Document Shredding - 103 Types of Document You May Want to Shred

Identity theft is rampant, and these days it is a good idea to make use of a document shredding machine or mobile document shredding service to get rid of paperwork that contains non-public information. But what kind of paper work falls under this category?

Here is a list of 103 types of documents that you may want to shred.

Account numbersAccount records Accounting Files/RecordsAddressesAdvertising misprints All Employee InformationAll Financial InformationAnything storing electronic dataAuditsAudits/SurveysBank Account InformationBank Statements banking or financial records, Bids and Proposals Billing InformationBrokerage account information Business PlansCanceled ChecksCancelled Checks CD'sClass RostersClient FilesClient Lists Competitive informationComputer Generated Reports Computer printouts Computer Reports Confidential correspondenceConsumer InformationContracts CorrespondenceCredit Card InformationCredit Card NumbersCredit card receipts Credit CardsCustomer estimates & quotesCustomer Lists Debit Card numbers disksDoctor/Nurse NotesDrivers License Numbers EducationEmployee InformationEmployment Information Executive Correspondence Fax Machine Ribbons Financial Data Financial records Financial StatementsID CardsInsurance InformationInsurance Policy data Internal Memos Inventory lists Invoices Junk Mail Legal DocumentsMagnetic media Management Reports Maps and blueprintsMarket ResearchMarketing Strategies Medical Charts/HistoryMedical Records Meeting notesMemos & correspondence Microfilm and ficheNamesNew product drawings New Product InformationNew product proposals Obsolete Brochures/Stationery/Files Obsolete DocumentsOrganization ChartsOutdated business records Passport NumbersPay roll records Payroll InformationPayroll Records Personnel FilesPersonnel Information Photographs Prescription InformationPresentations Price Lists Price Quotes Printed e-mailsProduct Design Product Information product prototypesProfit & Loss StatementsProposals and QuotesR&D Files/Data Receipts Research Data Sales Receipts Sales statistics Sensitive Correspondence Social Security Numbers TapesTax Records Telephone Numbers X-rays

That's a lot of documents! Fortunately, you probably only deal with a handful of these types of documents on a regular basis. For home use, a good paper shredder will probably do the job. For businesses which deal with large amounts of data like this, a mobile document shredding service is recommended. To find a paper shredding machine or a suitable mobile shredding service near you, visit The Document Shredding Directory today.

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Importance of Ethics in Business

Ethics is important not only in business but in all aspects of life because it is the vital part and the foundation on which the society is build. A business/society that lacks ethical principles is bound to fail sooner or later. According to International Ethical Business Registry, "there has been a dramatic increase in the ethical expectation of businesses and professionals over the past 10 years. Increasingly, customers, clients and employees are deliberately seeking out those who define the basic ground, rules of their operations on a day today...."

Ethics refers to a code of conduct that guides an individual in dealing with others. Business Ethics is a form of the art of applied ethics that examines ethical principles and moral or ethical problems that can arise in business environment. It deals with issues regarding the moral and ethical rights, duties and corporate governance between a company and its shareholders, employees, customers, media, government, suppliers and dealers. Henry Ford said, "Business that makes noting but money is a poor kind of business".

Ethics is related to all disciplines of management like accounting information, human resource management, sales and marketing, production, intellectual property knowledge and skill, international business and economic system. As said by Joe Paterno once that success without honor is an unseasoned dish. It will satisfy your hunger, but won't taste good. In business world the organization's culture sets standards for determining the difference between good or bad, right or wrong, fair or unfair.

"It is perfectly possible to make a decent living without compromising the integrity of the company or the individual, wrote business executive R. Holland, "Quite apart from the issues of rightness and wrongness, the fact is that ethical behavior in business serves the individual and the enterprise much better in long run.", he added.

Some management guru stressed that ethical companies have an advantage over their competitors. Said Cohen and Greenfield, "Consumers are used to buying products despite how they feel about the company that sells them. But a valued company earned a kind of customer loyalty most corporations only dream of because it appeals to its customers more than a product".

