Logistics & Transportation
Bookkeeping for trucking companies and owner-operators who need to know their cost per mile, not just their revenue.
The Industry
Trucking looks like a high-revenue business until you subtract fuel, insurance, maintenance, tires, and the loan payment. What’s left is measured in cents per mile, and those cents disappear fast if you’re not tracking them.
Northwest Ohio sits on I-75, which means freight moves through here constantly. Owner-operators and small fleets run loads up to Michigan, down to Kentucky, east to Pennsylvania. The work is there. The question is whether the work is profitable once you account for everything it costs to move the truck.
Who This Covers
Who This Covers
Owner-operators, small fleets, hotshot haulers, freight carriers, delivery services, moving companies. Anyone running trucks and trying to figure out if the loads are actually making money.
What Makes It Different
What Makes It Different
Cost per mile calculations. Fuel costs that swing 30% in a quarter. IFTA reporting across multiple states. Cash flow gaps between hauling and getting paid. Driver settlements if you lease on owner-operators.
What We Handle
Monthly bookkeeping with expenses broken down by truck so you can see what each unit actually costs to operate. Fuel, maintenance, insurance, depreciation, all allocated so you know your real cost per mile. When a load comes in at $2.40 a mile, you’ll know whether that’s profitable or just keeping the wheels turning.
We also handle payroll for drivers, whether hourly, per mile, or percentage-based. IFTA fuel tax reporting organized so quarterly filings don’t become a scramble for receipts.
Cost Per Mile
Cost Per Mile
Fuel, maintenance, tires, insurance, depreciation, permits. All of it calculated against miles driven. You know your floor rate before you accept a load.
IFTA Reporting
IFTA Reporting
Fuel purchases matched to state mileage. Quarterly filings prepared on time. No more digging through receipts the week before the deadline.
Common Problems
The bank account looks healthy, so you assume business is good. But $15,000 of that is spoken for. Insurance premium due next week. Fuel card bill coming in. Truck payment on the 15th. The number you can actually spend is half what the balance shows.
The other trap is taking loads just to keep moving. Empty miles cost money, so you accept a $1.90 rate to avoid deadheading home. But if your cost per mile is $2.10, you lost money hauling that freight. Without the numbers, you can’t tell the difference between staying busy and staying profitable.
Cash Flow Timing
Cash Flow Timing
You haul the load Monday, burn the fuel Monday, pay the driver Friday. The broker pays in 30 to 45 days. That gap is where trucking companies get squeezed.
No Cost Visibility
No Cost Visibility
Revenue per load is easy to see. Cost per load is harder. Without tracking expenses by truck and by mile, you’re guessing at margins. Sometimes the guess is wrong.
What Changes
You know your cost per mile by truck. When a broker offers a rate, you can calculate margin on the spot instead of hoping it works out. You stop taking loads that feel like they’re keeping you busy but are actually costing money.
IFTA gets filed on time. Payroll runs without eating your weekend. The books show which trucks are earning their keep and which ones are dragging down the fleet. You make decisions based on numbers instead of feel.
Rate Confidence
Rate Confidence
You know your floor. When a load doesn’t hit it, you walk away. When it does, you take it knowing the margin is real.
Fleet Visibility
Fleet Visibility
Each truck tracked separately. You see which units are profitable and which cost more to operate than they bring in. Equipment decisions get made with data, not gut feeling.
Northwest Ohio’s Trusted Bookkeeping Partner
The Next Step:
A 15-Minute Discovery Call
Let's talk about your current bookkeeping situation. We'll assess your needs, outline a plan of action, and give you a clear quote.
