Estimated Weekly PFL Benefit — Truck Driver · 2026
$875/week
Based on $65,000/year · 8-week total: $7,000
How This Was Calculated
For a Truck Driver earning $65,000/year, EDD calculates your PFL benefit using the highest-quarter method:
1
Highest Quarter Earnings$65,000 ÷ 4 = $16,250. Mileage bonuses and per-diem on your W-2 count toward EDD wages.
2
Average Weekly Wage (AWW)$16,250 ÷ 13 weeks = $1,250/week
3
Apply Rate: 70%$1,250 × 70% = $875/week
4
Multiply by Weeks$875 × 8 weeks = $7,000 total
Benefit by Number of Weeks
| Leave Duration | Weekly Benefit | Total Benefit |
|---|
| 1 week | $875/wk | $875 |
| 2 weeks | $875/wk | $1,750 |
| 4 weeks | $875/wk | $3,500 |
| 6 weeks | $875/wk | $5,250 |
| 8 weeks | $875/wk | $7,000 |
First question for drivers: company driver or owner-operator?
For truck drivers, eligibility matters before the dollar amount, because the two main ways drivers are paid lead to opposite answers. The $875/week estimate above only applies if you have SDI coverage.
| Driver type | Pay basis | PFL eligible? |
|---|
| Company driver | W-2, SDI ("CASDI") withheld | Yes, standard PFL |
| Owner-operator / lease-op | 1099, no SDI withheld | No, only via DIEC or separate W-2 wages |
If you're a company driver for a carrier and your pay stub shows the "CASDI" deduction, you pay into SDI and can file a standard PFL claim to bond with a new child or care for a seriously ill family member. The $875/week figure above is built for you.
If you're an owner-operator, lease-operator, or 1099 contractor, no SDI is withheld from your settlements. Without SDI contributions you cannot file a standard PFL claim, no matter how many miles you run. This is the single most important thing to confirm before you count on any payment.
If you're 1099: DIEC is the only route
Owner-operators can still get PFL, but only through one of these:
- Disability Insurance Elective Coverage (DIEC). Self-employed drivers can opt into SDI/PFL through EDD's DIEC program, then pay quarterly premiums. You must be covered for at least two full quarters before filing a claim, and it can't be arranged retroactively once leave is approaching. Treat it like insurance you buy in advance.
- Separate W-2 wages. If you also drove as a company employee with SDI withheld during your base period (the 5–18 months before your claim), those wages may qualify you. The benefit is based on the W-2 wages, not your 1099 settlements.
ℹ️Job protection works differently for owner-operatorsCFRA job protection covers employees, not 1099 contractors, so owner-operator status alone generally carries no CFRA protection. Company drivers at carriers with 5+ employees usually do have CFRA, which runs concurrently with PFL. If you qualify for PFL, file within 41 days of your first leave day at edd.ca.gov.
How per-mile and per-diem pay concentrates a company driver's best quarter
For company drivers who are covered, EDD ignores your salary and annual total. It uses your single highest-earning quarter in the base period, divided by 13. Mileage-based pay swings with the season and the freight market, so one quarter often runs well above another. A strong produce or peak-shipping season, heavy miles, and detention or layover pay can load one quarter, and EDD will use that higher quarter.
- Per-mile (CPM) earnings. High-mileage quarters lift your best quarter above a flat salary ÷ 4.
- Safety, fuel, and referral bonuses. These land in the quarter paid and stack onto it.
- Taxable per-diem and detention pay. This counts toward EDD wages only if it appears on your W-2 with SDI withheld. Non-taxable reimbursed per-diem does not.
⚠️File within 41 days of your first leave dayPFL replaces income but does not protect your job by itself. If you're a company driver, confirm both your PFL eligibility (CASDI on your stub) and your CFRA job protection before your leave starts. Owner-operators need DIEC set up well in advance.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a truck driver get California PFL in 2026? +
It depends on how you're paid. Company drivers paid W-2 with SDI ("CASDI") withheld can file a standard PFL claim and a $65,000 earner gets about $875/week. Owner-operators and 1099 lease-operators have no SDI withheld and are not automatically eligible — they qualify only through EDD's Disability Insurance Elective Coverage (DIEC) or separate W-2 wages in the base period.
I'm an owner-operator — how do I get covered for PFL? +
Through DIEC. Self-employed drivers apply to EDD, choose an assumed income level, and pay quarterly premiums. You must be covered for at least two full quarters before you can file a claim, so it has to be set up in advance — not when leave is already coming. Otherwise you'd need W-2 wages with SDI in your base period.
Do mileage bonuses and per-diem raise a company driver's PFL benefit? +
Yes, if they were on your W-2 with SDI withheld. EDD uses your highest-earning quarter, so a high-mileage quarter, bonuses, and taxable per-diem that land together can lift that quarter and your weekly benefit above the flat salary ÷ 4 estimate. Non-taxable reimbursed per-diem does not count.
Do truck drivers have job protection during PFL? +
Company drivers at carriers with 5+ employees usually have CFRA job protection, which runs concurrently with PFL. Owner-operators and 1099 contractors generally do not, because CFRA covers employees, not independent contractors.
Other Profession PFL Calculators