The ethical issues in business have become more complicated because of the global and diversified nature of many large corporation and because of the complexity of economic, social, global, natural, political, legal and government regulations and environment, hence the company must decide whether to adhere to constant ethical principles or to adjust to domestic standards and culture.

Managers have to remember that leading by example is the first step in fostering a culture of ethical behavior in the companies as rightly said by Robert Noyce, "If ethics are poor at the top, that behavior is copied down through the organization", however the other methods can be creating a common interest by favorable corporate culture, setting high standards, norms, framing attitudes for acceptable behavior, making written code of ethics implicable at all levels from top to bottom, deciding the policies for recruiting, selecting, training, induction, promotion, monetary / non-monetary motivation, remuneration and retention of employees. "Price is what you pay. Value is what you get" - Warren Buffet

Thus, a manager should treat his employees, customers, shareholders, government, media and society in an honest and fair way by knowing the difference between right or wrong and choosing what is right, this is the foundation of ethical decision making. REMEMBER: GOOD ETHICS IS GOOD BUSINESS. "Non-corporation with the evil is as much a duty as is co-operation with good" - Mahatma Gandhi.

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Brown People Competing For Green Dollars

A new study from the University of Georgia concludes that Hispanic spending power will surpass African American buying power in 2007; marking the first year that Hispanics control more disposable personal income than any other U.S. minority group. This conclusion leads me to question the motive behind the research and the social consequences if Hispanics and Blacks buy into the competitive research. Will corporate America pit the two groups against each other when disbursing advertising dollars to their respective ad agencies?

The business case for diversity in corporate advertising has been a solid one for decades. Corporations have slowly realized the importance of advertising to ethnic markets and the results of such efforts to their bottom line. Despite the recent projections, African American consumers continue to be a powerful force in the U.S. economy.

Ethnic spending power is vital to the US economy. The vast majority of states continue to see Blacks as the nation's strongest ethnic market because of the concentration of the Hispanic population is limited to a few key geographical areas. Hispanics are expected to have buying power of $863.1 billion verse Blacks estimated of $847 billion in 2007.

Despite this collective buying power, minority consumers are still greeted with suspicion about their intentions and with skepticism about their ability to pay. Many companies still function under a non-urban dictate when working with ad agencies. A non-urban dictate means that a company does not want their marketing and advertising materials placed in media that claim an urban audience as their main target.

Hispanics are the largest and fastest growing ethnic group and will comprise 8.5% of the nation's total consumer market next year. Rosa Rosales, President of LULAC, says that she hopes the study will get the attention of companies who have ignored the Hispanic consumer.

I find it hard to believe that the Hispanic consumer has been ignored given the tremendous success of Hispanic owned advertising agencies. Maybe it's time that African American consumers themselves take a stronger stand by taking their dollars to companies who advertise directly to them. Not only will this send a large economic message to companies who engage in discriminatory practices, such as non urban dictates, it will also send a strong message to all other companies that consumer discrimination will not be tolerated.

Imagine a pep rally where all of the ethnic groups competed for the top spending power chanting "We spend more! Yes, we do! We spend more! How about you?" Sounds ridiculous doesn't it? Pitting two ethnic groups against each other is nothing to cheer about it. Inclusion is about engaging everyone. Separation is about keeping things apart. Which team are you on? Which team are you rooting for?

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Advertising Ethical Dilemmas

Ethics in advertising is a serious subject. First and foremost, advertisers must sell the product or service that they represent. On the other hand, however, advertising agents and companies must also be truthful and ethical in their portrayals and not deceive their consumers. These two demands create a tension that is heightened for controversial products or audience demographics, such as tobacco, alcohol, condoms, pharmaceutics, and children.

Tobacco, a legal but lethal product, creates an especially tricky dilemma for advertisers. Likewise, alcohol forms controversial campaigns for many agencies. Some companies handle the dilemma by refusing to do ad work for either group or by offering free services to health or cause-related groups like Mothers against Drunk Driving. However, sticky situations cannot be avoided by simply shunning the industry. What if the makers of a certain cigarette brand also manufacture cat food, which the agency has been asked to represent?

