I work for a company that gets me through the house most weekends. Usually I don't have to go over 150 miles off route to get there, but recently I've had a few weekends where I drove 300+ miles unpaid to be home.

I've been told that you can deduct unpaid/lost wages in this circumstance, but I've been unable to find any documentation online.

Does anyone know?

 

Whoever told you that is wrong, All you can deduct in any deadhead circumstances are your actual expenses, ie. cost of fuel used.

 

No, you can't.

http://www.etrucker.com/apps/news/article.asp?id=51104
see Myth #5

You don't pay taxes on unearned income and you can't use
unearned income as a deduction -- that's what my tax guy
told me, and that's what the IRS told me when I called them
to ask the question you're asking. I was asking as an
owner-operator, but the answer's the same for company drivers:
if you're not paid for it, you can't deduct it as a "loss."

Also, if you're going home and they're paying for fuel (and other
operating costs), then that's not such a bad thing.

 

This falls under the category of "it goes with the territory".

You can not claim it as a deduction. Plus, it's not "lost wages" because you aren't working at the time...you're driving yourself home. I am sure your company probably could write this off since they're losing money paying for fuel to get you home under no load, but you can't.

Like the other guy said, just be glad they're letting you use their fuel to get home...they could tell you to park it and find your own way home!

 

Thanks for the replies, guys. I figured it wasn't something I could deduct... but worth asking about.

I'm quite content with the job, but I hardly consider it a priviledge to drive their truck unpaid to be home.

I live on I80 3 hours from their main terminal... there really isn't any reason I should consistently go more than 100 miles off route to be home, but I do, and that time adds up in my book.

Take this week, for example. I got within 100 miles of the house early Thursday morning in a decent freight area, I could have got something straight through the house, and had a full 2 days off. Instead, I was sent 450 miles the other way, and the only load that could get me back through the house will be 225 miles over the 700 paid miles. I know they want to keep their trucks running.... but poor planning like this has to take a huge bite out of whatever profit they made off of me for the week. The unpaid driving time in the truck also directly affects my hourly rate. If I took this job because it paid roughly 8% better than my last... i'd barely be breaking even.

 

Well, you could always buy your own truck, get your own authority and then have no one else to blame! :wink:

 

that is my plan about $53,000 from now... or, $153,000 if I adjust for inflation.