Part 1: Driver Pay Defaults
What Are Driver Pay Defaults?
Driver pay defaults are settings you configure on each driver's profile that automatically apply when calculating pay for their trips. These defaults save time by pre-filling pay information when trips are completed.
Configuring Pay Defaults
Navigate to Teams → Drivers → click on a driver → Pay tab.
Here you can set:
Setting | Description |
Employment Classification | Employee or Contractor |
Type | Company Driver or Owner Operator Driver |
Default Pay Rate Type | How the driver is paid (Percentage, Per Mile, Per Hour, Flat) |
Pay Rate | The rate value (e.g., 30%, $0.55/mile, $25/hour) |
GL Account | Default General Ledger account for accounting |
Deduct Fuel on Settlements | Whether to auto-include fuel transactions as deductions |
How Defaults Apply to Trips
When a driver is assigned to a trip and the trip is delivered, the system can automatically calculate their pay based on their defaults:
A. If "Auto-calculate driver pay on delivery" is enabled (in App Settings):
When a trip status changes to Delivered, the system automatically populates base pay using the driver's default rate type and rate
B. If auto-calculate is disabled:
Pay defaults are suggested when you manually calculate pay in the settlement builder
You can override the defaults on any individual trip
Example: Percentage-Based Driver
If a driver has:
Default Pay Rate Type: Percentage
Rate: 30%
When assigned to a $2,000 load, their base pay calculates as:
Base Pay = 30% × $2,000 = $600
Example: Per Mile Driver
If a driver has:
Default Pay Rate Type: Per Mile
Rate: $0.55
When assigned to a trip with 500 total miles:
Base Pay = $0.55 × 500 miles = $275
Part 2: Trip Pay Defaults (Other Pay)
What Are Trip Pay Defaults?
Beyond base pay, you can set up default other pay items that automatically apply to every trip for a driver. These are recurring pay items like:
Stop pay
Detention pay
Tarp pay
Per diem
Layover pay
Setting Up Trip Pay Defaults
Go to Teams → Drivers → select a driver → Pay tab
Scroll to the Trip Pay Defaults section
Click Add to create a new default
Configure:
Description (e.g., "Stop Pay")
Pay Type (Other Pay, Reimbursement, or Deduction)
Unit (Per Stop, Flat, Per Hour, Per Mile, Per Load, Per Diem, Percentage)
Quantity (auto-filled based on unit type, or manual)
Rate (dollar amount or percentage)
How Trip Pay Defaults Flow to Settlements
When building a settlement:
Each trip shows the base pay calculated from the driver's default
Trip pay defaults appear as additional line items under each trip
These default items can be edited or removed for individual trips
The settlement totals automatically update
Part 3: Period Pay Defaults (Settlement-Level Adjustments)
What Are Period Pay Defaults?
Period pay defaults are adjustments that apply at the settlement level rather than per-trip. These are items that don't relate to specific trips but should be included in every settlement:
Health insurance deductions
Equipment rental fees
Weekly bonuses
Phone allowances
Setting Up Period Pay Defaults
Go to Teams → Drivers → select a driver → Pay tab
Scroll to the Period Pay Defaults section
Click Add to create a new default
Configure:
Description (e.g., "Health Insurance")
Pay Type:
Other Pay - Adds to settlement
Reimbursement - Adds to settlement
Deduction - Subtracts from settlement
Unit and Rate
How Period Defaults Apply
When you create a settlement for the driver, period pay defaults appear at the bottom of the settlement (not attached to any specific trip). These can be:
Modified for this settlement only
Removed if not applicable this period
New adjustments added manually
Part 4: Mileage Calculations
How Mileage Is Calculated
Truckbase calculates two types of mileage that affect settlements:
Loaded Miles
Calculated automatically from the route between pickup and delivery stops
Uses PCMILER or Google Maps (based on your settings)
Empty Miles
Can be auto-calculated based on the truck's last known location
Requires the "Empty Miles" setting to be enabled
Mileage in Settlements
The settlement displays mileage information that impacts pay calculations:
Total Mileage = Loaded Miles + Empty Miles
For per-mile drivers:
Base Pay = Rate × (Loaded Miles + Empty Miles)
Both types of miles are included in the calculation
For percentage drivers:
Mileage is shown for reference but doesn't directly affect pay
Pay is based on the order revenue
Multi-Trip Orders and Trip Revenue Percentage
When an order has multiple trips (segments):
The system calculates each trip's portion of the total loaded miles
Trip Revenue Percentage = Trip's Loaded Miles ÷ Total Order Loaded Miles
This percentage determines how much of the order revenue applies to each trip's pay calculation
Example:
Order has 2 trips, total 1,000 loaded miles
Trip 1: 600 miles (60% of revenue)
Trip 2: 400 miles (40% of revenue)
A 30% driver on a $2,000 order:
Trip 1: 30% × $2,000 × 60% = $360
Trip 2: 30% × $2,000 × 40% = $240
Team Driver Mileage Split
When two drivers are assigned to the same trip (team driving):
Loaded miles are automatically split 50/50
Each driver's pay calculation uses their portion
Team Driver Percentage = 50% (each driver)
For a per-mile team driver at $0.55/mile on a 500-mile trip:
Each driver: $0.55 × 250 miles = $137.50
Part 5: Where to View These Calculations
In the Settlement Builder
When generating a settlement:
Analytics Tiles at the top show:
Total Base Pay
Total Other Pay
Total Deductions
Net Pay
Total Mileage (sum of all trip miles)
Trip Details show:
Loaded miles for the trip
Empty miles (if calculated)
Base pay breakdown with rate and unit
Other pay items
Settlement Adjustments at the bottom show:
Period pay defaults
Manual adjustments
Other expenses linked to the driver
In the Settlement PDF
The exported PDF includes:
Mileage totals
Base pay with rate description (e.g., "30% of $2,000")
All other pay items
All deductions
Net pay calculation
Settings That Affect Calculations
Several app settings control how these calculations work:
Setting | Effect |
Auto-calculate driver pay on delivery | Automatically fills in base pay when trips are delivered |
Calculate percentage-based driver pay off of linehaul rate/default service | For percentage drivers, uses only the default service rate instead of all services |
Empty miles | Enables automatic empty miles calculation |
Auto-fill empty miles | Pre-fills empty miles based on truck's last location |
Disable auto-calculate mileage | Turns off automatic loaded miles calculation |
Tips for Accurate Settlements
Set up driver defaults before assigning trips - Ensures pay is calculated correctly from the start
Review calculated pay before marking paid - Always verify the numbers look correct
Use trip pay defaults for recurring items - Saves time and ensures consistency
Check mileage sources - Verify loaded miles match expected route distances
Enable auto-calculate settings - Reduces manual data entry and potential errors