Driver settlement: advances, expenses and owner-operator withholdings without spreadsheets
The settlement is built from the freight note integrated with the CT-e: freight, advance, diesel, tolls and per-diem on one side; the owner-operator’s INSS (social security), SEST/SENAT (transport-sector levies) and income-tax withholdings calculated on the other — with consolidated payment slips and a receipt.
Driver settlement (or trip settlement) is the accounting between carrier and driver at the end of each trip or period: on one side the freight due, on the other the advance, diesel, tolls, per-diem and deductions; for the self-employed owner-operator (TAC), also the INSS (social security), SEST/SENAT (transport-sector levies) and income-tax withholdings (IRRF). In BrainCargo the settlement comes out of the transport freight note (the trip statement the CT-e is built from) integrated with the CT-e: expenses arrive from the driver app with receipts, withholdings are calculated with consolidated payment slips, each contracted owner-operator has an account with a PDF statement, and the closing generates the receipt — no spreadsheet, no mental math.
The settlement spreadsheet breaks in three places: the owner-operator withholding calculated wrong, the expense without a receipt and the balance that doesn’t match what was paid. The module solves all three because it starts from what the system already knows — the trip’s CT-e, the CIOT with its advance and balance, and the receipts the driver sends through the app.
For those hiring owner-operators, settlement talks to the CIOT and to electronic freight payment: the advance and balance declared in the operation are the same ones in the settlement, and payment lands in the owner-operator’s account of choice.
What you can achieve
1
source for the settlement
The freight note integrated with the CT-e is the source: freight, advance and balance are built from the trip, not from a parallel spreadsheet.
3
withholdings calculated
The owner-operator’s INSS, SEST/SENAT and income tax calculated in the settlement, with the payment slips consolidated per period.
0
expenses without receipts
Diesel, tolls and per-diem enter through the driver app with the receipt photo attached.
statement per owner-operator
Each owner-operator has an account with postings and a PDF statement — accounting without argument.
Why this module
The right withholding, slips ready
The owner-operator’s INSS, SEST/SENAT and income tax calculated in the settlement, with the payment slips consolidated per period.
Expenses with receipts
The driver sends the receipt photo through the app; the posting enters the trip and the argument disappears at closing.
Owner-operator with a statement
An account per owner-operator with postings and a PDF statement — whoever accounts and whoever receives see the same number.
Linked to the CIOT and to cash
Advance and balance are the CIOT’s; the closed settlement becomes a posting in cash and the P&L.
How to close a trip settlement in 4 steps
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The trip generates the freight note
With the CT-e issued, the freight note brings freight, advance and balance. For the owner-operator, the same values as the CIOT.
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Expenses arrive from the app
The driver photographs the diesel receipt, the toll and the per-diem; each posting enters the trip with its receipt.
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The system calculates
Freight minus advances and deductions, plus reimbursements; for the owner-operator, the INSS, SEST/SENAT and income-tax withholdings — with the slips consolidated per period.
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Close, pay and file
The settlement receipt comes out in PDF, payment goes to the driver’s account and the posting lands in cash and the P&L.
What's included
From freight note to cash, with integrated boleto and PIX
- Transport freight note integrated with the CT-e: freight, advance and trip balance
- Settlement per trip or per period, for employed drivers or owner-operators
- Owner-operator withholdings: INSS, SEST/SENAT and income tax with consolidated payment slips
- Trip expenses (diesel, tolls, per-diem) with receipts via the driver app
- Deductions: fines, cargo damage and advances
- Owner-operator accounts with PDF statements
- Settlement receipt and integration with cash and the P&L
- Integration with the CIOT and electronic freight payment
Settlement in the system or on the spreadsheet: what changes
| Criterion | BrainCargo | Spreadsheet | Notebook / verbal settlement |
|---|---|---|---|
| Source of values | The freight note linked to the CT-e and CIOT | Typing | Memory |
| Owner-operator withholdings | Calculated, with consolidated slips | A formula nobody reviews | Not calculated |
| Receipts | Photo via the app, attached to the posting | Paper envelope | None |
| Statement of account | PDF statement per owner-operator | Screenshot of the sheet | Argument |
| Accounting entries | Enters cash and the P&L | Rework at month end | — |
Criteria observed across BrainCargo client operations.
Frequently asked questions
What goes into the driver’s trip settlement?
The freight (or commission) due for the trip, the advance already paid, reimbursable expenses with receipts (diesel, tolls, per-diem, detention charges for waiting time at loading or unloading), deductions (fines, cargo damage) and, for the owner-operator, the INSS, SEST/SENAT and income-tax withholdings. The result is the balance to pay, with a receipt.
How do I calculate waiting time and the driver’s per-diem?
Per-diem and waiting time are set by contract or collective agreement, not by the system; in the settlement they enter as trip postings (with the receipt or the app’s arrival/departure record) and are summed into the balance automatically.
Does settlement work for employed drivers and owner-operators?
Yes. For employed drivers, settlement handles advances, expenses and deductions; for the owner-operator it adds the withholdings and talks to the CIOT and electronic freight payment.
Is there a free driver-settlement spreadsheet?
There is, and it handles a few trips a month. It doesn’t calculate withholdings safely, doesn’t attach receipts and doesn’t close the cash book. The module does all three starting from the CT-e.
Can the driver see their own settlement?
The owner-operator account statement comes out in PDF for the driver; the expenses they posted through the app appear in the trip with the receipt.
Other modules
Settlements closed without a spreadsheet
Talk to us on WhatsApp: the team activates Financials and sends you the sign-up link.
Modular pricing, sized to your operation: you only pay for the modules you use, and the plan scales with your volume. Ask for a quote on WhatsApp.