Help Center / Settlements and Pay

Driver Advances and Recovery

Record money you advanced to a driver and recover it from their settlements, either in full or a set amount each pay period.

Where in CloudTMS: /drivers/[id]?tab=pay, /settlements/[id]/workspace, /fleet-owners/[id]?tab=advances

Record an Advance

Recording an advance doesn't pay the driver. It records money you've already given them so CloudTMS can recover it.

CloudTMS limits a new advance plus the driver's outstanding balance based on their recent settlement earnings. If you go over the limit, the error message shows the cap, and this screen has no way to override it.

  1. Open the driver, go to the Pay & Settlements tab, and click Add on the Advances card. (page: /drivers/[id]?tab=pay)
  2. Enter the Total amount and an optional Reason. (page: /drivers/[id]?tab=pay)
  3. Under Recovery, choose Recover in full on the next settlement, or Split recovery — enter a weekly amount and enter the amount. The form shows how many settlements it will take to pay off. (page: /drivers/[id]?tab=pay)
  4. Click Record Advance. (page: /drivers/[id]?tab=pay)

How Recovery Works

Despite the "weekly" wording, the split amount is taken once per pay period on the driver's own schedule. A bi-weekly driver repays every other week, and a semi-monthly driver twice a month. Recovery never takes more than the remaining balance.

Each recovery shows up under Advance Recoveries in the settlement workspace. You can lower the amount there before approving, and any shortfall carries to the next period. The balance goes down only when the settlement is approved. When it reaches zero, the advance moves to Closed.

The Advances card shows what has been recovered so far and what remains. Click Close to stop recovering an advance early. Voiding a settlement reverses the advance recovery it applied.

A fleet owner's Advances tab lists open advances across that owner's drivers. Advances are recorded and changed on each driver's page.

Spreading a Negative Settlement over Several Periods

This is separate from advances. If a settlement's net is negative, the workspace asks for a decision before approval. Custom installment spreads the shortfall over a Number of cycles you choose. The first installment comes out of the next cycle, not the current one.

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Didn't find what you needed?

Send us a support request — if you're signed in, we can look up the load, settlement or invoice you're asking about. Or email support@cloudtms.io.