Payroll Specialist

About QQR Freight

QQR Freight is the brand behind a family of companies that keep critical freight moving for supply chains that can't afford to stop. The family includes QQR Transport, Inc. and QQR Logistics Solutions, Inc. The QQR companies bring disciplined execution to automotive, manufacturing, pharmaceutical, aerospace, energy, and other key industries throughout North America, including major U.S.‑Canada and U.S.‑Mexico cross-border lanes.

This role sits within the Accounting and Finance team and owns payroll for QQR Freight's family of companies: drivers and office staff at QQR Transport, and office staff at QQR Logistics and the shared services team. QQR Freight is building its finance function in Cincinnati, Ohio, and is looking for an experienced payroll professional ready to grow with it.

Compensation

Placement within the range is based on relevant work experience, demonstrated skills, and applicable education or professional training. The total compensation range for this position is $55,000 to $75,000 annual salary.

Job Overview

QQR Freight is seeking an experienced Payroll Specialist to own payroll from start to finish. This role covers two very different kinds of payroll, and we need someone who is equally strong at both.

On the trucking side, you will run weekly driver payroll and settlements for a truckload fleet scaling to hundreds of company drivers. Driver pay is built on miles, loads, and stops, plus detention, layover, accessorials, and per diem. The plan changes with the work: solo or team, regional or over-the-road, dry van or open deck, and dedicated accounts with their own pay terms. You understand how a load moves from dispatch to delivery, how to reconcile pay against ELD, dispatch, and load data, and why accurate, on-time pay is one of the biggest levers a carrier has on driver retention.

On the office side, you will run semimonthly payroll through Paychex for office staff across QQR Freight's family of companies. That covers salaried and hourly pay, overtime, PTO, benefit deductions, and commission and bonus pay for the brokerage sales team. The dispatchers, recruiters, and sales staff who keep freight moving deserve the same accuracy and fast answers as the drivers behind the wheel, and this role is measured on both.

QQR Freight is scaling fast through organic growth and acquisitions. Because QQR Freight operates through separate legal entities, you will keep each entity's payroll records and reporting separate while managing multiple pay schedules and states. You will work closely with HR and Recruiting, Operations, Finance, and executive leadership, with full accountability for accurate, timely payroll and clean reconciliations across driver and office payroll alike.

Requirements

Key Responsibilities

Driver Payroll & Settlements (Weekly)

• Process weekly driver payroll and settlements accurately and on time across multiple states, including mileage, load, and stop pay, detention, layover, accessorials, and per diem
• Apply the correct pay plan by driver and operation, including solo and team, regional and OTR, open deck, and dedicated accounts with contract-specific pay
• Audit trip, timecard, and settlement data before each run, reconciling driver pay against ELD, dispatch/TMS, and load data (e.g., Samsara, PCS) and resolving variances before processing
• Process fuel-card advances (e.g., EFS), related payroll deductions, and other authorized driver deductions, resolving discrepancies promptly
• Serve as the go-to contact for driver pay questions, researching discrepancies quickly and giving drivers clear answers and timelines

Office Payroll (Semimonthly)

• Process semimonthly office payroll accurately and on time through Paychex for salaried and hourly staff across each QQR company, including overtime, PTO, and pay changes
• Calculate and process commissions and bonuses for brokerage sales staff from load-level margin and customer payment data, following approved compensation plans
• Reconcile benefit and 401(k) deductions, and review Paychex invoices against payroll registers
• Partner with HR and Recruiting so new hires, terminations, and status changes flow accurately into payroll, including state final-pay requirements
• Serve as the go-to contact for office pay, commission, and deduction questions, with clear answers and timelines

Multi-Entity Payroll Tax & Compliance

• Keep payroll records, filings, and reporting separate and accurate for each QQR company across weekly and semimonthly pay schedules
• Apply wage-and-hour rules for drivers and office staff, including FLSA overtime, exempt and non-exempt status, the Motor Carrier Act exemption for drivers, and state requirements
• Support multi-state payroll tax reporting, including resident-state withholding for interstate drivers, and track, research, and resolve tax notices
• Handle wage garnishments, child support orders, tax levies, deductions, and refunds under applicable federal and state rules
• Support quarter-end and year-end reporting, including W-2s