Condoms are another source of tough choices in the world of advertising. Many television channels refuse to show condom commercials. Product demonstration is critical in advertisements for condoms and some agencies evade the ethical issue of premarital sex by only displaying people with wedding bands. This choice introduces another moral question because the main market for condoms is non-married people. The Creative Director of Trojan Condoms captures this issue by asking "do you show the real truth and take the consequences?"

Pharmaceutical products also generate more ethical issues. Advertisements for new medicines are helpful because they inform consumers of up and coming treatments and solutions for medical problems. However, pharmaceutical companies only promote their biggest money makers. This choice fails to provide patients with alternative solutions, which can often times be more effective and cheaper. Downplaying harmful side-effects is another grey area in advertising medicine.

In terms of audience dilemmas, children form the most contentious demographic. Is product branding at an early age a correct moral decision? What does it mean to see kids today requesting cell phones and toys by brand name rather than wanting to hang out with their friends or play outside? What products are considered proper to market to children? In commercials aimed at kids, what types of behaviors should be modeled?

As you can tell, the world of advertising contains many grey areas of ethical choices. By choosing to actively evaluate situations such as these, advertising agents can strengthen their moral compass. This helps advertisers to make the best decisions, both for the company they advertise for and society in general.

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The Transparency Catch-22 - How Too Much Transparency on Industry Can Hurt Us

We often hear a lot about the need for Transparency in business; to protect consumers, shareholders and to insure that the companies are following the rules and regulations. Unfortunately, what we do not hear much about is the flip-side to that coin; transparency is a double edged sword. Let me explain.

You see, too much transparency is a Real Problem because each business has methods that give them advantages, if there is too much transparency then the competition gets this important information without earning them. This is bad because it allows those who try new things and learn the hard way to be instantly copied while the same school-of-hard-knocks were not endured.

Too much transparency gives intellectual property to competitors. Often government agencies demanding transparency actually harm the market place and help competitors steal insightful information, while they create barriers to entry with such incessant over regulatory demands. Thus, the government agencies are in a way in cahoots with competition and work at un-leveling the playing field often for off-shore or foreign competition.

This forces American Companies to lose profits, hurting shareholders and causes good jobs to leave. Perhaps this is why you have a low-paying job a retail box store instead of something better, although everyone has to and actually should start behind the counter or on the floor. Read Ray Kroc's book; Grinding it Out.

Meanwhile on ethics read; Warren Buffet's Essays, because he discusses the importance of transparency and ethics also. Beware those who demand transparency to help the consumer, shareholder or ethical business practices, because the flip-side is over disclosure and transparency hurts the very people the regulators claim to be protecting. Transparency must be dealt with in a serious manner with all the issues addressed.

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Four Tips For Increasing Your Value at Work

There are many ways to add value in the workplace. The most basic is to show up and perform the job you were hired to do. Let's look at four ways to improve your value-add at work without spending a dime.

1. Start with Your Reputation

An old saying goes like this: "A good name is hard to regain once it is lost." The trick is never to lose your good name to start with. So what's your reputation saying about you?

Don't let your name be tarnished because you're late all the time. Learn how to manage your time more effectively. Sign up for a time management seminar like Franklin Covey. This type of seminar will teach you how to prioritize your activities to align with what's most important. That's a valuable skill you can use over and over again. The more you use this skill the better your reputation gets.

Do you do what you say? Are you in the habit of over promising and under delivering? Stop it your reputation is at stake! You have complete control over what you say. Start doing what you said you would. Else be selective with your words. Whatever you say people are expecting you will do it. If you don't plan to do something, don't say you will.

2. Be Willing to Learn

The most tedious jobs can be rewarding when learning opportunities are taken. When a new class or training is offered, sign up for it. Keeping your mind active by constantly learning new things makes you valuable.

Be willing to learn from others. No one person can know everything, even though some act like they do. We can all learn from each other. I am some what of an advanced Excel user. Yet, I still run into others who show me great keyboard short cuts!

Use what you know. Put into practice any skills you've been taught. For example, say you took an email etiquette class. Your employer will expect you to craft email messages using the tips you were taught.

