meal allowance for truck drivers

Special rate for transportation workers. You can use a special standard meal allowance if you work in the transportation industry. You are in the transportation industry if your work:

• Directly involves moving people or goods by airplane, barge, bus, ship, train, or truck, and

• Regularly requires you to travel away from home and, during any single trip, usually involves travel to areas eligible for different standard meal allowance rates.

If this applies to you, you can claim a standard meal allowance of $52 a day ($58 for travel outside the continental United States) from January 1, 2008, through December 31, 2008.

Using the special rate for transportation workers eliminates the need for you to determine the standard meal allowance for every area where you stop for sleep or rest. If you choose to use the special rate for any trip, you must use the special rate (and not use the regular standard meal allowance rates) for all trips you take that year.

He is not away from home long enough to qualify for the meal allowance.

possibly disagree as truck drivers are forced to stop by Fed Regs after they drive 8 hrs

Mt Juliet - According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration drivers may drive up to 11 hours in the 14-hour on-duty window after they come on duty following 10 or more consecutive hours off duty. Rest, not meals are addressed. I do not believe (s)he can take a meal allowance unless there is an overnight.

Mimbreno is WRONG and needs to do a little research

This truck driver sounds like he is a local driver, leaves home in morning and back in

evening, rather than a long-distance driver. I have never allowed local drivers to take

the meal allowance, only the over-the-road drivers. Have I been wrong?

no dude as you are not over 50 miles from home and stay overnight.. as for mt juliet your are wrong and you need to do your own research.

I am a over the road trucker

the only reason i can deduct my meals is because i am over 50 miles from home and sleep overnight.

BUT I can drive 11 hours in a 14 hour period  each day

not 8 hours as you mistakenly think.

that 8 hour rule was changed over 5 years ago