We tie DOT hours-of-service logs, CDL driver files, per-diem treatment, and state-by-state fuel tax directly to payroll. Your specialist knows the FMCSA rules that apply to your fleet.
$19,246
FMCSA max per carrier violation, such as using an unqualified driver (2026)
100%
CDL driver qualification files audit-ready 24/7
11 days
Fastest DQF rebuild on the HR bench. 42-driver Utah carrier
Driver Classification
We run every driver arrangement against the economic-realities test, document defensible classifications, and onboard true company drivers as W2 under our co-employment structure before a DOL or IRS audit.
Every driver arrangement documented against the economic-realities test with a defensible paper trail before any audit hits.
What it can cost DOL "economic realities test" failure on driver 1099 = back payroll taxes × 3 years + 20% penalty + interest + state back-tax. Median carrier exposure: $240K per misclassified driver route.
Trucking Workers' Comp
Your drivers join our PEO master policy, with workers' comp administered through the pooled program rather than a standalone policy for your company.
Every driver joined to the PEO master policy. Every claim managed to closure by your WC specialist.
What it can cost Trucking WC class codes run $8–$15 per $100 of payroll. One lost-time claim pushes EMR, triggering 12–25% premium surcharges.
DOT & Clearinghouse
Pre-employment, random, post-accident, and return-to-duty testing live inside our HR workflow alongside MVR verification and FMCSA clearinghouse queries, freeing your safety manager for operations.
100% testing-program coverage. Zero clearinghouse gaps across every driver in the fleet.
What it can cost FMCSA penalties: hours-of-service and driver-file recordkeeping violations up to $1,584 per day (capped at $15,846); other carrier violations up to $19,246 each. Violations also feed your CSA scores.
In practice "Our CDL files were scattered across three spreadsheets and a binder. Jenifer rebuilt every driver qualification file, MVR, medical card, clearinghouse query, prior employer, in 11 days." D.V., Safety Manager, 42-driver Utah regional trucking carrier
Per-Mile Payroll
Our payroll engine ingests dispatch and trip data and runs per-mile, per-load, layover, detention, and accessorial pay rules side-by-side with hourly and salary, so every driver type clears on the same run.
Zero driver pay corrections after cutover. Every per-mile, detention, and accessorial rule reconciled to dispatch data.
What it can cost Per-mile miscalculation + detention pay errors can cost back wages plus an equal amount in liquidated damages. Median over-the-road carrier settlement: $320K for a 40-driver fleet.
FMCSA Driver Files
Our HRIS builds each CDL file with required document checklists, expiration alerts, and previous-employer history captured before first dispatch, so files are ready to download when FMCSA audits.
100% driver file completeness across the entire fleet. Every MVR, medical card, and clearinghouse query downloadable in one click.
What it can cost Using a driver who isn’t qualified: up to $19,246 per violation. Incomplete qualification files: up to $1,584 per day (capped at $15,846). Across a 40-driver fleet, a failed audit adds up fast.
BUILT-IN BENEFIT · ZERO EMPLOYER COST
Drivers, dispatchers, and warehouse staff can't always wait for payday when they're on the road. ZayZoon gives every CDL holder and dock worker instant access to earned wages from the cab or the yard, at no cost to your fleet.
From a 10-truck regional carrier to a 200+ employee 3PL, our PEO model scales with your fleet and your compliance requirements.
Regional and OTR carriers with company drivers on W2 payroll. We handle per-mile payroll, trucking-class workers' comp, DOT drug testing administration, and driver file management for fleets of 5 to 200+ company drivers.
Freight brokerages and third-party logistics companies with W2 office staff, such as operations coordinators, customer service, account managers, and dispatchers. We handle HR, benefits, and payroll for the office team while you manage the carrier relationships.
Logistics companies with both drivers and warehouse or fulfillment staff. We manage the mixed workforce's workers' comp class codes and pay structures on one HR platform and benefits package across your entire operation.
"Our workers' comp was killing us. The rates for our drivers were brutal. VertiSource cut our premium by 35% in year one through the PEO pool. That alone paid for everything."
The regulations we handle for you. Open any topic to read more.
The line between company driver and owner-operator matters enormously to the IRS and DOL. Misclassifying a company driver as a 1099 owner-operator can trigger back payroll taxes, overtime liability, and state agency exposure that compounds quickly.
How we solve this →Long-haul and regional trucking carries some of the highest workers' comp class codes in any industry. Small carriers bear the full weight of their own loss history in their experience modification factors, which makes even one significant claim extremely costly.
How we solve this →Federal motor carrier regulations require pre-employment, random, post-accident, and return-to-duty drug testing for CDL drivers, along with MVR verification and FMCSA Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse enrollment.
How we solve this →Drivers paid by the mile, by the load, with layover pay, and with accessorial charges create payroll complexity that most general payroll systems handle poorly.
How we solve this →CDL driver files must contain specific employment records: pre-employment drug test results, MVR history, previous employer safety performance history, and annual review documentation. Incomplete driver files are a common FMCSA audit finding.
How we solve this →The most common questions we get from motor carrier owners and logistics executives.
Company drivers who drive company-owned trucks on a regular schedule are W2 employees. Owner-operators who own their trucks and have the ability to work for multiple carriers are generally independent contractors. We help motor carriers document the relationship correctly and maintain defensible classification records for both populations, which reduces audit exposure with the IRS and DOL.
Yes. Per-mile, per-load, hourly, and salary compensation structures are all supported in our payroll platform. We configure payroll to calculate gross wages correctly from your dispatch system data, including split-load calculations, layover pay, detention pay, and accessorial charges.
Standard DOT medical certifications are valid for up to 24 months, but a certified medical examiner may issue a shorter card when a driver has a monitored medical condition. Our HRIS tracks each driver's medical card expiration and triggers renewal alerts before the card lapses.
We coordinate the FMCSA-required testing program for CDL drivers: pre-employment, random pool selection, post-accident, reasonable suspicion, and return-to-duty testing. Drivers are enrolled in a random selection consortium, results are tracked in the FMCSA Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse, and queries are documented in each driver's qualification file.
MVRs are pulled at hire and at minimum annually for every CDL driver, as required by FMCSA Part 391. Our onboarding workflow orders the pre-employment MVR before first dispatch, and the annual review process re-pulls the MVR for the driver qualification file.
Yes. For OTR drivers who qualify, we process the IRS per-diem meal allowance as a non-taxable reimbursement on each pay cycle, properly segregated from taxable wages. This is documented on driver pay statements and reported correctly on year-end W2s.
IFTA fuel tax reporting is a fleet-level tax obligation handled separately from payroll, but the underlying mileage data overlaps. We work with carriers to ensure state-by-state mileage and tax-residency data used for IFTA reporting reconciles cleanly with the state withholding determinations on driver payroll.
Pick your state on the interactive map to pull up the wage, leave, and pay transparency guides that apply to you.
Open the state map →We run driver classification, workers' comp, DOT drug-testing administration, and per-mile payroll for fleets of ten trucks or two hundred. Tell us your fleet size and lanes to get a proposal.
Talk to a Trucking HR Specialist → 855-565-8747