Don't forget to share. If you come across a new short cut, or fancy way to format a presentation, share it with your co-workers. That way the whole team benefits from your experience. A word of caution: Don't act like you know it all. Instead offer gentle humble suggestions that are more readily received by others.

3. Know Your Company's Priorities

Take time to learn about the company you work for. Discover history behind it. What are they known for? Who are their customers? What products or services do they sell to meet the customer needs? What goals does your company have? Are they trying to increase market share? Are they trying to create new markets?

Understanding your company's priorities helps you map your job to the bigger picture. When you know how your part fits in the larger context it drives your motivation. Improving your internal motivation allows you to put up with lesser important burdens for the stake of the larger, more important goal. Having a hard time figuring out how your part fits? Ask your boss. Talk to others about their part. Maybe hearing how Jane Doe fits may help you envision your place.

4. Get Creative and Make Things Better

Just because you have a job with specific tasks that are not very efficient, it doesn't mean you should continue to do it that way. There may be a better way to organize the tasks. Try doing things differently. You may change a process for the better and save tons of time for you and your co-workers.

Look for problems. Listen for business needs. What is not getting done? Why? Ask why a few more times to get to the root cause. Figure out who's involved, ask questions. Then brainstorm ways to solve the problem. Two heads are better than one. If you have a room full of people, that's even better.

There's always something you can do to make the situation better. Asking questions may reveal information being requested is no longer needed. For example, I know someone who stopped sending a certain report to see if anyone would miss it. Guess what? No one missed the report and she stopped producing it. Other times there might be improvements for better systems or documentation. Still other times questioning might reveal the need to automate a manual process, which could save time and money. Which ever you choose, do something to make it better. What good is it to recognize a need and not do anything about?

Let's recap what we've discussed so far. Tip 1 was about focusing on your reputation. Take small steps to improve your reputation. Tip 2 talked about how your willingness to learn becomes a value to your company. Tip 3 discussed the importance of knowing your company's priorities so you can understand how your job fits with the bigger picture. Tip 4 was all about making things better. Solve problems. Improve your working conditions. All of these tips can help you increase your value-add at work.

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Business Ethics

You all know I'm pretty much posting about my skin care products to get men/women more familiar with them and how they can change your skin. However, today I'd like to talk about ethics or professional respect.

I had an unfortunate encounter with another consultant that I found really disturbing which made me wonder how often this kind of thing happens. In my situation, I was communicating with a potential recruit, answering her questions, sending her information and product samples, etc. Before I knew it, another consultant (from the same company) reached out to this person offering all sorts of free stuff if she'd sign up with her!

What I found annoying was that I had already put time, effort and expense (catalogs, opportunity brochure, samples, postage, etc.) to introduce the Series Opportunity to this person now someone else comes along offering her the world to get her sign up under instead of me? I don't know about anyone else reading this but I think that's just wrong. Not to mention unprofessional and disrespectful. I could not imagine doing that to another consultant. In the end, it worked out OK - she signed up with me & is one of the best consultants on my team.

Later, I've heard similar stories from other people, some of which made me cringe, and I never realized how much this is happening out there. Why can't we all just get along? How is it OK in someone's mind to go ahead and butt in on a fellow consultant's potential recruit? Why can't a consultant do their own work, get their own leads and work their own business? If anyone out there can shed some light on this, I'd really appreciate it. If you have a horror story you'd like to share, tell us about it. What can be done to stop people from doing this? Any thoughts would be appreciated.

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Business Ethics In America

In order to fully understand ethics and how they relate to business, one must first define its key components. Ethics can be broken down into three categories: social, organizational, and individual. Corporations are bound by social ethics which challenge them to hold accountable for their own actions its company officers, management, and stakeholders, who aspire to gain financially from traditional and unconventional economic activities. Organizational ethics involve a shared sense of pride and responsibility for employees, managers and corporations. They are part of an overall business philosophy that is shared throughout the company. Individual ethics involve our conceptions of right and wrong which stem from many different sources. Religious beliefs can often play a significant role in the ethical path many choose to follow.

