As a small business owner, you want to make sure you are doing everything in your power to keep your business profitable.
There are many different tools available, but one of the most important is software for trucking companies. By using this software, it becomes easy to set up all of the books and projects you need in order to stay on track. We begin with TrukingOffice.
TruckingOffice
TruckingOffice is full-featured trucking and accounting software, but we especially like it’s IFTA tracking given its low price. If your main concern is IFTA tracking, or you’re a small company looking for basic tools for trucking companies, then TruckingOffice might be a good choice.
- IFTA tracking and reporting
- Low price
- LTL (less than load) planning and billing
- Issue invoices and track expenses
- ELD (electronic logging device) for an additional fee
- No payroll for employees
- Not a complete bookkeeping system
- Invoices cannot be paid electronically
- No live phone or chat support
Pricing
- Basic
- Owner/Operator: $20 per month for 1-2 trucks
- Mid Size: $45 per month for 3-7 trucks
- Fleet: $75 per month for unlimited trucks
- Broker: $45 per month for unlimited dispatches
- Pro (includes LTL planning and billing)
- Owner/Operator: $30 per month for 1-2 trucks
- Mid Size: $65 per month for 3-7 trucks
- Fleet: $110 per month for unlimited trucks
You can immediately start a free 30-day trial with no credit card required.Read our TruckingOffice review
Our Expert Opinion
While we included TruckingOffice in our list as an affordable way to comply with IFTA regulations, it actually offers much more at a very reasonable price. However, you’ll likely find that the features aren’t as robust or refined as more expensive software like Q7. Also, like Tailwind TMS, TruckingOffice isn’t a complete bookkeeping system. Unfortunately, while there is some ability to sync transactions between TruckingOffice and QuickBooks Online, there is not a complete two-way integration available as a QuickBooks Online app.
The Basic plan includes IFTA tracking and most other features you’ll need. However, you might consider upgrading to the Pro plan if you want load planning, LTL dispatch, or driver settlement management. Before spending money on a more expensive plan, perhaps give TruckingOffice a try with its free trial.
Sage Cloud Accounting
Some of the features and benefits of Sage Cloud Accounting’s accounting and bookkeeping software.
- Offers cloud-based accountancy software
- Easy to set-up and use
- Access the software from anywhere on any device
- Real-time financial data
- Helps aid collaboration
- Compliant software for making tax digital
- Offers smart automation
- Offers bank-level security
- 24/7 online support
- Offers a free trial
Sage Cloud Accounting is one of Sage’s accountancy tools which is cloud-based and is designed for small and medium-sized businesses. They offer two plans for their cloud accounting package which are an entry-level for sole traders and micro-businesses, and a standard plan for established businesses that require invoicing and cash flow management.
Sage Cloud Accounting plans all offer the ability to create invoices, track payments, produce real-time reports and submit VAT returns. Their software also allows you to access your accounts through their mobile app and it connects to your bank. Additional features include quotes and estimates, record purchase invoices and view cash flow statements.
Kashoo
Some of the features and benefits of Kashoo’s accounting and bookkeeping software.
- Offers simple cloud accounting software
- Designed for small businesses
- Speeds up your accounting processes
- Manage expenses
- Automate reports
- Fast invoicing
- Connects to your bank account
- Automatic backups
- Mobile app
- Offers unlimited help by phone, in-app chat and email
Kashoo is an accounting software provider that offers a single plan designed to cater for small businesses to help them automate and speed up their accounting processes. They offer a free 14-day trial of their software.
Kashoo’s accounting software is packed with premium features which include premium support that has no limits and is available by phone, in-app chat and email. Their software integrates with other software, connects with over 5,000 banks and they offer a mobile app. Other features include managing expenses, automating reporting, fast invoicing, automatic backups and notifications, allows bulk editing and one-click reviews.
Wave
Some of the features and benefits of Wave’s accounting and bookkeeping software.
- Offers financial software for entrepreneurs
- They offer free software and pay per use for payments
- Assists with accounting
- Designed to assist those with no accountancy skills
- Automated processes
- Manages invoicing
- Helps to track receipts with scanning
- Payment processing
- Payroll
- Run financial reports
Wave is a financial processing and accountancy software provider that offers solutions for invoicing, payment processing, receipt management and general accountancy. They offer their software for free with no setup costs or hidden fees and charge only for online payment processing as a percentage and a small transaction fee.
