STPS

You’ve hired a new truck driver, now what?

The first day can be filled with excitement, nerves, and the unknown. For you and the driver. You wear a lot of hats in the office, and it can be easy to miss an important step if you aren’t careful. We are going to go over a few things so you can make sure you are following all the government rules.

Disclaimer: This article is meant to be a general overview. Consult your attorney before you make any decisions to ensure that you are following local laws.

1. Fill out all your employee onboarding forms

First things first. You will need to have your employee fill out a W-4 form and the I-9 form. The W4 tells you how much income tax they want to be withheld from their paychecks. The I9 is to prove they’re allowed to work in the U.S. Make sure they bring their ID or passport with them on the first day. You will need it with the I-9 form. We also highly recommend that you have the driver fill out and sign a direct deposit form. One that gives you permission to make adjustments to deposits should an error occur. See why here. Once these forms are complete, you must keep copies of them in your records.

2. Report your new hires to the state

The next thing you’ll need to send information to the state where the driver will be working. If the driver will be driving in multiple states it’s the state the office or terminal is in. The reason you need to do this is so the state can keep track of people who owe certain government debts. Debts like child support or garnishments. In most states, this should be filed within 20 days of their heir date. In some states, they require the information sooner, so it’s important to know your state’s rules and get it filed right away.

3. Get workers’ compensation insurance

Almost every state requires employers to have workers’ comp insurance. Workers’ comp gives your team certain benefits and covers your business in case of illness or injuries that can come up while an employee is working. There are several ways to get it. If you need help reach out to us and we can help point you in the right direction.

4. Hang up those workplace posters

There are certain posters that you need to tack up in your offices depending on the city, county, and state where your business is located. We send these out to all of our clients to help make things easy.

5. Follow the main labor law requirements

You are going to need to get familiar with labor laws. Laws such as minimum wage, wage garnishments, termination issues, and worker classification. We know that can sound intense, but we can help with a lot of it. Once you have a basic understanding and know where to look for the information, you will be well on your way to acing the new hire process.

Disclaimer: This article is meant to be a general overview of the different way to figure out miles. Consult your attorney before you make any decisions to ensure that you are following local laws.

Written By Harley VanDyke

Harley joined Superior Trucking Payroll Service (STPS) in early 2019. With nine years of customer service experience, she truly understands what it takes to make our clients happy. She loves working at STPS because of the family-like atmosphere. Harley’s favorite place to be is Traverse City, Michigan or anywhere that has hippos.

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