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WHO, WHAT, WHERE & WHY? A CLIENT PROFILE |
 It is
always fun for us to work with clients from around the country. We get to meet an enjoyable variety of people, working in a wide variety of businesses. Keystone Systems has clients in 26 states, some are independent companies, some are subsidiaries of much larger companies. Some owners come from the driving side of the business, some from the financial side. Fleet size ranges from three to 120 trucks and it seems you haul everything under the sun. |
 Some commodities we know about include: cars, heavy equipment, pre-stressed concrete, beer, wine, hard liquor, soft drinks, fruits &
vegetables, gravel, cement, (tow) cars, newspapers, canned goods, fresh produce, chicken parts, auto parts, potatoes, waste from processing apples, empty bottles (to the bottling company), building materials, livestock, oil, frozen turkeys, shipping containers, fak (freight all kinds), grain, lumber, logs, wood chips, eggs, soy milk, fish food, empty egg containers, crushed cars, bricks & cinder blocks, fork lifts, coiled steel, re-bar, roof trusses, roofing shingles, milk, glass marbles, large boats, shrimp, hay, and over-size/over-width/over-ugly stuff! |
If we have forgotten something you haul, we would love to hear about it. If you have had an interesting load or experience with a load, we would love to have you submit an article for possible inclusion in a future news letter. If you prefer, just tell us about it and we can write it for you.
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 Help files are simply a keystroke away! Just depress the F1 key on your keyboard for more information about every screen, function or application in your Keystone software! In an effort to give our clients the most up-to-date, comprehensive and ongoing support documentation, we have completely rewritten the Help files and they contain MORE INFORMATION than we could possibly cover in a manual or over the phone. For more details on a program, get used to using F1! |
MORE DETAIL Most of the time we cannot explain all we want to about a field on the screen, but in HELP, we can. You can read about any screen, function or application in the Help files and find more detailed information about how that particular part of the program works by simply hitting the F1 key!
HELPFUL FOR NEW USERS Do you have a new employee or are you new to Keystone yourself? A new user can access the Help files to become more familiar with the system faster. New users should read the topic "WHAT ALL USERS SHOULD KNOW" for information on how to keep your hands on the keyboard instead of using the mouse all the time. Or how to delete a line from a grid box plus several other time-saving tips for using your software and computer in general.
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 KEEP CURRENT Each time you receive an updated version of your Keystone software, you will also receive updated Help files that take only one keystroke to access. (We felt that would be much easier for you than to have a manual that you had to constantly change or add pages to.) Keep current on software changes and improvements. Every time you get a new software version, you should read the SOFTWARE UPDATES so you can find out about any new features in the software that would be helpful to you. Being aware of additional features allows you to get maximum benefit from your software. Does the quarterly newsletter make it around the office for everyone to read or does it get lost in the shuffle somewhere? Now all users can read the current and past newsletters in the Help files. |
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MONTHLY PROCEDURES All the packages that need to be closed at the end of the month have suggested month end procedures that should be followed to minimize errors and maintain the integrity of your data. The Monthly Procedures for each package include recommendations for which reports to run, which reports to save as part of your audit trail, etc. You can print the Monthly Procedures (and any other topic in the Help files) by simply clicking the print button. Use the list to check off each item as you complete it. |
 NETWORK PROBLEMS, PRINTER PROBLEMS You may think we know everything there is to know about every computer related problems that can happen, but the truth is, we consult lists we have compiled of known problems that we have encountered in the past for a lot of solutions. Now, you can look at some of the same information we consult when we are troubleshooting problems.
EVERYONE who uses Keystone software should take the time to check out the information provided by using F1 for Help. It's 24 / 7 / 365. It's instant. We wrote it for you! |
 SPECIAL OCTOBER OFFER - SAVE 50%
During the month of October 2001, you have an opportunity to purchase a bundle of six popular Keystone options for half the regular price! See the enclosed sheet for details on this great limited-time offer, or call our sales line at 1-888-863-9833. Remember, this great offer is only available through October 31, 2001, so call today.