What prompts a company to act ethically in business? What prevents businesses from generating as much profit as possible, regardless of the ethical ramifications of their actions? The general public, as well as company stakeholders, have come to expect that corporations will conduct business ethically and with the highest regard for social accountability. When companies fall short of these expectations, the end result often involves punishment and harmful publicity. Companies which conduct business in an unethical manner run the risk of harming not only its stakeholders, but also the general public. Companies that act ethically impart a sense of trust and responsibility in both local and national communities; this type of trust can often promote strong business alliances.

Ethics problems occur in many forms for many different reasons during the course of business. Unfortunately, companies often unwittingly employ people whose moral values are less than that of a responsible corporate citizen. These employees often put their own greed and selfishness ahead of the welfare and safety of others, simply for their own financial gain.

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First Generation Hispanic Workers

Where are First Generation Hispanic workers?

Well you will see a lot of them working in the field or outside in the hot sun. Why do they do this kind of labor? Good question, the answer to that is easy. First Generation Hispanics are willing to do the jobs that no one else will do. That of course is not to say that others will not do it, but these workers have no choice because this kind of labor does not need a W-2, you just work for a days pay. They provide excellent services and they do the best work. They will work until they are about to pass out. The sad thing is that many companies in America will take advantage of these workers.

Since a lot of First Generation Hispanic workers, not all, do not have a social security number they will work for a days pay. These workers get paid daily as supposed to receiving a check every two weeks or every month. These workers are constantly looking for work. You will see them in the Southern part of the United States waiting on corners or close to high traffic areas waiting for contractors to pick them up to do work. Most of these workers will specialize in some kind of work for example, a welder or a carpenter. Since they don't speak fluent English it is difficult for these workers to negotiate prices with contractors so they usually do work cheaper, faster, and better than the normal worker in America.

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Long Haul Trucking - A View From the Cab

Trucking is not just a job; it is a lifestyle. For most, the transition to the trucking lifestyle is a difficult one. This is the reason why the vast majority of CDL school graduates are no longer in the trucking business after six months... or shorter. They are not prepared for the challenges or for the days and weeks spent away from home and family. Some universal truths about the trucking industry are not always pretty.

One of the first, and most obvious, is that any company engaged in the trucking business is not going to offer the normal amenities that are taken for granted in most other jobs. For instance, sick leave is non-existent in most trucking jobs. If you don't work, you don't get paid... period.

When I worked a "normal" job, it never posed much of a problem if I needed to take half a day off for a doctor's appointment. In trucking, keeping a medical or dental appointment is often a roll of the dice. You never know if you are going to be home to keep it. I once lost a crown on one of my front teeth, and had to drive around for two weeks looking like a prizefighter that should consider alternative career options.

When I worked a "normal" job, no matter how stressful or harrowing the day had been, I always had the comfort of knowing that I would go home at the end of it and sleep in my own bed. In trucking, a long-haul driver eats alone in his truck or at a truck stop at the end of a long day, and then retires to the "comfort" of a small sleeper berth. Then, he gets up after a few hours rest and does it all over again. I never thought it would be possible to miss the company of some of my annoying former co-workers, but the loneliness of the road is very real.

One of the biggest issues affecting many truckers is anti-idling laws adopted by many states. These laws put limitations on the amount of time a truck is allowed to idle and offers stiff penalties to violators. For instance, in the city of Denver, a truck can legally idle for 10 minutes per hour. Well, if it is 8º in the Mile-High City, it takes 10 minutes or longer just to warm up a diesel engine. Do the lawmakers expect the driver to get up throughout the night every hour to idle for 10 minutes and then return to a freezing cocoon? The only word that pops into my mind is... DUH!

In Illinois, the law states that a driver must be present when idling. I wonder how law enforcement intends to discern this. Should they knock on the cab to wake us up? This seems like an equally brilliant method to assist a driver in developing a healthy sleep pattern.

The laws in other states are proportionately ingenious, but I think that the people who drafted these laws should attempt to rest in a 20º truck in the winter, or a 95º truck in the summer. Then, let's drive 600 miles the next day and-think safety!

