Driven for Success
Driven for Success is a podcast for trucking company owners and executives running 20–80 truck fleets who want to scale without chaos.
Hosted by Mike Ritzema, founder of Superior Trucking Payroll Service, the show focuses on what actually breaks as fleets grow—and how strong operators fix it before constant firefighting takes over.
This isn’t a motivational show and it’s not theory-heavy. Each episode is grounded in real patterns seen across hundreds of trucking companies, covering topics like:
- Where complexity quietly creeps in as you scale
- What to standardize—and what not to
- Why payroll, pay clarity, and systems become retention issues
- How to build infrastructure that supports growth instead of relying on heroics
The goal is simple: give you practical ideas you can apply immediately to run a calmer, more profitable operation.
If you’re building a trucking company that needs to work without you carrying everything on your shoulders, this show is for you.
Episodes
60 episodes
S2 E7 What Happens If You Misclassify a Truck Driver as 1099?
Paying a truck driver as a 1099 contractor can seem straightforward—until someone determines that driver should have been classified as a W-2 employee.In this episode of Driven for Success, Mike Ritzema explains what can happen after a d...
S2 E6 How Trucking Companies Get Caught Misclassifying 1099 Drivers
Most trucking companies that misclassify a 1099 driver don't get caught because of a random IRS audit. They get caught because something happens — a driver gets fired, a driver files for unemployment, someone gets hurt on the job, or a pay disp...
S2 E5 1099 vs. W-2 Truck Drivers: What Does a Driver Actually Cost You?
"I can't afford to put my drivers on W-2." I hear that a lot, but most owners saying it have only looked at half the math.In this episode, I break down what a truck driver actually costs, not just what you pay them, on both sides of the ...
S2 E4 1099 Driver Misclassification: 8 Mistakes Trucking Companies Make
Paying a driver on a 1099 doesn't make them an independent contractor — and a lot of trucking companies are one audit away from finding that out. In this episode, Mike Ritzema breaks down the 8 most common mistakes trucking companies make...
S2 E3 - Can You Legally Pay a Truck Driver as a 1099 Contractor?
Can a trucking company legally pay a driver as a 1099 independent contractor? Yes. But issuing a 1099 doesn't make someone an independent contractor.In this episode of Driven for Success, Mike Ritzema explains what actu...
E53 - 1099 vs W2 Truck Drivers: Who Actually Decides? (Trucking Company Owners Guide)
Should your truck drivers be 1099 independent contractors or W2 employees? It's one of the most common — and most misunderstood — compliance questions in trucking, and the answer isn't up to you or your driver.In this episode, Mike Ritze...
S2 E1 - 6 Per Diem Questions Trucking Company Owners Ask Most (Is It Legal, Does It Cost You, and More)
Thinking about offering per diem but not sure if it's legit, what it'll cost you, or how to survive an audit? In this episode, Mike Ritzema answers the questions trucking company owners and executives ask most before rolling out per diem — incl...
S1 Ep 52 - 7 Per Diem Questions Truck Drivers Ask Most (Answered for Drivers and Payroll)
Every week, drivers and payroll teams ask Mike Ritzema the same questions about truck driver per diem. In this episode, he answers the 7 questions he hears most often, straight from drivers themselves.Is per diem extra money, or just the...
S1 E51 Truck Driver Per Diem at Tax Time: Why Your Tax Refund May Be Smaller
Many truck drivers are surprised when they receive their W-2 after participating in a per diem program. Some see a smaller tax refund. Others wonder if payroll made a mistake.In this episode of Driven for Success, Mike Ritzema exp...
S1 E50 The Per Diem Mistake the IRS Will Catch (And Won't Allow) in an Audit
Is your truck driver per diem program ready for an IRS audit?It's one of the biggest concerns we hear from trucking companies. The good news is that the IRS has already published the rules. The key is making sure your company is actually...
