Route time, waiting time and driving limits all show up in the same timecard. Here is what to separate.
| Activity | Counted as work? | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Driving a route | Yes | Includes traffic delays |
| Loading and unloading | Yes | Often forgotten |
| Waiting at a customer dock | Usually yes | Detention time |
| Meal break, fully off duty | Usually no | Must be real |
If a driver waits two hours at a warehouse dock because the receiver is behind, that is time the driver was not free to use, and in most cases it is paid.
Drivers of commercial vehicles of 10,001 pounds or more in interstate commerce are covered by federal hours of service rules. For property carrying drivers these include a limit of 11 hours of driving within a 14 hour window, a 30 minute break after 8 hours of driving, and weekly caps of 60 hours in 7 days or 70 in 8. These rules are about safety and logging, and they sit alongside wage rules. A courier in a small car is generally outside them, though state rules may apply.
A federal exemption from overtime for motor carrier employees has an exception for drivers of vehicles weighing 10,000 pounds or less, who are often owed overtime. Whether your drivers fall under it depends on vehicle weight and routes. Ask a qualified professional, then set the system to flag weekly hours over 40.
Decide where the clock starts. If the driver must pick up the van, check it and load it at the depot, the shift starts there. A phone clock-in at the first stop will miss that time. Record the vehicle check as part of the shift so it is not left out of the pay.
Many courier networks use independent contractors. The label does not decide the status. Control over schedule, pricing and tools matters, so classification should be reviewed by a qualified professional.
When couriers use their own vehicles, unreimbursed car costs can cut their pay below the legal minimum for the week. The federal minimum wage is measured after expenses that primarily benefit the employer. Many companies pay a mileage rate close to the one the IRS publishes for business use. Record miles by day next to hours, so you can show that pay net of vehicle cost stays above the minimum.
Many courier companies pay per stop or per route. That is allowed for employees, but the week’s pay divided by every hour worked has to reach the minimum wage, and drivers who use their own cars add one more test. Under federal rules, if an employer does not reimburse vehicle costs, those costs cannot push the driver’s pay below the minimum wage. The DOL accepts the IRS standard mileage rate or the driver’s actual costs as the measure.
Here is a fictional week for a driver paid $7 per delivery, using a personal car. The vehicle cost is a made-up figure of $0.60 per mile for the example.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Deliveries | 140 |
| Pay at $7 per delivery | $980 |
| Hours worked, including loading and waiting | 46 |
| Miles driven for work | 620 |
| Vehicle cost at $0.60 per mile, not reimbursed | $372 |
| Pay left after vehicle cost | $608 |
| Per hour after vehicle cost | $13.22 |
| Overtime premium owed for 6 hours, half of $980 / 46 per hour | $63.90 |
The driver clears the federal minimum here, but in a state with a higher minimum wage or with a mileage reimbursement law, such as California’s requirement to reimburse necessary business expenses, the answer could change. And the overtime premium is owed regardless.
| When | What changes | Staffing move |
|---|---|---|
| Monday and Tuesday | Backlog from the weekend and business deliveries | Full route coverage early in the day |
| Friday evening and weekends | Restaurant and grocery orders peak | Short evening shifts for part-time drivers |
| Late November to December | Parcel volume can double | Hire and train seasonal drivers by early November |
| January | Volume drops back, returns rise | Cut routes, keep the best seasonal drivers on call |
If any of your drivers need a commercial driver’s license, FMCSA rules add a drug and alcohol testing program: pre-employment, random, post-accident, reasonable suspicion, return-to-duty and follow-up tests, plus queries of the FMCSA Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse. Drivers of ordinary cars and small vans who do not need a CDL are outside that program, though you can still have a company policy.
Commercial motor vehicles also need driver vehicle inspection reports when defects are found and periodic inspections. Inspection time is work time, so a driver who spends 15 minutes on a pre-trip check is on the clock for those minutes.
In most cases yes, because the driver cannot use the time freely. Record it as a task.
Electronic logging devices are required for many commercial drivers. They record driving, not wages, so you still need a time record.
Yes, with a clear rule on where the shift begins.
Federal law does not require a set reimbursement, but unreimbursed vehicle costs cannot bring pay below the minimum wage. Several states, including California, require employers to reimburse necessary business expenses such as mileage.
Only in limited cases. The Motor Carrier Act exemption can cover drivers and helpers on vehicles over 10,000 pounds in interstate commerce. Employees who work on smaller vehicles in a given week are generally owed overtime for that week.
Drivers of commercial motor vehicles in interstate commerce, which includes vehicles with a gross weight rating of 10,001 pounds or more, generally need a valid medical examiner’s certificate. Drivers of ordinary cars and small vans usually do not.
UPS famously plans routes to avoid left turns where it can, because waiting to turn across traffic burns time and fuel. A small change in routing can add up across thousands of stops.
Long-haul drivers
Daily vehicle check form
Track fuel spend
Book a demo and we will walk through a driver’s day with start, stops and breaks.
This page is general information, not legal, payroll or tax advice. Rules differ by state, city and contract, and they change. Check with a qualified professional before you act. Numbers in examples are made up.