Unfortunately, this indifference to basic humanity does not stop with bone-headed lawmakers. I have experienced it, firsthand, from a trucking company. The story goes like this:

Shortly after I had arrived in Odessa, Nebraska, my air-conditioning compressor died and it got well above 90º in the truck. I called the breakdown department to tell them that I needed to drop my load at a nearby terminal so that I could have it repaired. The initial reply that I got was, "The Company doesn't consider air-conditioning to be a valid reason to reassign a load."

My reply was, "That's probably because 'the company' is not the one who is trying to get some rest in a ninety-five degree truck so that they can drive 600 miles tomorrow. If the roles were reversed I'll bet the pointer on their 'validity scale' would have a dramatic reversal."

It boggles my mind when I consider that most people would be prepared to come to blows over an issue of having their pet subjected to extreme heat or cold, but many trucking companies and lawmakers seem to pay no heed to a moral thermometer in regard to subjecting truck drivers to sub-standard conditions. This seems to lend support to my assertion that a trucking company appears only to care about the amount of revenue generated-not the welfare of the driver. Despite their sophist rhetoric to the contrary, the reality lies in their actions.

On this occasion, it was necessary to threaten to quit in order to afford myself a basic necessity. However, playing the "I'll quit" card isn't always the smart option. If a driver quits when he is a long way from home, and then expects the company to provide him with transportation, he is in for another wakeup call. As another driver points out on a popular trucker's forum in regard to this:

"They will bend you over and give it to you with no Vaseline every time... guaranteed!"

The smart option is to suck it up and wait until you are routed home and all of your belongings are removed from the truck. A trucking company will not pay to have your belongings shipped either. At the very least, the truck should be turned in at a company terminal and the driver should have the financial forethought to provide his own transportation for himself and his belongings. Believe me, if you get mad and quit when you're in Moose Turd, Ontario, you'd better have a heavy parka and a good pair of snowshoes!

When it comes to large trucking companies, there seems to be no way to get past the impersonal nature of it. One of the reasons is that dispatchers are assigned to zones. As a result, the drivers and the dispatchers never get to know one another on a personal level. To me, the dispatcher in whatever zone I happen to be in is a faceless "John", and to him, I am merely a truck number. I have encountered a few exceptions to this rule, and I tip my hat to the precious handful that has attempted to insert their own personal touch. But in the end, the grinding cogs of the huge corporate machine tend to drown out their tiny voices, and the machine spews out a number.

I have often gotten the distinct impression that many managers and dispatchers actually think that they know what road life is like. Having resided on both sides of the fence, I'll say that they can understand the trucking life by sitting behind a desk about the same way that I can understand what it's like to be a cowboy by watching a rodeo. I may get a narrow snapshot of what it's like to be a cowboy, but I still have no inkling of the cowboy life.

While sitting in an air-conditioned office, it is impossible to understand what it's like to have the need to make nightly applications of Emu oil on your feet to keep your heels from cracking; or the necessity to urinate in a milk jug; or being forced to drive 600 miles with a toothache; or the need to spray Lotrimin in your crotch to prevent jock itch. Neither, can they understand the necessity to spend an entire day of precious home time making preparations to go on the road again.

I'll be the first to admit that my "view from the cab" does not provide me with an insight to the inner workings of a trucking company or the stresses, responsibilities, and headaches contained therein. I also concede that successful management does not always coincide with the desires of employees. Despite my railing, I have a high degree of respect for strong, competent, and ethical business leaders. Like truckers, they do not live in a world where "just anyone" can thrive. My contempt is only for the business leaders who are greedy and unethical, and whose primary goal is to line their own pockets like a squirrel stuffing acorns into it's cheeks, with no regard to the hardworking people who make their standard of living possible.

The trucking industry sheds a bright spotlight on the fact that there are often ethical conflicts between making money, and doing the right thing. A description on a trucker's website paints the trucking industry as: "...basically a slave industry with truckers working on the average of over 70 hours per week, many of are not paid while sitting in shipper's parking lots for, sometimes, 8 hours or more (a whole workday for average Americans!) Truckers are not paid overtime as others."

