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Trucking & Transportation Companies: Hourly vs. Salaried Employee Payroll (2026)
Hourly versus salaried in a trucking company is not a preference, it is the exemption test: a salary of at least $684 a week plus a duties test, and trucking companies have industry-specific exemptions on top. Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers at the national median earn $1,128 a. BEG: $45 per employee per month inside the payroll software you already use, live in 3 to 5 days.
Who in a trucking company can be salaried and exempt
Section 13(b)(1) of the FLSA provides an overtime exemption for employees of motor carriers and motor private carriers who work as drivers, driver's helpers, loaders or mechanics and whose duties affect the safety of operation of motor vehicles in interstate or foreign commerce.
The small vehicle exception restores FLSA overtime in any workweek in which the employee performs work on motor vehicles weighing 10,000 pounds or less, except vehicles designed to carry more than 8 passengers for compensation, more than 15 passengers, or placarded hazardous materials.
The salary math for trucking companies
The standard salary level is $684 a week, $35,568 a year. BLS puts the May 2025 national median for heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers at $58,640, which is $1,128 a week, above the floor, so for that role the duties test is the whole question. Paying a salary to a non-exempt employee is legal; it just does not remove overtime, which is then computed on the salary divided by hours actually worked each week.
What changes when a role moves between the two
Moving OTR drivers and local drivers from hourly to salaried changes the pay code, the timekeeping rule and the overtime treatment at once. A salaried non-exempt employee still needs hours recorded every week, and a salaried exempt one needs the exemption documented against the rule above, because in an audit the burden of proving the exemption sits with the employer.
The rules behind this page, with sources
General information, not legal advice. Every rule below was read on the agency page linked next to it.
- Section 13(b)(1) of the FLSA provides an overtime exemption for employees of motor carriers and motor private carriers who work as drivers, driver's helpers, loaders or mechanics and whose duties affect the safety of operation of motor vehicles in interstate or foreign commerce. [DOL Fact Sheet #19]
- The small vehicle exception restores FLSA overtime in any workweek in which the employee performs work on motor vehicles weighing 10,000 pounds or less, except vehicles designed to carry more than 8 passengers for compensation, more than 15 passengers, or placarded hazardous materials. [DOL Fact Sheet #19]
Read the full guide to FLSA overtime rules for employers, and the rest of the trucking company payroll library.
Managed Payroll, Handled.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Can a trucking company pay OTR drivers a salary and skip overtime?
Only if the role meets an exemption: the $684 weekly salary floor plus the duties test, or an industry-specific exemption. Section 13(b)(1) of the FLSA provides an overtime exemption for employees of motor carriers and motor private carriers who work as drivers, driver's helpers, loaders or mechanics and whose duties affect the safety of operation of motor vehicles in interstate or foreign commerce.
Does the $58,640 national median for heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers clear the salary test?
$1,128 a week is above the $684 floor, so salary is not the obstacle; the duties test is. BLS OEWS, May 2025.
What does managed payroll cost for a trucking company?
$45 per employee per month, all-inclusive, inside the payroll software you already use, with no monthly minimum. Per-diem pay for drivers, owner-operator vs W-2 classification and DOT compliance are configured at setup, not billed as add-ons.
Related Resources
Anthony leads payroll solutions at Business Executive Group, a national managed payroll firm serving businesses across industries including Trucking & Transportation Companies. BEG manages payroll at $45 PEPM, all-inclusive, with deep expertise in compliance, multi-state filing, and industry-specific payroll requirements. Get instant pricing at beghr.com.
Authoritative source: U.S. Department of Labor: Overtime Pay Under the FLSA
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