Before you take the plunge of going to work for a specific trucking company based on the advertised enticements, we urge you to take a look at the different kinds of benefits that are available.

For your convenience, we have grouped these into categories and intend to discuss them over time.

Financial:

• direct deposit;
• per diem pay; and
• sign-on bonus.

Insurances and plans:

• 401K retirement plans;
• dental insurance;
• health insurance; and
• vision plan / insurance.

However, they should be considered in light of an overall pay package.

Every little bit of compensation, if it is carefully evaluated and fits in line with your needs and goals, helps.

Money saving tip: Each employee benefit or bonus may or may not stand on its own merit. It will be up to you to determine whether or not each one ranks highly in light of your own financial goals.

One of the most heavily debated topics in our country right now is health care. Most professional drivers have some form of health care coverage. But if your trucking company offers health insurance through a company you disapprove of -- or if you can get the same or better coverage through another company at a lower price -- you may decide to reject what your company offers!

It is worth at least an annual review of your pay and employee benefits package to see if you are getting the best deal available. If necessary, consider contacting a broker who can do the looking for you and give you options based on your unique situation.

Along other lines, you may not be thinking when you start driving for a company that there may be much waiting associated with picking up or delivering loads. But since your time is valuable, why should you not be paid for the time that is spent waiting on a trailer to be loaded or unloaded?

Review the time you've spent waiting on loads during the last year and see if you're being adequately compensated. If you feel that you are not, you might wish to diplomatically contact someone within your company to suggest a policy change. This person might be your driver manager or someone in the human resources department.

Bonuses that are paid on a quarterly basis should not (in our opinion) be looked upon as "windfall profit" but put aside for an anticipated future time of personal economic downturn. Save it or invest it instead of spending it; that's our recommendation.