Driven for Success
If you run a small trucking company — whether you’ve got one truck or forty — and want to run a smoother, smarter business, you’re in the right place.
I’m Mike Ritzema, founder of Superior Trucking Payroll Service, and each week I break down the business side of trucking: payroll, per diem, driver recruiting and retention, and all the back-office stuff that small carriers just don’t have time for.
You’ll get real-world stories, straight talk, and practical tips to help you avoid costly mistakes, stay on the road, and grow with confidence.
Driven for Success
S1 E17 How to Prepare for Year-End: A Simple Checklist for Stress-Free W-2s
Year-end doesn’t have to be chaotic — but for most trucking companies, it is.
Not because the work is hard, but because so many small details get overlooked until it’s too late.
In this episode, I walk through a clear, practical year-end checklist that will save you hours of cleanup in January and prevent the most common W-2 mistakes trucking companies face.
We’ll cover:
- Why updating addresses (especially for termed drivers) matters more than you think
- The one state form almost everyone forgets to send their payroll provider
- How to confirm names and Social Security numbers before they become a problem
- What taxable fringe benefits must be added before year-end
- How to audit per diem, detention, layovers, and other trucking-specific pay codes
- The silent issues that pop up with ghost employees and closed accounts
- How to set up your first payroll of the new year so everything runs clean
We also start with our Question of the Week:
“Do I need to issue a W-2 for someone who quit early in the year?”
(Short answer: yes — and I explain why.)
If you want your year-end to be smooth, predictable, and free of surprises, this episode gives you everything you need to get ahead.