Trucking companies have unique bookkeeping needs rarely met by traditional small-business accounting software like QuickBooks. Rather than bend those programs to work for your business, choose one built specifically for your industry.
Trucking accounting software makes it easy to manage operations, with mileage tracking, flexible billing, fleet management, dispatching services and International Fuel Tax Agreement (IFTA) reporting. The best all-in-one services also include accounting functions like payroll, accounts receivable, and profit and loss reporting.
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Here are our top picks for accounting software for trucking companies.
Best Trucking Accounting Software
Product | Promotion | Learn more | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
TruckLogics | Best for Overall trucking accounting software | $10/month Additional pricing tiers (per month): $19.95 and $29.95 owner-operators; $29.95 to $119.95 fleet managers. | 15-day free trial | |
Q7 | Best for Order management for trucking companies | N/A Quote-based. | N/A | |
Rigbooks | Best for Owner-operators and small fleets | $19/month | 30-day free trial | |
Axon | Best for Midsize operations | N/A Quote-based. | N/A | |
Truck Bytes | Best for Free trucking accounting software | $0 Free. | N/A | |
TruckingOffice | Best for IFTA reporting features | $20/month Additional pricing tiers (per month): $30 to $110. | 30-day free trial | |
Zoho Books Learn more on Zoho Books' secure website | 4.5/5 Best for General accounting software with trucking business customization | $0 Additional pricing tiers (per month): $20, $50, $70, $150, $275. | 14-day free trial of the Premium plan. | Learn more on Zoho Books' secure website |
Our pick for
Overall trucking accounting software
TruckLogics
Starting at
$10/month
Additional pricing tiers (per month): $19.95 and $29.95 owner-operators; $29.95 to $119.95 fleet managers.
Promotion
15-day free trial
TruckLogics is a complete trucking management software that includes a number of industry-specific features — such as dispatch and driver management, truck maintenance tracking and IFTA reporting — in addition to accounting capabilities. The company offers multiple pricing tiers for fleet managers and owner-operators, so the software can grow with your business.
Pros
- Free trial available.
- Multiple pricing tiers accommodate business growth.
- Many additional features beyond accounting.
- Integrations include QuickBooks plus industry-specific software.
- Customer support available weekdays by phone and email.
- Mobile app available for iOS and Android.
Cons
- IFTA reporting is an add-on service.
Our pick for
Order management for trucking companies
Q7
Starting at
N/A
Quote-based.
Promotion
N/A
Q7 is built for truckers and loaded with features designed to help your trucking business operate efficiently, whether you’re an independent owner-operator or in charge of a large fleet. Core features include order management, fleet maintenance, payroll, accounting, freight billing and dispatch (truckload, brokerage and less than truckload). The software’s order management feature is particularly strong and includes a quotation tool to track quotations and convert them to orders. Optional features such as shipment status notification, real-time reports, document management, data exports and others are available for an additional charge.
You can opt for a site license or cloud-based setup. The site version is available only on Windows 7 or newer. Although Q7 does offer a free demo, there is no free trial period, so you’re all in once you commit.
Pros
- Full suite of accounting tools, including payroll, general ledger, accounts receivable and accounts payable.
- Training and technical support included.
- Long list of add-on features available.
Cons
- Lack of pricing transparency.
- No free trial.
- Software looks dated.
Our pick for
Owner-operators and small fleets
Rigbooks
Starting at
$19/month
Promotion
30-day free trial
Rigbooks is an affordable accounting software designed to help truckers understand the true cost of each run so they can choose the most profitable load each time. Users can get a quick view of cost and profit per mile, and can bill by mile, item, load, weight or as a lump sum. The software is cloud based, so you can access it via a laptop, smartphone or tablet.
Pros
- Free trial available.
- Customized billing to invoice by mile, item and weight.
- Ability to log expenses from your smartphone or tablet.
- IFTA tracking and calculation included.
Cons
- No phone support; email only.
- Very limited support docs and resources available on site.
Our pick for
Midsize operations
Axon
Starting at
N/A
Quote-based.
Promotion
N/A
Axon does what any great accounting software should do — it eases administrative overhead. The software’s integrated reporting eliminates the need for duplicating data entry across multiple views. Simply enter data in one area and it's instantly updated across all relevant areas. The full-service software includes payroll, fleet management, trucking dispatch and IFTA tax calculator, among other capabilities.
Axon is not cloud-based; instead, it is installed locally on a desktop computer and can be accessed only from that device. The company does, however, offer cloud hosting for data backup/disaster recovery purposes.
