Per Diem & Truck Drivers - updated for 2023!
Per Diem for truckers can seem like a complex topic.
If you are a company driver, here's what you need to know about truck driver Per Diem, and how Roehl Transport gives you full per diem!
First, Per Diem is a payment to an employee under an accountable expense reimbursement allowance. This is important because Per Diem is not extra pay. Per Diem is actually a tax break on your own weekly gross pay. That means you pay less taxes because your taxable gross pay is less. Per diem is a reimbursement that is added after taxes.
Do All Trucking Companies Offer Per Diem to Truck Drivers?
Many trucking companies that offer a per diem program to truck drivers use a cents per mile plan. However, this method often doesn’t always provide the full benefit allowed by the IRS.
What is Roehl Transport's Per Diem Program?
Roehl has partnered with a vendor to maximize the per diem benefits available to Roehl truck drivers. This partnership, and the technological innovation behind it, means that in virtually every case, Roehl drivers who qualify for per diem will take home more.The Per Diem Gold Program is available to all Roehl company drivers, regardless of fleet, and it supports our commitment to Driver Success!
In the example that follows, you can see that with the Per Diem Gold Program, the driver takes home $5,151 more, and at 115,000 miles, that equates to $0.04 more per mile!
| Without Per Diem Gold | With Per Diem Gold | Notes | |
| Earnings | |||
| 115,000 Miles at: | $0.54 | $0.54 | |
| Gross Earnings | $62,100 | $62,100 | |
| less Per Diem | $0 | $17,250 | $69/day |
| Adjusted Earnings | $62,100 | $44,850 | |
| Taxes | |||
| Social Security & Medicate | -$4,751 | -$3,431 | $1,320 less tax |
| Federal Income Taxes | -$6,430 | -$3,623 | $2,808 less tax |
| State Income Tax (Wisconsin example) | -$2,609 | -$1,585 | $1,024 less tax |
| Total Taxes | -$13,789 | -$8,638 | |
| Reimbursements | |||
| Per Diem Rate | - | 250 days at $69/day | |
| Total Reimbursements: | $0 | $17,250 | |
|
Net Take Home Pay |
$48,311 |
$53,462 |
|
The example above is for a person filing Single with no dependents and is for illustration purposes only. Individual tax commitments will vary by state, marital status, dependents, etc. Roehl provides this benefit through a vendor who manages the per diem program in compliance with IRS rules. Company drivers enrolled in the program and who qualify for the per diem reimbursement in a week will be charged $2 to help cover the administrative cost. There is no charge if you don’t qualify for per diem that week. As a company driver, you can simply opt in via the “Pay & Performance” section of the MyRoehl app.
The Per Diem Gold Program supports our values of Innovation and Driver Driven and helps you Take Home More!