I probably wouldn't go so far as to call it a "slave industry". Any driver is perfectly free to quit at any time, but the trucking industry certainly, in my estimation, lags behind in affording the basic amenities for drivers enjoyed by the majority of the American work force. Trucking, certainly, is an industry in which you have to stand up for yourself, or you'll have footprints all over your face.

On a few occasions, I have been asked to offer an insight by people who are considering a career in trucking. The following is the advice I would give to any prospective new truck driver:

· Trucking is a lifestyle more than it is a job. If you are not prepared to make a MAJOR lifestyle change, save your CDL school money and forget about it.

· Research the companies. Check them out online, talk to experienced drivers, and do not be afraid to ask questions. Interview the company. Yes, you heard me right. Prepare a list of questions for a company that you are considering and do not be shy about asking them. Any recruiter worth his salt will be glad to indulge you. If he isn't... run like the wind. Join a trucker's forum to get straight answers and to separate the wheat from the chaff. A recruiter isn't going to tell you that the company he is recruiting for has a 120% turnover rate among drivers. Research the companies!

· Your first trucking job will probably not be with a blue chip company. The genuinely good companies only hire experienced drivers and they do not use recruiters... they don't need to. All but the most fortunate have to pay their dues before they have a fighting chance to get hired by a really good company that will treat them with respect.

· Even the "good" startup companies are going to treat you like a piece of meat. They care about the freight being delivered... period. Your home time, your quality of life, and your job satisfaction are purely secondary concerns. Be prepared for it.

· If you are thinking of becoming an owner/operator, educate yourself as to what this entails. I've seen plenty of new owner/operators who were desperate to sell their truck after 6 months. I'd recommend that anyone start out as a company driver to ensure that trucking is actually what he or she wants to do for a living. I cannot stress it enough... Educate yourself!

· Even with this being said, trucking can still be what you make of it. It affords a freedom and autonomy that most other jobs cannot come close to. Trucking can be a rewarding career, but it doesn't come without major sacrifices. If you aren't prepared to make those sacrifices, don't waste your time and money.

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Is Your Nose Growing

How often can one "misspeak" and still maintain credibility? When the puppet Pinocchio told a lie his nose grew. His proboscis gave clear evidence of the lie. With people we cannot always tell whether a statement is true or not. Hillary Clinton was recently awarded four Pinocchio's by the Washington Post for exaggerating her landing at the Tuzla, Bosnia airport in March 1996. Videos of Mrs. Clinton and her daughter being greeted by officials on the tarmac at the airport soon appeared on YouTube. The video record clearly shows there was no sniper fire as told by Mrs. Clinton, more than once. Clinton after a week said she may have misspoken and if she did it was a minor blip. Ethical business communication starts with the truth.

Mrs. Clinton isn't the first person in the public light to "misspeak". What about those whose lives are not recorded, your boss, your coworkers or even you? You probably have known someone given to exaggeration or even hyperbole. I worked with such a person. His stories often were a little too fantastic. I was never quite sure what I could believe from his stories, and after a while, what he said related to work.

Another coworker's lies qualified him for what one author called a snake in a suit. Are the exaggerations and lies these people tell just "misspoken?" While these men were not in the position to make high level decisions like those that led to the collapse of Enron, they still had a negative impact on working relationships of the organizations where they were employed. Several current business books discuss the importance of trust in building business relationships.

In this post-modern era many people question the concept of absolute truth. Where is the ethical standard for our speech, if it isn't based on truth? The book of Proverbs considered part of the world's wisdom literature says, "Buy the truth, and sell it not; also wisdom, and instruction, and understanding." (Proverbs 23:23 KJV). Our courts still ask people to take an oath to tell the truth, before they testify.

As individuals we can only be responsible for our own speech. Over time we may forget some details. We might accidentally attribute a quotation to the wrong author. In these cases we can say we misspoke. I was in a humorous speech contest with one other competitor. I took second place. I could report that I came in second and the other fellow came in next to last. Embellishing the facts, leaving out important details, obfuscating the facts all amount to lying. It is a matter of personal integrity. How do you avoid these situations? It comes down to that old maxim, think before you speak.

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