Section outline

    • Lesson 5 — How You'll Actually Get Paid Page
      Students must
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    • Quiz 5 — How You'll Actually Get Paid
      Students must
      Receive a grade
      Receive a passing grade

      Five questions. You need to get 4 of 5 correct (80%) to complete the module. You can retake the quiz as many times as you need.

      📋 Quiz Preview (visible for review)

      All questions, correct answers, and feedback shown below. The graded quiz requires login to record a score.

      Question 1: Q1: Per-truck means

      The Atlantic ad says "$2,000–$3,200 per week per truck." If the truck grosses $2,800 in a week and you split 50/50 with your co-driver, what is your gross before taxes and deductions?

      • ○ $2,800
      • ✓ $1,400
      • ○ $3,200
      • ○ $2,000
      Why: The "per truck" gross is divided between the two team drivers. $2,800 truck gross at a 50/50 split is $1,400 per driver, before taxes (which you owe yourself as a 1099) and any deductions.
      Question 2: Q2: 1099 vs W-2

      You earn $1,400 a week as a 1099 contractor with Atlantic. Compared to a $1,400/week W-2 paycheck, what is true?

      • ○ The take-home is the same — $1,400 is $1,400
      • ○ The 1099 take-home is higher because no taxes are withheld
      • ✓ The 1099 take-home is meaningfully lower after self-employment tax (15.3%), federal income tax, and the lack of benefits — roughly equivalent to a $1,100/week W-2 paycheck before benefits
      • ○ The 1099 has more benefits than a W-2
      Why: As a 1099 contractor, no taxes are withheld, but you owe both halves of FICA (15.3% self-employment tax) plus federal income tax. You also receive no health insurance, no 401(k) match, no paid time off, no workers' comp. The effective take-home on $1,400/week 1099 is comparable to roughly $1,100/week W-2 before benefits.
      Question 3: Q3: CPM math

      At $0.80 CPM and 4,500 miles for the truck in a week, what is each driver's gross at a 50/50 split?

      • ○ $3,600
      • ✓ $1,800
      • ○ $900
      • ○ $2,400
      Why: $0.80/mile × 4,500 miles = $3,600 truck gross. Split 50/50 between the two team drivers = $1,800 per driver gross, before taxes and deductions.
      Question 4: Q4: Setting aside for taxes

      You're a brand-new 1099 contractor with no other income. What's the smart rule for setting aside money from each paycheck to cover federal income tax and self-employment tax?

      • ○ Set aside 5% — taxes are not that bad
      • ✓ Set aside 25-30% from week 1 and pay quarterly estimated taxes
      • ○ Wait until tax season and pay it all at once from savings
      • ○ You only owe taxes if you get a W-2
      Why: Self-employment tax alone is 15.3%. Federal income tax adds 10-22% depending on your bracket and deductions. Setting aside 25-30% from week 1 is the safe rule. The IRS expects quarterly estimated tax payments. Waiting until April creates a tax bill that wrecks people who didn't plan.
      Question 5: Q5: Carrier pay vs represented terms

      It's week 3. Your actual paychecks have been on the low end of the range — $1,200, $1,300, $1,250 — instead of the $1,400-$1,600 you were hoping for. The miles you're running are real and the per-mile rate matches the ad. What is this?

      • ○ A carrier-attributable issue — the carrier owes you the difference
      • ✓ A non-carve-out separation reason — the pay is what the ad described, you just expected the top of the range every week; nothing to escalate
      • ○ Grounds for an immediate replacement claim
      • ○ A federal violation by the carrier
      Why: If the carrier is paying the rate that was represented (correct CPM, correct settlement timing), and the miles are real, then receiving the lower-middle of the advertised range is the job — not a violation. The range was a range, not a guarantee of the top number. A carrier-attributable issue would be if the pay rate itself differed from what was represented, not if the miles fell at the lower end of expected.