Imagine how devastating it would be to tear into your paycheck expecting it to be thousands of dollars only to see zeros. You work hard for your money. You’re out on the road for weeks at a time, away from your family, and working a difficult, laborious job. The last thing you want is for that hard-earned money to be stolen out from under you — especially when it’s thousands and thousands of dollars taken out of your settlements for fraudulent fuel purchases that can take months to resolve.

How do you choose the next load you’ll haul? Do you choose it based on where you feel like traveling next and where you want to check out the sights? Do you choose them based on areas of the country you don’t want to drive in or the types of loads you don’t want to haul?

So you want to own your truck. You dream of driving down the road with your business name on the side of your truck. Maybe you even want to see your business name on the side of multiple trucks. Getting there isn’t as impossible as it seems. There are lease-purchase programs that can help you get into a truck with little money down and no credit check. The question is: Is becoming an owner-operator truly what you want? Are you cut out for it?

Many company drivers are offered per diem pay, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s easy to understand. Per diem can be confusing. If you don’t understand how it works and you don’t keep track of how much you’re paid each year, you can be overpaid and your risk of an audit increases. Add in the fact that per diem pay can be paid out differently at every single carrier and you can opt-in or opt-out of per diem pay, and you’re in for a whole lot of confusion. How do you make the best financial decisions for yourself as a company driver if you don’t have all the information you need to succeed?

Have you decided to purchase a tractor and become an owner-operator? Good for you! After all, it’s a driver’s market out there right now; you have a huge opportunity to make a lot of money.

Truck and equipment insurance. Health insurance. Vision. Dental. Life. Retirement planning. Stocks. Bonds. Mutual funds. Where do you start when there’s so much to do?