DAT News & Blogs

Some unlikely places have been popping up at the top of our list of markets with the most reefer loads in the past couple of weeks. If you look at the Hot States Map below, you’ll see that Idaho is deep blue. Twin Falls, in the southern part of the state, has been the number 1 market for reefer load posts on DAT TruckersEdge for two weeks in a row. In other words, there are a lot of potatoes and onions that need shipping, and not enough trucks there to haul them.

Eastern Oregon also grows potatoes and onions, and Pendleton, OR has had more reefer loads in the past couple of weeks than either Dallas or Atlanta.

Darker-colored states have higher load-to-truck ratios, meaning that there’s less competition for reefer loads in those states.

TOP 5 FOR REEFER LOADS

These markets had the most reefer load posts last week:

  1. Twin Falls, ID
  2. Chicago, IL
  3. Elizabeth, NJ
  4. Grand Rapids, MI
  5. Pendleton, OR

Rates below include fuel surcharges and are based on real transactions between carriers and brokers.

RISING:

  • Twin Falls to Chicago rates were up ▲24¢ to $1.89/mile
  • Twin Falls to Baltimore paid an average of $2.17/mile, and there are a lot of miles on that trip
  • Outbound rates in Dallas rebounded last week and are back to about where they were a month ago

Prices were steady in California for the most part, but two lanes got big raises. They both go to difficult markets, though, so you’ll want to make your money going in:

  • L.A. to Denver rose ▲28¢ to $2.52/mile.
  • Sacramento to Portland, OR was up ▲20¢ and also averaged $2.52/mile

Midwest reefer rates were mostly down, but Green Bay to Minneapolis paid ▲20¢ better, at $2.10/mile

FALLING:

Rates out of Chicago took a step back last week.

  • Chicago to Atlanta fell ▼12¢ but still averaged $2.51/mile (That lane has already gained some of that back this week.)
  • Chicago to Kansas City also lost ▼13¢ and paid an average of $2.12/mile

Apple shipments might be slowing down in Michigan. The lane from Grand Rapids to Atlanta fell ▼24¢ to $2.32/mile.

One lane out West saw a big drop: Fresno to Denver lost ▼20¢ at $2.02/mile.

Trucking Success partners with DAT to offer a special on the TruckersEdge load board. Sign up for TruckersEdge today and get your first 30 days free by signing up at http://www.truckersedge.net/promo123 or entering “promo123” during sign up.

DAT News & Blogs

Darker-colored states have higher load-to-truck ratios, meaning that there’s less competition for van loads in those states.

Retailers are starting to shift inventory from West Coast distribution centers to other DCs out East. L.A. outbound rates are up, especially on eastbound lanes, and the City of Angels jumped up to number 2 in load posts (number 1 is Chicago).

On the top 100 van lanes, more had rates go up than down last week, but prices changes were generally small. Seattle rates have also been trending up, which is partly due to fall harvests in Washington State, but it could also be related to the disruption of ocean freight. There’s extra traffic out of Stockton, CA, too.

Rates below include fuel surcharges and are averages based on real transactions between carriers and brokers.

RISING LANE RATES

  • Seattle to Salt Lake City added ▲13¢ to an average of $1.83/mile
  • The backhaul lane from Portland, OR, to Stockton paid ▲14¢ better, averaging $1.42/mile
  • The headhaul direction also paid better: Rates for Stockton to Portland were up to $2.29/mile

FALLING LANE RATES

There were fewer loads moving out of Columbus and Chicago last week, but rates were still strong. Prices slipped in the Northeast, though.

Two lanes out of Buffalo lost some recent gains:

  • Buffalo to Charlotte fell ▼25¢ to $1.44/mile
  • Buffalo to Chicago also dropped ▼10¢ to just $1.26/mile

The average rate on the lane from Allentown, PA, to Boston fell ▼10¢ to $3.08/mile. That rate might still look good, but loads are hard to come by once you get to Boston.

Trucking Success partners with DAT to offer a special on the TruckersEdge load board. Sign up for TruckersEdge today and get your first 30 days free by signing up at http://www.truckersedge.net/promo123 or entering “promo123” during sign up.

