STPS

Top 20 questions to ask before using a payroll service for your trucking company

Top 20 questions to ask before using a payroll service for your trucking company

Choosing a new payroll company can be overwhelming. There are so many things to consider. Cost, time spent submitting payroll, ease of use, the list goes on. The list can get so overwhelming in fact that you may forget what questions you wanted to ask in the first place.
We have compiled a list of some of the most important questions along with some of our most asked questions. We hope this helps in your payroll search!
  1. Who pays the taxes?
  2. Who files the returns?
  3. Who pays any penalties if non-payment of the taxes occurs?
  4. How much does it cost to process a garnishment?
  5. How much does it cost for a second direct deposit for an employee?
  6. How much does it cost to send my 401k file?
  7. How much does it cost to send and file W-2’s?
  8. How much does it cost to file and pay state and federal unemployment?
  9. How do you fix a mistake (yours or theirs)?
  10. Who will be my main contact at the payroll service?
  11. Who does the work for implementation? It’s more work than some people believe.
  12. When does my payroll information need to be submitted?
  13. When does my payroll need to be funded?
  14. How long is my rate locked in?
  15. Where can my drivers see paystubs online?
  16. How long does it take to start once I agree?
  17. Are we bound contractually to a length of time?
  18. What information do you need for us to get payroll started?
  19. When is the best time of the year to start payroll?
  20. Can we talk to other trucking customers of yours?

Keep this list handy in your search. Now we can’t speak to other companies answers to these questions, but we can give you our answers. Below are our short basic answers to these questions. If you would like to dive deeper into any of them just let us know!

  1. We collect taxes with each payroll and pay the taxes for you.
  2. We file the returns.
  3. We do, if the penalty was triggered by our error.
  4. It is included in the payroll fee, no additional cost.
  5. It is included in the payroll fee, no additional cost. They can have up to four accounts. 
  6. It is included in the payroll fee, no additional cost.
  7. It is included in the payroll fee, no additional cost. If you would like us to individually mail them out to each employee vs sending them to the office we do charge postage. 
  8. It is included in the payroll fee, no additional cost.
  9. If we know early enough (by noon on payday) we can same-day direct deposit for them. They will have the money that day.
  10. We will assign an account manager based on your needs about a month after you start with us. Our implementation team will work with you through the first month.
  11. We do. We may need access to some things depending on your situation but we do much of the heavy lifting.  Ask us for more details.
  12. We like it two business days before payday. It gives us time to process it accurately and helps if there is an unexpected bank holiday.
  13. We pull the funds from your account on payday.
  14. We will lock in rates for the rest of the year and the following year.
  15. All employees can set up an account at truckginpaychecks.com for free. Once they sign up and we approve it, usually within a couple days, we will start putting pay stubs and year-end tax forms there.
  16. Depends on the size but most trucking companies can start within two weeks.
  17. We are like trucking.  We do a good job, then you keep us.  We do a bad job, you fire us.  No contract covers poor performance.
  18. We need a few short forms about your trucking company and then your employee info. We can often help get that employee info for you.
  19. Now! Ok, that was hyperbole but we can start anytime.  If you are paying 1099 and need to pay W-2, we suggest starting as soon as possible to avoid unnecessary tax issues.
  20. Yes, we will provide references that match your size or other demographic commonalities.
Meet the team, Mike Ritzema, founder and president of superior trucking payroll services

Written by Mike Ritzema


With over 20 years of experience in entrepreneurship, management, business planning, financial analysis, software engineering, operations, and decision analysis, Mike has the breadth and depth of experience needed to quickly understand entrepreneurs’ businesses and craft the most suitable solutions.

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