S1 E49 The Recruiting Tool 30–80 Truck Fleets Are Ignoring (It's Not Pay)
Recruiting truck drivers is expensive.Replacing good drivers is even more expensive.In this episode of Driven for Success, Mike Ritzema discusses an often-overlooked advantage that can help your trucking company stand out...
S1 E48 When Truck Drivers Say No to Per Diem: Understanding the Real Reasons
Why would a truck driver turn down extra take-home pay?It happens more often than many fleet owners expect.In this episode, Mike Ritzema explains why some drivers decline per diem and why those decisions are often based on legitim...
S1 E47 How to Roll Out Truck Driver Per Diem Without Driver Pushback
A good truck driver per diem program can save drivers money, reduce payroll taxes, and benefit the entire company. But if it's rolled out poorly, it can create confusion, distrust, and unnecessary pushback from drivers.In this episode, M...
S1 E 46 The 3 Ways Trucking Companies Pay Per Diem (And Why Two Fall Short)
Most trucking companies know per diem can save money.What many don't realize is there are three different ways to calculate it.Some fleets use a cents-per-mile method. Others use a percentage of driver pay. The third method calcul...
S1 E45 How Much Money Does Per Diem Save a Trucking Company? The Real Numbers Behind the Savings
Truck driver per diem is often promoted as a way to save money, but how much does it actually save?In this episode of Driven for Success, Mike Ritzema breaks down the real math behind truck driver per diem and explains why many trucking ...
S1 E44 What Truck Driver Per Diem Actually Is (And Why So Many Trucking Companies Get It Wrong)
Most trucking company owners have heard of per diem.Most drivers have heard of per diem.But very few people can clearly explain what it actually is.In this episode of Driven for Success, Mike Ritzema breaks down truck drive...
S1 E43 The First System Every Trucking Owner Should Build (When Everything Feels Overwhelming)
Most trucking company owners don't have a time problem.They have a decision problem.When every question, exception, approval, and problem comes back to the owner, the business starts to feel chaotic—even when you have good people ...
S1 E42 Why Your Trucking Business Feels Chaotic (Even With Good People)
Most trucking companies do not feel chaotic because they hired bad people.They feel chaotic because everybody is filling in the blanks differently.One manager says yes. Another says no. Drivers get different answ...
S1 E41 How to Stop Answering the Same Questions Over and Over | Trucking Systems & Scaling
Most trucking companies don’t have a people problem.They have a repetition problem.The owner keeps answering the same questions over and over again… and every unanswered process slowly turns the owner into the bottleneck.In...
S1 E40 Why Trucking Employees Ignore Your Processes (It’s Not What You Think)
Most trucking company owners think process problems are people problems.They’re not.In this episode of Driven for Success, Mike Ritzema breaks down the hidden reason processes stop working as trucking companies grow.Because...
S1 E39 Trucking Owners You’re Delegating the Wrong Decisions (And It’s Costing You Control)
Most trucking owners think they need to delegate more.They don’t.They need to stop giving away the wrong decisions.In this episode, we break down why some decisions should never leave the owner—and what happens when they do...
S1 E38 Are You Accidentally Overpaying Your Drivers?
Most trucking companies aren’t overpaying drivers on purpose.But if you’re paying drivers a percentage of revenue… there’s a good chance it’s happening anyway.In this episode, I break down a common mistake that can quietly eat int...
S1 E37 The Real Reason Your Trucking Team Can't Make Decisions (and How to Fix It)
Most trucking company owners don’t have a people problem.They have a decision problem.If every question still comes back to you, your business isn’t lacking effort… it’s lacking context.In this episode, we break down why yo...
S1 E36 Why Your Trucking Team Doesn’t Follow Your Processes (And What to Do About It)
If your team isn’t following your processes, it’s easy to get frustrated.You put the time in to build the system. You explained it. And yet, people still do something different.In this episode of Driven for Success, we br...
S1 E35 What Decisions Should You Keep as a Trucking Company Owner?
If you're running a trucking company and trying to delegate more… but you're not sure what decisions you should still be making—this episode is for you.After realizing they’ve become the bottleneck, many owners swing too far in the other...