DAT News & Blogs

DAT Trendlines

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Industry Trends - Spot Market Industry Trends - Van Industry Trends - Flatbed Industry Trends - Reefer Industry Trends - Fuel Prices
Industry TrendsWEEKMONTHYEAR
Sep 18 – 24 vs.
Sep 11 – 17
Aug 2016 vs.
Jul 2016
Aug 2016 vs.
Aug 2015
Spot Market Loads4.5%+0.5%+29%
Spot Market Capacity+3.4%+14%+8.6%
Van Load-To-Truck10%4.6%+49%
Van Rates (Spot)+0.0%1.2%8.0%
Flatbed Load-To-Truck0.3%26%6.0%
Flatbed Rates (Spot)0.5%1.6%8.2%
Reefer Load-To-Truck9.2%+4.8%+16%
Reefer Rates (Spot)+0.0%2.1%6.9%
Fuel Prices0.4%2.2%9.4%
National Average Rates Hold Steady

Hanjin Woes Boost Spot Market Truck Freight

Sep 18 – 24 – Trucks on the West Coast are feeling some ripple effects from the Hanjin Shipping bankruptcy and resulting supply chain shake-up. Spot market van freight volume and rates surged last week in L.A., but national rate trends were stable.

Last update: 9/27/2016 – Next update: 10/4/2016

Fuel Prices
-0.4%$2.38 / gallon
Trucking Success partners with DAT to offer a special on the TruckersEdge load board. Sign up for TruckersEdge today and get your first 30 days free by signing up at http://www.truckersedge.net/promo123 or entering “promo123” during sign up.

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DAT Trendlines

Owner Operator Truck Driver Loads

Become A Successful Dispatcher  –  Click Here

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Industry Trends - Spot Market Industry Trends - Van Industry Trends - Flatbed Industry Trends - Reefer Industry Trends - Fuel Prices
Industry TrendsWEEKMONTHYEAR
Sep 11 – 17 vs.
Sep 4 – 10
Aug 2016 vs.
Jul 2016
Aug 2016 vs.
Aug 2015
Spot Market Loads+20%+0.5%+29%
Spot Market Capacity+19%+14%+8.6%
Van Load-To-Truck4.4%4.6%+49%
Van Rates (Spot)1.2%1.2%8.0%
Flatbed Load-To-Truck+8.1%26%6.0%
Flatbed Rates (Spot)+1.1%1.6%8.2%
Reefer Load-To-Truck+0.6%+4.8%+16%
Reefer Rates (Spot)1.0%2.1%6.9%
Fuel Prices0.4%2.2%9.4%
Van and Reefer Rates Drop 2¢, But Remain Strong

Flatbed Rates Recover 2¢

Sep 11 – 17 – Spot market freight trends were out of sync last week. Load-to-truck ratios held steady for vans and reefers, but rates fell 2¢ per mile for both trailer types. Rates are still strong for the season, however. Flatbed rates and ratios recovered, on the other hand, at a time of year when those indicators typically decline.

Last update: 9/20/2016 – Next update: 9/27/2016

Fuel Prices

-0.4%$2.39 / gallon

DAT News & Blogs

This week is National Truck Driver Appreciation Week. We’ve put together a list of five ways that carriers, brokers, and shippers can show appreciation and respect to a driver, including suggestions from the drivers themselves.

1. Respect the Driver’s Time

An extra 15 minutes held up at a loading dock or stuck in traffic can be the difference between a driver getting home to family and being stuck in the sleeper cabin another night. Drivers take extra care to manage their hours-of-service (HOS) and mandatory breaks so they can avoid situations like that.

There might not be anything you can do about the traffic, but you can help by not detaining drivers any longer than necessary when loading and unloading the truck or counting product. Or if the driver is detained longer than the standard two hour grace period, compensate them for their time. Just like yours, the driver’s time is valuable.

2. Fair Pay

Drivers tend to stay with companies that show that their work is appreciated, and driver retention is a key concern for carriers. Truck drivers have unique skill sets, and with the shortage of new drivers entering the industry, those skills are increasingly rare in today’s work force. That’s why they deserve to be well-compensated for the specialized services that they provide, whether that means getting paid by the hour or by the mile.

