Profile For Casper

Let me tell you what I can from the viewpoint of a former Dollar General store manager. I've had drivers come in to deliver to my store and I have been their 3rd or 4th delivery that day and these folks WORK. Not only do you drive but you have to move dozens of rolltainers (think 600lb of freight in a steel cage on wheels) off your truck and roll them into the stockroom and DG policy is that the store employees are not allowed to assist the driver as they have their own responsibilities to do. I don't have any idea what they get paid but they definitely work their butts off.

I drive a straight expediter truck that is owned by the company I am under contract with. They pay all costs relating to keeping the truck running and reimburse me for things I buy such as oil, coolant, bulbs, etc. I am not told what routes to take or where to fuel or anything like that. I am offered the load (don't really think I'd last if I ever turned one down for anything other than not having the hours) and other than having to call in upon arrival for load, when loaded, arrival at destination, unloaded, and where I am shutting down for the night (so they know where to be looking for loads for me), I am pretty much left to get where I need to be in my own time and way. I am paid a percentage of each run less 10% for worker's comp insurance.

I started thinking about what my liability would be in an accident. I don't carry anything other than my own personal vehicle insurance which won't do anything for my work driving and I am not set up as a business entity. I suspect that if I were in an accident in the truck that it would probably be determined that I was actually an employee but I don't know that for a fact. I am kicking around the idea of forming either an LLC or an S Corp (leaning towards the S Corp) and having them pay me through the business entity in order to provide a separation and protect my personal assets. It wouldn't be the worst thing in the world to form the S Corp anyway since I'm planning on buying my own truck and running as an owner-operator next summer.

Any thoughts or comments would be appreciated.

Jeff