Pros
- Real-time integrated reporting eliminates bookkeeping overhead.
- Dispatch software minimizes empty loads.
- Automatic IFTA tax calculations.
Cons
- Lack of pricing transparency.
Our pick for
Free trucking accounting software
Truck Bytes
Starting at
$0
Free.
Promotion
N/A
True accounting software for trucking companies needs to tick some specific boxes: track loads, trips, expenses and invoices as well as generate IFTA reports for simple and accurate tax filing. Truck Bytes ticks those boxes free of cost. Of course, free software rarely comes with any bells and whistles. Truck Bytes software essentially operates as pre-filled Excel spreadsheets. But if you don’t have the time to set up your own Excel sheets and formulas (who does?) and are operating on a tight business budget, Truck Bytes may satisfy your trucking accounting requirements.
Pros
- Software is free.
- Includes industry-specific features such as IFTA reporting and load tracking.
- Provides online resource to trucking career development.
Cons
- Software is super basic in appearance and functionality.
Our pick for
IFTA reporting features
TruckingOffice
Starting at
$20/month
Additional pricing tiers (per month): $30 to $110.
Promotion
30-day free trial
TruckingOffice offers a full suite of industry-specific features for trucking company accounting and management, but it stands out for its IFTA reporting capabilities. It auto-calculates and records mileage and even sorts fuel amounts by state. The tool’s automation technology saves you time and hassle and helps reduce human error in calculations.
Pros
- Free trial available.
- Integrates with QuickBooks.
- Full trucking and fleet management software.
- Customer support available by phone, email and live chat.
- Automatic data backups for disaster recovery.
Cons
- Automatic mileage calculation feature comes at an additional cost.
Our pick for
General accounting software with trucking business customization
Zoho Books
Learn more
on Zoho Books' secure website
Starting at
$0
Additional pricing tiers (per month): $20, $50, $70, $150, $275.
Promotion
14-day free trial
of the Premium plan.
Zoho Books is general accounting software with a strong reputation. Zoho has a suite of products that integrate smoothly and can help you build a custom solution suited to your business and its specific needs. In particular, if you choose to use Zoho Books for your trucking accounting you can additionally use Zoho Creator (which comes with a separate monthly cost) to customize a number of templated apps designed specifically for logistics. Design the logistics, supply chain and fleet management software your business needs — very little coding experience is needed.
Pros
- Less expensive than some competitors; free plan available for businesses with less than $50k in annual revenue.
- Email support in free plan; phone and chat support in paid plans.
- Rich feature set includes excellent invoicing, inventory management, workflow rules and a capable mobile app.
- Add accounting widgets to your phone’s home screen; track time using your Apple Watch.
Cons
- Fewer third-party integrations and reports than some competitors.
- No plan includes more than 15 users (can add additional users for a fee).
How to choose accounting software for your trucking business
Trucking companies are not all alike. Large-scale operations may need trucking accounting software with a full suite of features, including fleet management, dispatching and payroll.
Independent owner-operators, on the other hand, need an easy-to-use system with smart tools to help maximize profits, log expenses and streamline tax reporting — ideally from their office and their rig.
In addition to specific features, consider the following factors when evaluating your options for trucking accounting software:
- Local install versus cloud-based: Software installed locally on a desktop may be ideal for trucking operations with dedicated office staff. A cloud-based accounting system that’s accessible from a smartphone or tablet may work better for solo truckers.
- Integrated reporting: Manually entering data in multiple areas is a pain. It’s also ripe for errors. A trucking management system with integrated reporting lets you input data in one place, and the software automatically transfers that information to all relevant reporting areas.
- Ability to scale: You may have a small fleet now, but what about in five years? Choose a program that will grow with you to avoid swapping accounting systems every few years.
Last updated on April 8, 2024
Methodology
NerdWallet independently reviews accounting software products before determining our top picks. We collect the data for our software ratings from products’ public-facing websites and from company representatives. Information is gathered on a regular basis and reviewed by our editorial team for consistency and accuracy.
NerdWallet’s accounting software ratings favor products that are easy to use, reasonably priced, have a robust feature set and can grow with your business. The best accounting software received top marks when evaluated across 10 categories and more than 30 subcategories. Learn more about how we rate small-business accounting software.
These ratings are meant to provide clarity in the decision-making process, but what’s best for your business will depend on its size, growth trajectory and which features you need most. We encourage you to research and compare multiple accounting software products before choosing one.
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