US Settlements & Pay Reporting
US settlements turn on how the driver is classified and how pay is reported. This hub covers what appears on the statement in each case, and the records worth keeping — not pay rate benchmarks.
A US driver settlement lists gross load pay and accessorials, then a deduction block. How the pay is reported depends on whether the driver is treated as an employee or an independent contractor, and a per-diem or subsistence split changes what shows as reportable wages. Retain your rate confirmations and statements, and confirm tax treatment with the IRS or your accountant.
W-2 Stub or 1099 Settlement: What Each US Driver Pay Document Shows
US drivers are paid on a W-2 pay stub or a 1099 settlement. What each document shows, what is and is not withheld, and how each reconciles at year end.
The per diem split on a company driver settlement, and what it does to your reported wages
How a per-diem split appears on a company driver settlement, what it does to reported wages, and the trade-offs before you opt in.
What 49 CFR 376 Requires on a US Owner-Operator Settlement
Federal truth-in-leasing rules for US leased-on owner-operators: 15-day payment, itemised deductions, the rated freight bill, escrow accounting and return.
Percentage of What? Linehaul, Fuel Surcharge, Accessorials and the Agent Cut
How percentage pay is computed on a trucking settlement: what the percentage is taken of, where fuel surcharge sits, and the freight bill you are owed.
What Each Recurring Deduction Line Covers: Insurance, Plates, Rent, IFTA, Tolls and Fees
What each recurring line under your gross covers: insurance, plates and permits, trailer and ELD rent, IFTA, tolls and fees, and what belongs beside it.
Escrow Accounts for Owner-Operators: How the Money Is Held, Spent and Returned
How escrow on an owner-operator settlement is funded, what it may be spent on, what accounting you are owed, and how the balance comes back when a lease ends.
Chargebacks: Money Taken Back Off Your Settlement
Money taken back off your settlement for a cost the carrier says you caused: what each chargeback line should show, and which document proves it is yours.
How a Fuel Surcharge Prints on a Settlement — Index, Peg, Divisor, Miles
How a fuel surcharge line is built on a trucking settlement: which diesel index, which peg, which divisor, and which miles it is paid on.
When Deductions Exceed Gross: Carry-Forwards, Recoupment and a Net Below Zero
What a negative trucking settlement means, how a carry-forward is supposed to roll, and how recoupment differs from a shortage you can dispute.
The Last Statement: Escrow Return, Holdbacks, Plates and the True-Ups That Arrive Late
What a final owner-operator settlement should contain when a lease ends: escrow accounting, holdbacks, accelerated recoveries, and IFTA true-ups that file later.
Disputing a Settlement That Came In Short of the Rate Confirmation
Money never added: how to prove a settlement gross is short of the rate confirmation, escalate it in writing, and what recourse exists in Canada and the US.
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