3. Honesty

Will the load be available in the morning? Is there anywhere to park the truck if the driver arrives at the destination early? Will there be lumpers, and who’s paying the fee? Are the pallets shrinkwrapped?

Letting the driver know everything there is to know about the load shows that you appreciate what goes into doing the job well.

4. Time at Home

A lot of drivers got into the job because they like the open road. That doesn’t mean they want to live there. Home time matters big time.

For carriers, that means learning your drivers’ preferences. Some may want short runs, while others are happy to be away from home for long stretches. Show your appreciation by doing your best to match each driver with the schedule that best fits his or her needs.

5. Access to Facilities

When drivers arrive at the delivery dock, they’ve likely just spent a few hours behind the wheel. Give them access to the facilities. A couch, cup of coffee, or just access to the bathroom is a simple gesture of appreciation for the person who just safely delivered your valuable freight.

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DAT Trendlines

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Industry Trends - Spot Market Industry Trends - Van Industry Trends - Flatbed Industry Trends - Reefer Industry Trends - Fuel Prices
Industry TrendsWEEKMONTHYEAR
Sep 4 – 10 vs.
Aug 28 – Sep 3
Aug 2016 vs.
Jul 2016
Aug 2016 vs.
Aug 2015
Spot Market Loads13%+0.5%+29%
Spot Market Capacity15%+14%+8.6%
Van Load-To-Truck0.4%4.6%+49%
Van Rates (Spot)+0.0%1.2%8.0%
Flatbed Load-To-Truck+21%26%6.0%
Flatbed Rates (Spot)1.6%1.6%8.2%
Reefer Load-To-Truck9.1%+4.8%+16%
Reefer Rates (Spot)+0.5%2.1%6.9%
Fuel Prices0.4%2.2%9.4%
Van and Reefer Rates Hold Up in Post-Holiday Week

Flatbed Rates Slip 3¢

Sep 4 – 10 – Van rates held onto the previous week’s gains, and reefer rates rose another 1¢ last week, but flatbeds slipped 3¢ per mile, as a national average. Load-to-truck ratios remained stable for vans, but the reefer ratio declined and flatbed demand increased relative to capacity.
Last update: 9/13/2016 – Next update: 9/20/2016

Fuel Prices
-0.4%$2.40 / gallon

DAT News & Blogs

 
Darker-colored states have higher load-to-truck ratios, meaning that there’s less competition for van loads in those states.

Texas volumes have improved, and outbound rates were up the major van lanes from Dallas. Prices in Chicago, Columbus, Seattle, and Philadelphia are all higher than they were a month ago.

Demand for vans has been highest across the northern band of states, and the Midwest has a top region for loads and rates. Chicago, Cleveland, Columbus, Indianapolis, and Joliet, IL, were all in the top 10 for load posts on DAT Load Boards last week. Rates on the lane from Columbus to Buffalo rose 27¢ and paid $2.76/mile on average.

Outbound rates were down in Buffalo, and a couple inbound lanes also paid less: The lane from Charlotte was down 28¢ to $1.90/mile. Chicago to Buffalo also fell 20¢, but it’s still averaging $2.17/mile, which is higher than it was three weeks ago. Out West, the backhaul from Denver to Stockton only paid an average of $0.96/mile.


Darker-colored states have higher load-to-truck ratios, meaning that there’s less competition for reefer loads in those states.

Reefer volumes also held up during the 4-day work week. Of the top 72 reefer lanes, 35 of them paid better, while rates slipped lower on 32 lanes. Northern markets have shown the highest demand: Chicago; Elizabeth, NJ; and Grand Rapids, MI were numbers 1, 2, and 3 for reefer load posts last week.

The two biggest gains on lane rates were also out of the Midwest: Grand Rapids to Madison, WI, was up 29¢ to $2.75/mile, while Green Bay to Joliet rose 29¢ to a nice $3.35/mile. Chicago to Minneapolis dropped 18¢ to $1.93/mile, but you can make more money right now going the other direction. Minneapolis to Chicago rates were up to $2.01/mile.

Out West, the outbound average in Sacramento surged to $2.39/mile, which is just 2¢ shy of the average reefer rate out of Los Angeles.

