Over the road and yes away from home for a week then home for 36 hrs
I am local DOT driver. Go home every night can I qualify?
No, you would not qualify to claim meal expenses.
In order to qualify to claim meal expenses as a truck driver you would need to be traveling away from home for 'substantially longer' than the length of a normal workday and you would need to be a self-employed driver. Drivers employed and receiving a W-2 are no longer eligible to claim per diem expenses for meals or travel due to the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.
Trying to find out about per diem for over the road truck driver
The special standard meal allowance (or per diem) rate for individuals working in the Transportation Industry (subject to the U.S. Department of Transportation "hours of service" rules) is $66 per day in the Continental U.S. ($71 per day outside the continental U.S.) for travel between 10/1/18 and 9/30/20.
In addition, transportation workers can claim a deduction of 80% for meals (compared to the general 50% limitation.)
Per IRS Publication 463, you can claim the special standard meal allowance if you work in the transportation industry. You are considered to be in the transportation industry if your work:
You are subject to the Department of Transportation's “hours of service” limits if you are one of the following:
Please Note: The deduction for meals and incidental expenses is not available to employees who receive a W-2. Unreimbursed employee business expenses are no longer deductible as a miscellaneous itemized deduction unless you are in a special category of employment. Please see IRS Publication 529 for more information.