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 Do you need an easy way to print quotes for your customers and then track those quotes? Would your employee or outside drivers be more productive if they didn't have to worry about how their paycheck was going to make it to the bank? Would you like a better way to track tire costs and safety records? These areas have been added or greatly enhanced in the last few months. |
Customer Quotes can be printed and saved in the system. You can find quotes by customer or quote number. When it is time to haul the load, just call up the quote and convert it or copy it to an invoice. Use the quote once or many times. Never misplace another quote!
We have had the option of Direct Deposit for your employee drivers and office personnel, but now you can offer this great benefit to your outside haulers as well–no matter where they bank! They have the assurance of knowing the check will be there when they need to pay the bills, you have the convenience of easily giving notification to your bank to deposit employee paychecks and owner-operator checks to their checking or savings account at their bank, anywhere in the country. Your bookkeeper will love the idea of not having driver spouses hanging around the office, waiting for the checks to be ready.
Keystone's new Tire Tracking option allows you to track your tires for your trucks and trailers. You will see which tires or types of tires are the most cost-effective (lowest cost per mile) to run, and how many miles you are getting from each tire. You can also get an inventory list of warehoused tires that are not currently on any equipment and still have miles available to run. The system can also be used to notify you when a tire needs removal or rotation.
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 Refunds on Refer Fuel Taxes Did you know that a refundable credit for federal excise taxes paid on diesel fuel may be claimed when the fuel is used for non-highway business use? That means refer fuel and fuel used to operate shop equipment could be eligible for this tax credit.
For more details, talk to your accountant or the IRS about the requirements for filing Form 4136, Credit for Federal Tax Paid on Fuels. Keystone Truck Software allows you to keep track of these items so the record keeping will not add a lot to your workload. Also, many states offer a refund for non-highway use fuels. |
Reconciling Fuel Purchases Having trouble matching the fuel purchases you have paid for and the fuel purchases you have entered for fuel taxes and /or driver deductions? Use the Expense Report found on the Trucking, Reports menu to see just which fuel purchases you have recorded. This report can be run several ways and for your entire fleet or just one truck at a time.
Driver Reserves Keeping track of the monies held in reserve for a driver can be a never-ending struggle. Keystone Truck Software will not only help you keep track of the balance of a driver's reserve monies, it will help you calculate how much to withhold from each settlement up to a maximum amount, maintain a running balance of the funds held in reserve and allow you to deduct monies from the reserve when those monies are needed to pay a driver's debt. The system will also help you accrue interest on the reserve balance and automatically add it to the reserve balance. Multiple reserve types and General Ledger accounts can be maintained and used.
Maintain Database Integrity Do you seem to get a lot of "index out of date" errors that require you to rebuild tables. Many clients have found that running the Verify/Rebuild Tables program found on the Backup, Activities menu once a week has greatly reduced the number of database errors that are usually a result of a computer or network problem. The Verify/Rebuild program checks all your database files for blank records and then for any other inconsistencies. If a problem is found in a table, that table is rebuilt. Running this program can catch minor problems before they become major ones which might interrupt your work.
Right Click on Find Have you ever been frustrated trying to find a particular invoice by the driver or looking up a series of invoices and every time you click the Find button to go back to the lookup screen you're back at the top of the page? You can now "right click" on the Find(r) button and you will go back to the same place you were on the lookup screen. This feature is found throughout the system to help you find what you are looking for faster and easier.
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Tax Form Reminder Just a reminder that the end of the year is coming faster than most of us are ready for. If you haven't faxed your tax form order, do so today. The last date for a 35% discount is Friday, October 12 and for a 25% discount is Friday, October 26. The IRS changed both the W-2 and the 1099 Miscellaneous forms this year, most notable that the 1099-M is now two forms per page instead of three forms per page. If you have any questions, call Tanya @ 1-888-863-9797. |
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FOURTH QUARTER 2001 HOLIDAYS |
 October 8 - Columbus Day |
 November 12 - Veteran's Day |
 November 22 & 23 - Thanksgiving |
 December 24 & 25 - Christmas |
 December 31 & January 1 - New Year's |
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