A settlement statement is the most important document in your business, and most drivers skim it. Ten minutes a week reading it properly is the cheapest insurance you can buy.
Start at the gross, not the net
The deposit amount tells you nothing by itself. Start at the top: does the gross match the rate confirmations for the loads you ran? Federal Truth-in-Leasing rules give you the right to see the rated freight bill, so you can verify your percentage was applied to the real number, not a number after invisible haircuts.
Read every deduction line, every week
Each deduction should trace to a line in your lease agreement — a fixed amount or a stated formula. The moment a charge appears that you can't match to your lease, ask about it in writing, that week. Honest carriers fix errors fast; the other kind counts on you not reading.
Watch especially for vague labels: 'administrative fee,' 'miscellaneous,' 'chargeback.' A legitimate deduction has a name, a basis, and a paper trail.
Track four numbers over time
Gross per loaded mile, deadhead percentage, total deductions as a share of gross, and net per week. Put them in a notebook or a spreadsheet — trends matter more than any single week. Rising deadhead or creeping deductions are conversations to have with your dispatcher this month, not discoveries to make at tax time.