This article outlines multiple ways you can use tech tools in your world language classroom to engage students more and improve their language education. These tips work for native English speakers learning a second language, as well as English language learners (ELLs) starting with a different home language. With these free and paid tech options, you can fill gaps in your lesson plans and engage your students in immersive, enjoyable language-learning activities.

[WRITTEN BY KAYLA HALL] If you teach students virtually and you want to nurture their mental wellness along with their academic development, we wrote this guide for you. Social-emotional learning (SEL) has become a leading priority for K-12 teachers, especially since the ongoing COVID pandemic started in 2020. The problem is that too many internet “experts” on virtual social-emotional learning have overwhelmed teachers by promoting over-the-top online SEL curriculum programs and SEL rubrics. They make regular social-emotional support seem like it has to be a full-fledged college psych course that you fit into your regular K-12 class. It doesn’t have to be that hard! We’re going to make it easy for you to teach social-emotional learning in a virtual classroom. Here, we explain practical ways – free ways! – that you can bring SEL learning into your virtual classroom, without adopting an entirely new way of doing your teaching thing.

[WRITTEN BY KAYLA HALL] Threshold delivery is when a carrier delivers a package over the threshold of the recipient’s property — where it will be secure and dry. This usually means the delivery driver meets the customer at their entryway to leave the package indoors, like inside the front door or in the garage. It’s used in home delivery and commercial shipments for mid-sized items (like furniture or a commercial pallet) and in sensitive deliveries (like alcohol). If you manage last-mile deliveries, it’s important to understand the ins and outs of threshold delivery service and how it compares to other delivery service levels. A quick review can help you manage your delivery costs, potentially charge more for upgraded delivery services, and keep profits up. Whether you’re interested in expanding the delivery services you offer or you need to train your delivery drivers on the right levels of service, I can help.

[WRITTEN BY KAYLA HALL] If your delivery business can’t keep customers happy, you risk losing money to competitors who are more than willing to fill the gap. That’s why it’s important to look at how your business can offer a customer experience that blows shoppers away. What that looks like is unique to your business, but it might involve fast shipping and easy package tracking with the help of a tool like Circuit Package Tracker. But how do you learn what customers want? Here’s the answer: By keeping on top of the latest eCommerce trends. That’s where I come in. I’ll discuss the top eCommerce trends to know in 2022, including key statistics that show where to gear your efforts when it comes to customer acquisition and customer support. By the end, you’ll have a big-picture view of the future of eCommerce, plus tips on how to take your business there in style.

WRITTEN BY KAYLA HALL] When your delivery vehicle’s check engine light (CEL) turns on, DTC codes are the language your vehicle’s computer uses to tell you what’s wrong. They’re standard in all delivery vehicles — from compact SUVs to commercial cargo vans. DTC is short for “diagnostic trouble codes.” And you might find them called engine trouble codes, check engine codes, or fault codes. Different DTCs could trigger your check engine light (technically called the malfunction indicator lamp or MIL). Triggers can range from critical issues — like the engine overheating or brake failure — to minor problems, like an air conditioning malfunction or a loose gas cap. The light alone doesn’t tell you what’s happening. So, what should you tell your driver to do when that ominous check engine light turns on? First of all, don’t freak out. The car isn’t about to blow up (probably…), and you both have some time to address the problem. I explain how DTC codes work, which types of DTC codes you might find, and what to do once you’ve got a DTC code from your vehicle.

[WRITTEN BY KAYLA HALL] Delivery companies, retail suppliers (like Walmart), and micro-fulfillment businesses often use the “on-time in-full” or OTIF metric to figure out the percentage of their total deliveries completed on-time in-full. Companies calculate OTIF slightly differently — but it’s typically the percentage of on-time and complete deliveries compared to the total number of ordered deliveries. Here’s the basic equation to calculate that percentage: OTIF (%) = (number of on-time and complete deliveries / total number of ordered deliveries) x 100 An OTIF of 100% means the entire order arrived at the customer’s home within the expected time window. A low OTIF score could mean OTIF fines, unhappy customers, and lower profits. So, how can you make sure you have enough inventory and your drivers consistently arrive at your customers’ homes on time? Keeping enough inventory to ship out and scheduling accurate delivery times are two ways to get a great OTIF score.

[WRITTEN BY KAYLA HALL] If you have a delivery business, you know how important road safety is — for your drivers and for other people on the road. So, to help make sure drivers of commercial vehicles and their owners are doing what they’re supposed to, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) assigns a score. This is known as the Compliance, Safety, Accountability (CSA) program. Basically, your CSA score shows how compliant your team is on the road based on safety data. Your CSA score isn’t everything, but it sure is important. A great CSA score lets your delivery business prove its safety standards and stay profitable by avoiding the legal consequences of CSA violations. I’ll explain how CSA scores work and give tips for improving your score.

[WRITTEN BY KAYLA HALL] Let’s get right to the point: Drano should never be used in a dishwasher because the harsh chemicals in Drano will damage the plastic parts of the appliance and could leave toxic residue on your dishes. If you are looking for an effective way to unclog your dishwasher drain or spray arms, this article will help. Here we explain further why Drano (sometimes misspelled as Draino) is not the recommended solution for unclogging a dishwasher. We offer useful alternatives to clear out a clogged dishwasher the right way.

[WRITTTEN BY KAYLA HALL] Online video game competitions, known as Esports, have evolved into a wonderful, healthy arena for K-12 and college educators to bring new game-based learning opportunities to students. Schools across the globe are creating full-blown Esports programs because administrators and teachers have recognized the many benefits of Esports in schools. According to EdTech Magazine in 2021, "The North America Scholastic Esports Federation supports nearly 2,000 high school clubs across the U.S., Canada, and Mexico." And there are over 100 college teams as well. So what are the benefits of Esports in schools, and are they really worth the hype? As eLearning specialists, we believe they are. Let's review the latest ways that Esports programs are giving students a leg up, and benefiting their schools as well.

[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.