Fuel costs, IFTA, per diem, maintenance — trucking bookkeeping is complex. Here's how to track it all and actually know your profit per mile.
Owner-operators and small trucking companies face financial challenges unlike any other industry:
The single most important number in trucking: cost per mile. If you don't know this, you can't price loads profitably.
These expenses happen whether you drive 1 mile or 100,000:
These scale with miles driven:
$0.32 + $0.77 = $1.09/mile
If a load pays $1.50/mile, your gross profit is $0.41/mile. On a 500-mile run, that's $205 profit before taxes.
Track this monthly. Fuel prices fluctuate, maintenance spikes, and insurance renewals change the math. Recalculate quarterly to stay profitable.
Hivebooks connects to your fuel cards and bank accounts. Track every fill-up, maintenance charge, and load payment automatically. See your actual cost per mile and profit margins without spreadsheets.
Start Free →The IRS caps Section 179 for vehicles over 6,000 lbs at specific amounts, but heavy-duty trucks (over 14,000 lbs GVW) have no limit. You can deduct the full purchase price in year one — up to $1,220,000 (2025).
A $150,000 truck used 100% for business? Deduct all $150,000 this year.
Truckers can deduct $69/day (2025) for meals while away from home overnight. You don't need receipts — just a logbook showing days on the road. Drive 250 days/year = $17,250 deduction.
Note: Per diem is 80% of the full $69 rate, so the actual deduction is $55.20/day ($69 × 0.80).
Every gallon is deductible. Track purchases via fuel cards (EFS, Comdata) or save receipts. Fuel is typically 40-50% of operating costs.
Oil changes, tire replacements, brake work, DOT inspections, breakdowns — all deductible. Track every service.
Commercial truck insurance ($8,000-15,000/year), cargo insurance, liability, physical damage — fully deductible.
Keeping your truck clean is a business expense if done regularly. Deductible.
Cell phone (business-use percentage), CB radio, GPS/ELD devices, satellite communication — all deductible.
Hotels on the road (if not sleeping in the truck) — deductible with receipts.
If you manage dispatching, paperwork, and admin from home, deduct it. $5/sq ft, max 300 sq ft = $1,500.
"Can I deduct the truck wash?" "What about the new CB radio?" "Is my ELD subscription deductible?" Buzz — the AI in Hivebooks — answers instantly in plain English.
Try Buzz Free →IFTA (International Fuel Tax Agreement) requires quarterly reporting of miles driven and fuel purchased in each state. Here's what to track:
Your ELD (electronic logging device) should automatically track this. Export a report at quarter-end showing total miles per state.
Track every fuel purchase: date, location (state), gallons, and cost. Fuel cards make this easy — they generate reports showing purchases by state.
For each state:
If you used more gallons than you bought in a state, you owe that state taxes. If you bought more than you used, you get a credit.
IFTA returns are due the last day of the month following the quarter (April 30, July 31, October 31, January 31). Late filings result in penalties.
Simplify it: Use trucking-specific software (TruckLogics, Rigbooks) that integrates ELD data and fuel card purchases to auto-calculate IFTA. Or hire a service to file for $50-100/quarter.
You're an employee. The company handles taxes, insurance, and maintenance. Your deductions are limited (unreimbursed employee expenses are no longer deductible post-2018). Simplest bookkeeping but least control.
You lease a truck from a carrier and haul their freight. You're responsible for fuel, some maintenance, and operating costs. The carrier handles dispatching and often insurance. You're self-employed (1099) but with less flexibility than a true owner-operator.
You own the truck, have your own DOT authority, and find your own loads (or work with brokers). You control everything and deduct everything — but bookkeeping is most complex.
Bookkeeping complexity: Company driver < Leased < Owner-Operator. But tax savings and profit potential increase in the same order.
Most shippers and brokers pay Net-30 to Net-60. That's rough on cash flow when you need to buy fuel this week. Two options:
Sell your invoices to a factoring company for immediate cash (typically 95-97% of invoice value). They collect from the shipper/broker later. You get paid in 24-48 hours instead of 30-60 days.
Cost: 3-5% per invoice. On a $3,000 load, factoring costs $90-150.
When it makes sense: You need fuel money now, or you're growing and need cash flow to take on more loads.
Build a cash reserve (3-6 weeks of operating expenses) so you can afford to wait for payment. Costs nothing but requires discipline and upfront capital.
Track both in your books: If you factor, record the full invoice as revenue and the factoring fee as a financing expense. This shows your true profit margin per load.
Hivebooks syncs with your fuel cards and bank. See your revenue per load, fuel costs, maintenance expenses, and profit per mile — all automatically categorized. No more spreadsheets.
Start Free →At $55.20/day (80% of $69), 250 days on the road = $13,800 in deductions. Keep a logbook or use your ELD data to prove days away from home.
Use a dedicated fuel card and business bank account. Personal transactions on business accounts create chaos at tax time.
If you don't know your break-even rate, you'll haul loads at a loss. Recalculate monthly as fuel prices and maintenance costs change.
Late IFTA filings result in penalties and interest. Set quarterly reminders and file on time.
If brokers owe you money for loads delivered 60-90 days ago, that's a problem. Track who owes you what and follow up aggressively.
Free bookkeeping for trucking. Track fuel, per diem, and profit per mile automatically. No credit card required.
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