 

DAT News & Blogs

Identity Theft

Identity Theft and Your Taxes

Tax-related identity theft occurs when someone uses your stolen Social Security number to file a tax return claiming a fraudulent refund. It presents challenges to individuals, businesses, organizations and government agencies, including the IRS.

Learning that you are a victim of identity theft can be a stressful event and you may not be aware that someone has stolen your identity. In many cases, the IRS may be the first to let you know you’re a victim of ID theft after you try to file your taxes.

The IRS is working hard to stop identity theft using a strategy of prevention, detection, and victim assistance. In 2015, the IRS stopped 1.4 million confirmed ID theft returns and protected $8.7 billion. In the past couple of years, more than 2,000 people have been convicted of filing fraudulent ID theft returns. And, in 2014, the IRS stopped more than $15 billion of fraudulent refunds, including those related to identity theft. Additionally, as the IRS improves its processing filters, the agency has also been able to halt more suspicious returns before they are processed.

Here’s what you should know about identity theft:

1. Protect your Records. Do not carry your Social Security card or other documents with your SSN on them. Only provide your SSN (social Security Number) if it’s necessary and you know the person requesting it. Protect your personal information at home and protect your computers with anti-spam and anti-virus software. Routinely change passwords for all of your Internet accounts.

2. Don’t Fall for Scams. Criminals often try to impersonate your bank, credit card company, and even the IRS in order to steal your personal data. Learn to recognize and avoid those fake emails and texts.

3. Beware of Threatening Phone Calls. Correspondence from the IRS is always in the form of a letter in the mail. The IRS will not call you threatening a lawsuit, arrest, or to demand an immediate tax payment using a prepaid debit card, gift card, or wire transfer.

As schools around the nation re-open, it is important for taxpayers to be particularly aware of a new scam going after students and parents. In this latest scheme, telephone scammers have been targeting students and parents and demanding payments for non-existent taxes, such as the “Federal Student Tax.”

People should be on the lookout for IRS impersonators calling students and demanding that they wire money immediately to pay a fake “federal student tax.” If the person does not comply, the scammer becomes aggressive and threatens to report the student to the police to be arrested.

4. Report ID Theft to Law Enforcement. If you cannot e-file your return because a tax return already was filed using your SSN, consider the following steps:

  • File your taxes by paper and pay any taxes owed.
  • File an IRS Form 14039 Identity Theft Affidavit. Print the form and mail or fax it according to the instructions. You may include it with your paper return.
  • File a report with the Federal Trade Commission using the FTC Complaint Assistant.
  • Contact one of the three credit bureaus so they can place a fraud alert or credit freeze on your account.

5. Complete an IRS Form 14039 Identity Theft Affidavit. Once you’ve filed a police report, file an IRS Form 14039 Identity Theft Affidavit (see below). Print the form and mail or fax it according to the instructions. Continue to pay your taxes and file your tax return, even if you must do so by filing on paper.

6. IRS Notices and Letters. If the IRS identifies a suspicious tax return with your SSN, it may send you a letter asking you to verify your identity by calling a special number or visiting a Taxpayer Assistance Center. This is to protect you from tax-related identity theft.

7. IP PINs. If a taxpayer reports that they are a victim of ID theft or the IRS identifies a taxpayer as being a victim, he or she will be issued an IP PIN. The IP PIN is a unique six-digit number that a victim of ID theft uses to file a tax return. Each year, you will receive an IRS letter with a new IP PIN.

8. Data Breaches. If you learn about a data breach that may have compromised your personal information, keep in mind that not every data breach results in identity theft. Furthermore, not every identity theft case involves taxes. Make sure you know what kind of information has been stolen so you can take the appropriate steps before contacting the IRS.

9. Report Suspicious Activity. If you suspect or know of an individual or business that is committing tax fraud, you can report it on the IRS.gov website.

10. IRS Options. Information about tax-related identity theft is available online at IRS.gov. The IRS has a special section on IRS.gov devoted to identity theft and a phone number available for victims to obtain assistance.

If you have any questions about identity theft and your taxes, don’t hesitate to call the office for assistance. Call 480-940-8351

DAT News & Blogs

Tax Planning

Tax Planning for Small Business Owners

Tax planning is the process of looking at various tax options to determine when, whether, and how to conduct business transactions to reduce or eliminate tax liability.

