Bookkeeping for Trucking and Transport
Bookkeeping for Trucking and Transport
IFTA fuel tax reporting. Mileage records. Owner-operator structures.
- AIPB Certified
- QuickBooks ProAdvisor
- Xero Partner
- US-based team
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Run six states in a week and your fuel tax paperwork gets complicated fast. IFTA wants a quarterly report broken out by jurisdiction, matched against miles actually driven in each state, reconciled against every fuel receipt you kept (and the ones you didn't). Miss a jurisdiction or fumble a mileage split and the report either overstates what you owe or draws a letter you don't want.
We run books for owner-operators pulling one truck, small fleets with drivers on payroll, and hotshot and specialized haulers carrying their own wrinkle on top of the basic trucking set. The pattern repeats no matter the size: IFTA has to be right every quarter, the mileage log has to hold up if anyone asks, and the 1099 versus payroll question for drivers and owner-operators has to be settled correctly from the start, not guessed at.
Once we're running your books, the stuff that used to eat a Sunday goes away. Fuel receipts get logged as they happen instead of stuffed in the glovebox. Per-diem gets tracked per day on the road, not reconstructed from memory at tax time. Freight invoices get followed up before they go sixty days past due. What's left is the actual job: driving, dispatching, and knowing what you made.
Where trucking and transport bookkeeping actually helps
- I run loads through five or six states a week and I honestly don't trust my IFTA numbersFuel purchases and mileage logged by jurisdiction as trips happen, reconciled every quarter before the report goes anywhere near a filing.
- My logbook and mileage records would not survive anyone actually asking to see themMileage and trip records rebuilt and kept current going forward, with the documentation standard the IRS and IFTA both expect.
- I factor my invoices and I genuinely could not tell you what I made last month after feesFactoring fees, advances, and reserves reconciled against each invoice so your P&L shows real revenue, not just what hit the bank.
- I'm not sure if my per-diem is being tracked in a way that actually holds upPer-diem days logged against your actual time away from home, calculated at the correct rate, ready for your CPA or EA at filing time.
- I bought a new reefer trailer this year and have no idea what I can deduct now versus laterSection 179 and bonus depreciation applied where it makes sense for your equipment purchases, with a depreciation schedule your CPA or EA can use directly.
What's different about trucking and transport bookkeeping
- IFTA quarterly fuel tax reporting support across every jurisdiction you run
- Mileage and logbook records kept current and audit-ready
- Owner-operator 1099 structure set up and reconciled correctly from day one
- Freight invoicing and factoring reconciliation, so your real margin shows up
- Maintenance, repairs, and equipment depreciation tracked by unit
- Per-diem tracking for drivers on the road
- Quarterly estimated tax kept current so the deadline is not a scramble
The reconciliation trucking books actually need
Most trucking books we take over have the same handful of gaps. Fuel receipts photographed but never tied to a specific state or a specific truck. A mileage log that exists in theory but hasn't been touched in months. Factoring statements that get filed away without anyone checking whether the fees match what was disclosed. Owner-operator payments made without a clear decision on whether the driver is a 1099 contractor or a W-2 employee, which is a call that has real consequences at tax time and shouldn't be an afterthought.
Each of those gets fixed in the first month, and the fix isn't complicated. Fuel purchases get logged by jurisdiction as they happen, through receipts you photograph from the cab. Mileage gets tracked consistently so the IFTA report is a pull, not a reconstruction project. Factoring gets reconciled line by line so you know your real number, not just what landed in the account. Owner-operator and driver classification gets settled at onboarding, with W-9s or W-4s collected up front instead of chased in January.
By the time a quarter closes, the IFTA report is close to done before we open the filing software. Your CPA or EA gets a year-end pack that already reflects per-diem, depreciation, and mileage, so they're not rebuilding your year from a shoebox of fuel receipts. That's the whole point. Less reconstruction, more road.
"IFTA reporting, the mileage log, owner-operator structure, all of it. They sat with me on a video call for half an hour going through my last year of receipts. Getting IFTA off my plate alone was worth it. The peace of mind is the rest."
What's included
- Bank and factoring account reconciliation, weekly or monthly
- IFTA quarterly fuel tax reporting support, by jurisdiction
- Mileage and logbook record maintenance
- Freight invoice tracking and factoring fee reconciliation
- Maintenance, repair, and equipment expense tracking by unit
- Equipment depreciation under Section 179 and bonus depreciation where eligible
- Per-diem tracking for drivers
- Books kept tax-ready ahead of every quarterly deadline
- Year-end handoff to your CPA or EA
Why trucking and transport operators pick us
IFTA that reconciles clean
Fuel and mileage tracked by jurisdiction all quarter, so the report matches your actual receipts instead of getting patched together the week it is due.
Mileage records that hold up
Logs kept current, not reconstructed. If a jurisdiction or the IRS ever asks, the documentation is already there.
Owner-operator structure done right
1099 versus W-2 settled at onboarding with the paperwork collected up front. No scramble come January.
Factoring fees reconciled
Advances, reserves, and fees matched against each invoice so your P&L shows real revenue after the factor takes its cut.
Maintenance tracked by unit
Repairs and upkeep coded to the specific truck or trailer, so you can see which unit is actually costing you money.
Per-diem tracked daily
Days on the road logged as they happen and calculated at the right rate, ready for your CPA or EA at tax time.
Get IFTA off your plate this quarter
Tell us your fleet size and how you run. Quote in writing the same business day.
Three trucking shapes
Solo driver running one truck under their own authority
One prime mover, occasional trailer swaps, mostly long-haul and regional freight. IFTA every quarter, quarterly estimated tax, and a factoring relationship that needs reconciling monthly.
What changes
- IFTA reconciled by jurisdiction each quarter
- Factoring fees checked against every invoice
- Mileage and per-diem tracked daily
- Quarterly estimated tax kept current
How trucking books usually get handled
DIY (in the cab) Solo owner-operator phase | Dispatcher's spouse Common in small fleets | Trucking-focused (us) IFTA-fluent, load-tested | |
|---|---|---|---|
IFTA filed accurately by jurisdiction | Partial | Partial | Yes |
Mileage log current | No | Partial | Yes |
Factoring fees reconciled | No | Partial | Yes |
Per-truck profitability visible | No | No | Yes |
Per-diem tracked daily | No | Partial | Yes |
Books reviewed by an AIPB-certified bookkeeper | No | No | Yes |
Coverage while you are on a run | No | Partial | Yes |
How we price trucking and transport bookkeeping
Trucking bookkeeping pricing depends on fleet size, whether drivers are on payroll or running as 1099 owner-operators, factoring volume, and how many jurisdictions your IFTA report has to cover each quarter. A solo operator running two lanes costs less to keep books for than a six-truck fleet with mixed driver classifications.
Fill out the quote form and tell us roughly how many trucks you run and how the drivers are set up. We come back with a written number, usually within one business day. No flat tier to squeeze yourself into.
What clients say
"IFTA reporting, the mileage log, owner-operator structure, all of it. They sat with me on a video call for half an hour going through my last year of receipts. Getting IFTA off my plate alone was worth it. The peace of mind is the rest."
Trucking and Transport bookkeeping FAQ
Two things to remember
Every account is reconciled and kept tax-ready by an AIPB-certified bookkeeper. Every account is run inside the US. Those two anchors shape how we handle compliance for trucking and transport operators specifically.
Park the books with us.
Tell us your fleet size and how the drivers are structured. Quote in writing the same day.