A chicagoland company that is not going to cheat you.

I'm glad you found something that works for you especially considering the collision on your record, but the escrow and workman's comp thing would piss me off so much, especially since they're already not paying their side of the taxes. Also, why did they take away your brand new Volvo only to replace it with a much older truck? That seems like crap too. I suppose it's good that you haven't been forced to do anything illegal, but that's an extremely low bar for "is this a good company."

Also losing a whole week of work every month means you're only making $5100 for three weeks; if you were on a home weekly account, it would be the equivalent of getting $1275/week, except you wouldn't have to pay extra in taxes. With the tax thing factored in, you're basically making the equivalent of $1000/week in terms of annual earnings. If you had a normal job that paid $25/hr with OT after 40 hours, you would theoretically be making more money and be home every night. Even if you wanted to stay in trucking, yard jockeys and Class B jobs often make at least that much; if you still can't find another trucking company willing to work with your record after you leave your current place, those places might still consider you.

Also, are you sure you'll get that escrow back if you were to go somewhere else?

 

Need to itemize more

 

I assumed when I seen "chicagoland".. I knew when I seen "Craig's List"..

Ahhhhh yes... Two ELDs and $400-$900 checks.. "sleep" or "w2" = Boris and Vladimir veddy mad

 

What he said. Have an accountant do your taxes. It will be worth the cost. As a 1099 you can deduct that workman’s comp payment. Claim per diem. Save every receipt

 

I used to be self-employed. What I did was utilize QuickBooks Online, which uses a cloud-based system. The advantage was my accountant had 24hr access to everything I was doing, versus me coming into his office and dumping a pile of crap on his desk. He really helped me to become a better business manager and better understand taxation, during his phone calls and walking me through the proper steps. Through all that, I made both of our lives easier and I was able to write off even more expenses. There’s a register in QB where I entered every single expense. That serves the same purpose as submitting receipts. Yes, I kept my receipts, but, it makes an accountant’s life so much easier and my records more accurate. Spending the time and money to utilize a program like this is the proper way to do things. Given you’re a contractor (self-employed), you gotta pay attention to every single aspect of what you’re doing. If you take this step, you’ll be better prepared to potentially become an O/O, if you desire. If nothing else, it’ll teach a lot about business.

I paid my taxes, annually. My accountant always gave me an estimate, mid-year. End of year, I cut a check.

There are drastic differences in accountants. You want to deeply research who you’re going to use. My first accountant was with a big firm. They were the worst. I felt like I didn’t matter to them because I wasn’t doing millions in revenue. I repeatedly called them to remind them of deadlines. They ended up filing my taxes the following October. I had to go into the upper echelon of partners to get my penalties paid by them. Thankfully, I kept records of everything and didn’t get audited. My new accountant discovered all their mistakes and was able to file paperwork to get overpayments reimbursed to me. I learned a huge lesson; don’t use accountants in high rise buildings.

Keep plugging away. I appreciate you continuing to do what you have to keep the money rolling. Your situation isn’t perfect, but, neither is the world.

 

Yes

 

Ah, that makes a lot more sense. An ungoverned truck that doesn't beep is something God sends from heaven. Maybe 1099 is worth it just for that, haha!

No worries about not getting back for a moment, I realize everyone is busy and trucking. I'm in a door unloading right now, otherwise I would be busy too.

I mean, it seems to be working for you: that's the important part. I am genuinely glad it is working out; truckers can be so negative, it's refreshing to hear about someone making the best of a less-than-ideal situation. Whether or not your job seems good to anyone else is interesting just for curiosity's sake but has no bearing on you. If you like it, well that's better than at trucker working a "good" company but hating it. One of the worst companies I ever worked for is routinely in the "Best Fleets" list and I don't know how.

There's actually a Chicagoland company that I see all that time (Orozco, I think?) that has really nice trucks and trailers. They're 1099 but they seem to really have their #### together. However, I don't think their hometime situation is as flexible as your current company: just the standard a few days home for several weeks out.

You don't happen to work for Nationwide Freight, do you? The vibe seems kind of similar, including hoemtime policy of three weeks out and then 1 week home. They were trying to recruit for lanes in Middlebury, IN, Joplin, MO, and Memphis, TN. Don't know if they'll make you pay an escrow or worker's comp though: I wasn't interested, so this is the only information I have about them.