Wave’s accountancy software offers unlimited tracking, allows access by third parties, connects with bank accounts and credit cards and has a performance dashboard. It offers powerful reporting on cash flow, profit and loss, financial statements and overdue invoices and bills. Their invoice functionality is available in many currencies, send estimates that can be converted into invoices, and personalisation of invoices.
FreeAgent
Some of the features and benefits of FreeAgent’s accounting and bookkeeping software.
- Provides accounting software designed for small businesses
- Easy to use software
- Helps manage project finances
- Produces invoices
- Can create estimates
- Track time on clients/projects
- Manage expenses
- Incorporate payroll
- Connect to your bank
- Offers a free trial
FreeAgent is an accountancy software provider that has created its software to support small businesses in managing their finances. They offer three plans that are designed for different business setups – Sole Trader which includes self-assessment filing, Partnership/LLP which includes profit share calculation, and Limited Company which includes self-assessment filing, dividend vouchers and corporate tax forecasting.
FreeAgent’s accounting software is designed to manage their finances through support for managing project finances, producing invoices, creating estimates, tracking time spent on projects/clients, managing expenses, payroll activities and connecting to your bank. They offer a free trial to allow you to sample their software capabilities.
Zoho Books
Some of the features and benefits of Zoho Books’ accounting and bookkeeping software.
- Offers online accounting software
- Helps automate business workflows
- Provides end-to-end accounting
- Raising sales orders
- Produces invoices
- Helps prepare VAT
- Import bank transactions
- Time tracking
- Offers a variety of apps that can be integrated into their platform
- Provides a 14-day trial
Zoho is a software provider for businesses to assist them in managing a variety of online resources including CRM, sales and marketing tools, remote working tools, email and finance tools which includes Books for accounting. Zoho Books is an end-to-end accounting software which helps automate business workflows.
Zoho Books helps to manage receivables through sending estimates and converting them into invoices and assisting with payment reminders. Manage payables through the creation of purchase orders and uploading receipts. You can also import your bank account transactions, track time spent on projects, manage contacts and run a wide variety of reports.
Clear Books
Some of the features and benefits of Clear Books’ accounting and bookkeeping software.
- Provides small business bookkeeping and accounting software
- Simple to use tool
- Create and send invoices
- Purchase tracking
- Financial reporting
- Track business bills
- Employee expenses
- Match bank transactions with invoices and bills
- Offers search capabilities
- Produce reports and tax returns
Clear Books offers business accountancy software that is designed for small businesses and is easy to use. Their software allows businesses to take control of their invoicing, purchase tracking and financial reporting. They offer two plans which are Small and Large.
Clear Books’ Small plan provides invoice and quote creator, bill and receipt tracking, bank feeds and uploads, reports, dividend tool and project accounting. The Large plan offers all the Small plan capabilities plus advanced features including HMRC recognised software, making tax digital VAT reporting, CIS and multi-currency. Their software allows you to also track business bills and employee expenses, search by customer/supplier and match bank account transactions.
Pandle
Some of the features and benefits of Pandle’s accounting and bookkeeping software.
- Provides simple bookkeeping software
- Intuitively designed to help save you time
- Offers a free plan
- Automatically pulls out bank accounts transactions
- Helps automate payment reminders
- Create quotes and invoices
- Upload receipts
- Submit compliant VAT returns directly to HMRC
- Control access
- Offers an intuitive mobile app
Pandle is an accountancy software developer who has created simple and easy software that has been designed to support small businesses with their bookkeeping. They offer two plans which are a free plan and a Pro plan. You can try out the Pro plan on their free trial.
Pandle’s free plan includes creating quotes and invoices, payment reminders, accept payments with Pandle Pay, import bank transactions, VAT submissions, run reports and export data. In addition, the Pro plan offers receipt uploads, manage projects, cash flow forecasting, manage user permissions, unlimited users, premium invoice templates and multi-company management.
QuickBooks
Some of the features and benefits of QuickBooks’ accounting and bookkeeping software.