Many small business owners ignore tax planning. They don’t even think about their taxes until it’s time to meet with their accountants, but tax planning is an ongoing process and good tax advice is a valuable commodity. It is to your benefit to review your income and expenses monthly and meet with your CPA or tax advisor quarterly to analyze how you can take full advantage of the provisions, credits and deductions that are legally available to you.

Although tax avoidance planning is legal, tax evasion – the reduction of tax through deceit, subterfuge, or concealment – is not. Frequently what sets tax evasion apart from tax avoidance is the IRS’s finding that there was fraudulent intent on the part of the business owner. The following are four of the areas the IRS examiners commonly focus on as pointing to possible fraud:

  1. Failure to report substantial amounts of income such as a shareholder’s failure to report dividends or a store owner’s failure to report a portion of the daily business receipts.
  2. Claims for fictitious or improper deductions on a return such as a sales representative’s substantial overstatement of travel expenses or a taxpayer’s claim of a large deduction for charitable contributions when no verification exists.
  3. Accounting irregularities such as a business’s failure to keep adequate records or a discrepancy between amounts reported on a corporation’s return and amounts reported on its financial statements.
  4. Improper allocation of income to a related taxpayer who is in a lower tax bracket such as where a corporation makes distributions to the controlling shareholder’s children.

Tax Planning Strategies

Countless tax planning strategies are available to small business owners. Some are aimed at the owner’s individual tax situation and some at the business itself, but regardless of how simple or how complex a tax strategy is, it will be based on structuring the strategy to accomplish one or more of these often overlapping goals:

  • Reducing the amount of taxable income
  • Lowering your tax rate
  • Controlling the time when the tax must be paid
  • Claiming any available tax credits
  • Controlling the effects of the Alternative Minimum Tax
  • Avoiding the most common tax planning mistakes

In order to plan effectively, you’ll need to estimate your personal and business income for the next few years. This is necessary because many tax planning strategies will save tax dollars at one income level, but will create a larger tax bill at other income levels. You will want to avoid having the “right” tax plan made “wrong” by erroneous income projections. Once you know what your approximate income will be, you can take the next step: estimating your tax bracket.

The effort to come up with crystal-ball estimates may be difficult and by its very nature will be inexact. On the other hand, you should already be projecting your sales revenues, income, and cash flow for general business planning purposes. The better your estimates are, the better the odds that your tax planning efforts will succeed.

Maximizing Business Entertainment Expenses

Entertainment expenses are legitimate deductions that can lower your tax bill and save you money, provided you follow certain guidelines.

In order to qualify as a deduction, business must be discussed before, during, or after the meal and the surroundings must be conducive to a business discussion. For instance, a small, quiet restaurant would be an ideal location for a business dinner. A nightclub would not. Be careful of locations that include ongoing floor shows or other distracting events that inhibit business discussions. Prime distractions are theater locations, ski trips, golf courses, sports events, and hunting trips.

The IRS allows up to a 50 percent deduction on entertainment expenses, but you must keep good records and the business meal must be arranged with the purpose of conducting specific business. Bon appetite!

Important Business Automobile Deductions

If you use your car for business such as visiting clients or going to business meetings away from your regular workplace you may be able to take certain deductions for the cost of operating and maintaining your vehicle. You can deduct car expenses by taking either the standard mileage rate or using actual expenses. In 2016, the mileage reimbursement rate is 54 cents per business mile (57 cents per mile in 2015).

If you own two cars, another way to increase deductions is to include both cars in your deductions. This works because business miles driven is determined by business use. To figure business use, divide the business miles driven by the total miles driven. This strategy can result in significant deductions.

Whichever method you decide to use to take the deduction, always be sure to keep accurate records such as a mileage log and receipts. If you need assistance figuring out which method is best for your business, don’t hesitate to contact the office.

Increase Your Bottom Line When You Work At Home

The home office deduction is quite possibly one of the most difficult deductions ever to come around the block. Yet, there are so many tax advantages it becomes worth the navigational trouble. Here are a few tips for home office deductions that can make tax season significantly less traumatic for those of you with a home office.