Controls, Reporting & Process Improvement

• Maintain audit-ready documentation for payroll runs, settlements, commissions, and adjustments, in line with company policy and internal controls
• Prepare payroll journal entries, accruals, and reconciliations for each company's month-end close
• Provide Finance with payroll and labor cost reporting by company, including driver pay per mile
• Support internal and external audits, including insurance and workers' compensation audits, with records, reconciliations, and supporting documentation
• Support payroll integration when fleets or companies join the QQR family through acquisition
• Identify and implement process improvements that reduce pay errors and speed up processing as the companies scale

What Success Looks Like

Within 90 days, you are fully proficient in our payroll and operations systems and running weekly driver payroll and semimonthly office payroll independently. Drivers and office staff are paid accurately and on time, commissions are reconciled before payout, and pay questions are answered promptly.

Within 12 months, you have reduced pay corrections and off-cycle checks in driver and office payroll. You have built reconciliation routines that scale with a fleet of hundreds of drivers and a growing office and sales staff, and you have delivered clean quarter-end and year-end filings. You are the person drivers, staff, and leadership trust with their pay questions.

Why QQR Freight?

Exceptional transportation companies are built by exceptional people. The QQR companies work to the QQR Standard: Honesty, Discipline, Innovation, Respect, and Growth. In payroll, that standard is personal.

• Honesty means we do what we say we will do, and a paycheck is where people see it most clearly.
• Discipline means a process that holds up as volume grows.
• Innovation means fewer manual steps and better tools as the companies scale.
• Respect means a driver calling from the road and an employee in the office get the same straight answer.
• Growth means room to build your career as the finance function grows.

We give our people the autonomy, resources, and support to make a real impact, for the company and its customers and for their families and themselves.

Qualifications

Required

• 3+ years of full-cycle payroll experience, including at least 2 years processing driver payroll or settlements at a trucking or transportation company (mileage, load-based, detention, and per diem pay)
• Hands-on experience running office payroll for salaried, hourly, and commissioned employees, including overtime, PTO, and benefit deductions
• Solid understanding of trucking operations and how loads, miles, and hours flow from dispatch, TMS, and ELD data into driver pay
• Working knowledge of wage-and-hour rules for drivers and office staff, including FLSA overtime and the Motor Carrier Act exemption
• Experience with payroll systems (e.g., Paychex, ADP, or similar) and strong Excel skills (lookups, pivot tables, reconciliations)
• Exceptional attention to detail and accuracy with high-volume data
• Strong written and verbal communication, including comfort fielding pay questions directly from drivers and office staff
• Ability to manage overlapping weekly and semimonthly payroll deadlines

Preferred

• Multi-state, multi-entity payroll experience, including resident-state withholding for interstate drivers
• Experience calculating sales commissions, ideally margin-based commissions in freight brokerage or logistics
• Hands-on experience with Paychex Flex
• Driver Payroll Experience
• Experience with fuel-card programs and related payroll deductions (e.g., EFS, Comdata)
• Knowledge of wage garnishments and payroll tax reporting, including Ohio municipal income tax
• California payroll experience, including pay rules for drivers paid by the mile or load
• Experience supporting payroll through rapid growth or acquisitions
• Associate or bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience; CPP or FPC certification a plus

Benefits

Benefits

• Comprehensive benefits package
• Health, dental, and vision coverage
• 401(k) with a 3% company match
• Health and wellness discounts

Equal Opportunity

Each QQR Freight company is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to an inclusive environment for all employees. Employment decisions are made without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, protected veteran status, or any other status protected by applicable law.

Work Environment

Candidates must be able to operate a computer, telephone, and related office equipment as needed to fulfill job responsibilities. The role works in an open-concept office with noise levels consistent with standard office activity and periodic interruptions during the workday. It involves sustained periods of sitting, along with regular verbal communication and active listening.

Work Authorization

Employment visa sponsorship is not available for this position. Applicants who require sponsorship now or in the future (e.g., F-1 STEM OPT, H-1B, TN, J-1) will not be considered.