- Offers quick and simple accounting software
- Run payroll
- Self-assessment including digital returns
- Manage VAT
- Send invoices
- Time tracking facilities
- Connects with your bank account
- Pay bills
- Manage expenses
- Mileage tracking
QuickBooks Online is our pick for best overall small business accounting software and is a great affordable option for truckers that need to keep track of their income and expenses. The software has an outstanding mobile app that can be used to send invoices and scan receipts while on the road.
- Easy to use
- Outstanding mobile app
- Track profit and loss by load
- Track profitability by customer
- Plenty of Quickbooks ProAdvisors nationwide for assistance
- No trucking-specific features
- Cannot directly call customer support
- A little expensive for a solo trucker
Plans & Pricing
- Simple Start: $25 per month for one user
- Essentials: $50 per month for three users
- Plus: $80 per month for five users (our recommendation for truckers)
- Advanced: $180 per month for 25 users
New users have the choice of 50% off for three months, or a free 30-day trial with no credit card required.Read our QuickBooks Online Review
Our Expert Opinion
If you’re a self-employed trucker, you don’t need all the features included in the more expensive software covered in this guide. You mostly need to keep accurate track of your income and expenses, and nobody does that easier than QuickBooks Online. You can connect your bank and credit card accounts so that transactions flow into your books automatically. All you do is classify them once they are transferred. Bank reconciliations are intuitive. If you prefer, you can outsource your monthly reconciliations to QuickBooks Live, which will match you to a bookkeeper for assistance. You can also work with QuickBooks Live when initially setting up your QuickBooks to tailor it exactly for the needs of a trucker.
The Plus plan offers you multiple features to help you select the most profitable loads. You can assign income and expenses to “projects,” which for truckers could be a load. You can separate loads into different classes and track the profit for each class. For instance, perhaps you want to track your profitability based on the length of a haul. Finally, you can print a report showing your profitability by customer.
Bokio
Some of the features and benefits of Bokio’s accounting and bookkeeping software.
- Simple accounting software
- Offers a free account
- Record transactions from your bank
- Automated software reports
- Send and track invoices
- Manage your accounts on the go with mobile-friendly software
- Assists in submitting your VAT return
- HMRC compliant
- Manage expenses
- Cloud-based and secure backups
Bokio is a financial software provider that offers bookkeeping and invoicing software as well as service add-ons. They cater for smaller businesses and the self-employed. They offer three plans which are a Free plan, Priority Support and Hire an Accountant.
Bokio offers cloud-based financial software that is automatically backed up and secure. Their free plan includes recording transactions, templates, unlimited invoicing, automated reports, HMRC compliant VAT returns, automatic bank feeds, management of expenses and support. Priority Support incorporates all the free features but has support to set-up the account and 24-hour support response time on business days.
Q7
Q7 is serious trucking software for companies that need help managing a fleet of trucks. The accounting software is deeply integrated with the trucking management software to make accounting entries automatically as you conduct your business.
- Choice of desktop or cloud-based program
- Free training and support
- Extensive list of trucking management features
- Integrated payroll
- No upfront pricing
- Desktop version is not compatible with Mac
- Complex system requires training and dedication
Plans & Pricing
Contact Q7 for a free demo and a customized price quote.Read our Q7 Trucking Review
Expert Opinion
Q7 is a complex system that will work best when there is a full-time person dedicated to utilizing the software’s extensive features. In addition to standard accounting features like accounts receivable (A/R), accounts payable (A/P), bank reconciliations, and payroll, Q7 has modules for dispatch, freight billing, and pay settlement. You can track fuel and miles by truck through integrations with trucking mileage programs like Rand McNally and ProMiles to generate fuel purchase, state mileage, and IFTA tax reports. Q7 also has a powerful fleet maintenance program that will track your fixed assets and help you schedule routine maintenance, whether based on months or miles driven. If you have a fleet of trucks and at least one person that will be dedicated to learning the software, then Q7 will be worth the investment.
Conclusion
When your business is growing and starts to take off financially, the situation may arise where you require proper accounting software. For trucking companies, it can be difficult to figure out exactly what accounting system to use, because many systems will not work for them. Basically, if you’re a small trucking business owner or an owner-operator who operates out of their home, this post will speak to you.