Try prominently displaying your home business phone number and address on business cards, have business guests sign a guest log book when they visit your office, deduct long-distance phone charges, keep a time and work activity log, retain receipts and paid invoices. Keeping these receipts makes it so much easier to determine percentages of deductions later on in the year.

Section 179 expensing for tax year 2016 allows you to immediately deduct, rather than depreciate over time, up to $500,000, with a cap of $2,000,000 worth of qualified business property that you purchase during the year. The key word is “purchase.” Equipment can be new or used and includes certain software. All home office depreciable equipment meets the qualification. Some deductions can be taken whether or not you qualify for the home office deduction itself.

If you’re ready to meet with a tax professional to discuss tax planning strategies for your business, call the office today. Call 480-940-8351

DAT News & Blogs

Home Based Truck Dispatch

Get the inside with our “Truck Dispatch Seminar”

DAT Trendlines

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Industry Trends - Spot Market Industry Trends - Van Industry Trends - Flatbed Industry Trends - Reefer Industry Trends - Fuel Prices
Industry TrendsWEEKMONTHYEAR
Aug 28 – Sep 3 vs.
Aug 21 – 27
Aug 2016 vs.
Jul 2016
Aug 2016 vs.
Aug 2015
Spot Market Loads+8.4%+0.5%+29%
Spot Market Capacity2.5%+14%+8.6%
Van Load-To-Truck+16%4.6%+49%
Van Rates (Spot)+3.7%1.2%8.0%
Flatbed Load-To-Truck+4.4%26%6.0%
Flatbed Rates (Spot)+0.5%1.6%8.2%
Reefer Load-To-Truck+14%+4.8%+16%
Reefer Rates (Spot)+1.6%2.1%6.9%
Fuel Prices+0.0%2.2%9.4%
Freight Rates and Ratios Rise at End of Month

Van Rates Add 6¢

Aug 28 – Sep 3 – Van rates jumped 6¢ and reefers added 3¢ last week. Even flatbeds got a 1¢ raise, due to an increase in the fuel surcharge. Load-to-truck ratios got a healthy boost, so the higher rates may outlast end-of-month and pre-holiday pressure.
Last update: 9/6/2016 – Next update: 9/13/2016

Fuel Prices
+0.0%$2.41 / gallon

DAT News & Blogs

Dispatch Trucks

Attend our Seminar, One on One,  3 days, 2 hours per day via Skype.

After you signed up for our 3 day seminar, we will contact you and arrange a schedule at your convenience. You can attend a seminar only by phone, however if you are not familiar with certain forms and documents, we like to show these forms and documents via Skype, scan if necessary and forward them to your email account for an immediate learning process.

The seminar will teach the entrepreneur planning to start a dispatch service business. We will also help you finding clients for your new business. (Free advertising on TruckingSuccess.com and free ads on Facebook and Twitter.) We offer continue support for our clients, even after the seminar has ended, anytime, no additional charge. In addition you will receive a certificate stating that you have attended our seminar and that you are now part of a professional group of  independent dispatchers.

What will you learn attending our seminar?  –  What you need to know starting a Home Based Business  –

We will provide information to successfully dispatch your clients truck(s). We list important business contacts, and provide information about laws and regulations as well as required documents. We describe how to provide excellent customer service, build successful business relationships and effectively manage time and stress. It explains freight volume and facts affecting load availability. It guides you through the process of obtaining your own loads and dispatching your clients truck(s). And you also learn about proper freight handling and important delivery procedures. Finally, we will dispel myths and common misconceptions about the trucking industry, provide you with facts to disprove “truck stop” gossip, and make the process of dispatching transparent. Best of all, we will tell you the truth what you can really earn as an independent dispatcher. We will not give you an unrealistic number, like many of our competitors offer on their websites only to wheel you into their service scam. We came to the realization that these companies don’t care about your success, only their own success, meaning their own revenue. We offer continue support for our clients, even after the seminar has ended, anytime, no additional charge. One more advice, be aware when someone is telling you that you can charge a percentage of the load you are dispatching, you can’t, because you are not a broker and you don’t have a broker’s license. You don’t carry a $75,000 bond and you may be subject to all kinds of lawsuits when things go wrong.

Below you can see one of the important learning tools, the round trip concept.

 

Our Skype ID is: trucking.success

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