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Trucking & Transportation Companies: State Payroll Compliance Issues (2026)
State payroll compliance for trucking companies layers each state's wage floor, overtime rule, pay frequency law, new hire deadline and final pay rule on the federal rules cited on this page, and trucking companies carry industry-specific state duties on top. BEG runs trucking company payroll for $45 per employee per month inside the payroll software you already use, all-inclusive, live in 3 to 5 business days.
Where state law touches trucking companies specifically
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.
For travel on or after October 1, 2025, the special meals and incidental expenses rate for the transportation industry is $80 per day within the continental United States and $86 per day outside it. Notice 2025-54 supersedes Notice 2024-68, which covered October 1, 2024 through September 30, 2025.
Publication 463 sets the 2025 standard meal allowance for transportation workers at $80 per day ($86 outside the continental United States) and allows individuals subject to Department of Transportation hours of service limits to deduct 80 percent of business meal expenses instead of the usual 50 percent.
The state layer every employer carries
Each state where an employee of a trucking company works can set its own minimum wage, its own overtime trigger, a pay-frequency law, a new hire reporting deadline shorter than the federal 20 days, a final paycheck deadline, and a continuation coverage rule below the federal COBRA threshold. The state pages on this site carry those facts state by state from one data file, so the numbers here and on the multi-state checker never disagree.
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]
- For travel on or after October 1, 2025, the special meals and incidental expenses rate for the transportation industry is $80 per day within the continental United States and $86 per day outside it. Notice 2025-54 supersedes Notice 2024-68, which covered October 1, 2024 through September 30, 2025. [IRS Notice 2025-54]
- Publication 463 sets the 2025 standard meal allowance for transportation workers at $80 per day ($86 outside the continental United States) and allows individuals subject to Department of Transportation hours of service limits to deduct 80 percent of business meal expenses instead of the usual 50 percent. [IRS Publication 463 (2025)]
Read the full guide to payroll rules by state, and the rest of the trucking company payroll library.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Which state rules hit trucking companies hardest?
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 a trucking company need a separate state account for every state with an employee?
Yes, in most cases two: a withholding account, unless the state has no wage tax, and an unemployment insurance account. Under the localization of work rules, unemployment tax for a remote employee goes to the state where the work is performed.
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: Wage and Hour Division
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