Overview
Reimbursement management allows you to review, approve, or deny expense reimbursement requests submitted by drivers. These requests can include fuel, motels, tolls, maintenance, and other out-of-pocket expenses that drivers need to be reimbursed for.
Quick Answer: You can approve reimbursements for the full requested amount or a different amount, or deny them entirely. Once approved, reimbursements are included in the driver's settlement and their status changes to "Paid" when the settlement is paid.
Understanding Reimbursement Requests
When drivers submit reimbursement requests, they typically include:
Document type: The category of expense (motel, fuel, maintenance, tolls, etc.)
Requested amount: The dollar amount the driver is requesting
Supporting documentation: Receipt or proof of expense (PDF, image)
Order reference: Which order/leg the expense is associated with
Truck number: The vehicle used
Upload date: When the request was submitted
These requests appear in your reimbursement queue and can be managed in two places:
Reimbursements screen: Dedicated view for reviewing all pending requests
Settlement review: During the settlement process for individual drivers
How to Approve a Reimbursement Request
Approving the Full Amount
To approve a reimbursement for the full requested amount:
Open the reimbursement request by clicking on it from reimbursement list
Review the details:
Check the document type matches the receipt
Verify the requested amount against the uploaded documentation
Confirm the driver, order reference, and truck information
Select "Approve $ [amount] (full amount)" - this option is pre-selected by default
Click "Continue" to approve the request
Result: The reimbursement is approved and will be added to the driver's next settlement. The driver will be notified of the approval.
Approving a Different Amount
If the requested amount doesn't match the documentation or needs adjustment:
Open the reimbursement request
Select "Approve different amount"
Enter the approved amount (for example, if the driver requested $250.00 but the receipt shows $225.00, enter $225.00)
Click "Continue" to approve the adjusted amount
Confirm the change
Result: The reimbursement is approved for the amount you specified. The driver will see the adjusted approved amount in their settlement.
💡 Tip: When approving a different amount, it's helpful to communicate with the driver about why the amount was adjusted to avoid confusion.
How to Deny a Reimbursement Request
Sometimes you may need to deny a reimbursement request due to missing documentation, policy violations, or ineligible expenses.
Steps to deny a request:
Open the reimbursement request
Review the reason for denial:
Missing or unclear receipt
Expense doesn't match company policy
Duplicate request
Ineligible expense type
Select "Deny" from the decision options
Click "Continue" to deny the request
Select reason for denying and confirm
Result: The reimbursement request is denied and will not be included in the driver's settlement. The driver will be notified of the denial.
⚠️ Important: When denying a request, it's best practice to communicate with the driver to explain the reason. This helps avoid future issues and improves transparency.
When Reimbursements Are Paid
Understanding the payment timeline helps you answer driver questions about when they'll receive their reimbursement.
Payment Status Flow
Submitted: Driver uploads the request and supporting documentation
Pending Review: Request appears in your queue awaiting approval/denial
Approved: You've approved the request (full or adjusted amount)
Included in Settlement: The approved amount is added to the driver's settlement
Paid: Status changes to "Paid" when the settlement is completed and processed
When Status Changes to "Paid"
A reimbursement's status changes to "Paid" when:
The reimbursement is included in a driver settlement
The settlement has been reviewed and finalized
The settlement payment has been processed and paid
Typical timeline: If you approve a reimbursement on Monday, it will be included in the driver's next settlement (usually end of week or pay period), and the status will change to "Paid" once that settlement is completed and paid out.
💡 Tip: Drivers can track their reimbursement status in their driver app. Approved reimbursements will show as "Included in Settlement" until the settlement is paid, then the status updates to "Paid."
Managing Reimbursements During Settlement Review
You can also manage reimbursement requests while reviewing a driver's settlement. This allows you to handle all driver payments in one workflow.
Accessing Reimbursements in Settlement
When you're in the settlement review screen for a driver:
You'll see any pending reimbursement requests for that driver
The same approval options are available:
Approve full amount
Approve different amount
Deny
Approved reimbursements are automatically added to the settlement total
The settlement summary will show reimbursements as a line item
Benefits of Managing in Settlement
See the complete picture: View all driver earnings and expenses together
Faster workflow: Approve reimbursements and finalize settlement in one step
Immediate inclusion: Approved reimbursements are instantly added to the settlement total
Better context: See how reimbursements relate to the driver's orders and other pay
Example: If a driver has $1,500.00 in trip pay and a $250.00 motel reimbursement, approving the reimbursement during settlement review immediately updates their total settlement to $1,750.00.
Examples
Example 1: Approving a Motel Receipt
Context: A driver submitted a motel reimbursement request for $250.00 with a clear receipt.
Steps:
Open the reimbursement request from your queue
Review the uploaded PDF receipt showing $250.00 charge
Verify the motel stay occurred during the driver's trip (Order #986, Leg #1)
Confirm "Approve $250.00 (full amount)" is selected
Click "Continue"
Result: The driver's reimbursement is approved for $250.00 and will be included in their next settlement. Status shows as "Approved", driver gets notification that reimbursement was approved.
Example 2: Adjusting a Fuel Reimbursement
Context: A driver requested $150.00 for fuel, but the receipt shows $135.50. Steps:
Open the reimbursement request
Review the receipt and notice the discrepancy
Select "Approve different amount"
Enter $135.50 (the actual receipt amount)
Click "Continue"
Send a message to the driver: "Approved your fuel reimbursement for $135.50 (receipt amount). Please double-check amounts before submitting."
Result: The driver receives $135.50 in their settlement instead of the requested $150.00, driver gets notification.
Example 3: Denying a Request with Missing Documentation
Context: A driver submitted a $75.00 maintenance reimbursement but the uploaded image is unreadable.
Steps:
Open the reimbursement request
Attempt to view the documentation but find it's too blurry to read
Select "Deny"
Click "Continue"
Contact the driver: "I had to deny your $75.00 maintenance reimbursement because the receipt image is unclear. Please resubmit with a clear photo or PDF of the receipt."
Result: The request is denied. The driver can resubmit with better documentation, driver gets notification.
Example 4: Managing Reimbursements During Settlement
Context: You're finalizing a driver's weekly settlement and they have two pending reimbursement requests.
Steps:
Open the driver's settlement review screen
See pending requests: $250.00 motel and $45.00 tolls
Review both receipts directly in the settlement view
Approve the motel for full amount ($250.00)
Approve the tolls for full amount ($45.00)
Notice the settlement total automatically updates to include both reimbursements
Finalize the settlement
Result: The driver receives their trip pay plus $295.00 in reimbursements in one settlement payment. Both reimbursements change to "Paid" status when the settlement is completed.
Troubleshooting
Issue: Can't View the Uploaded Documentation
Issue: The PDF or image file won't open or is showing an error Solution:
Try refreshing the page and opening the request again
Check if the file format is supported (PDF, JPG, PNG)
If still not working, contact the driver to resubmit with a different file format
If this doesn't work: Contact support to investigate the file upload issue.
Issue: Reimbursement Not Appearing in Settlement
Issue: You approved a reimbursement but it's not showing in the driver's settlement
Cause: The reimbursement may have been approved after the settlement was already generated, or there may be a timing issue.
Solution:
Check the approval date vs. the settlement date range
The reimbursement will be included in the next settlement if it was approved after the current one was generated
Verify the reimbursement status shows "Approved - Pending Settlement"
If this doesn't work: Contact support if an approved reimbursement is missing from multiple settlements.