Bookkeeping For Small Trucking Companies in North Texas

Running a small trucking company in North Texas means juggling fast freight cycles, tight margins, rising operating costs, and strict compliance. Good bookkeeping is the difference between guessing and knowing. It helps you price lanes correctly, pass audits, claim deductions, and build a business that can survive rate swings. This guide explains the essentials in plain language and shows how a streamlined monthly workflow can keep your books accurate without adding busywork.

Why trucking bookkeeping in North Texas has its own rhythm

The Dallas Fort Worth market moves fast. Intermodal and air cargo feed regional and long haul routes out of major logistics hubs, which puts constant pressure on cash flow timing, fuel purchasing, and maintenance planning. Loads can be plentiful when rail and air volumes spike, but that only pays off if your numbers are ready to support quick bids and healthy rates. That pace rewards carriers that can cost loads precisely week by week.

Build a trucking chart of accounts that answers business questions

A generic chart of accounts will not tell you which lanes or customers are profitable. Set up categories that match how you run trucks.

Revenue

Separate revenue by customer and lane where possible. Create subaccounts for linehaul, fuel surcharge, detention, and accessorials such as layover and lumper. If you broker occasional freight, track that revenue separately from carrier revenue to avoid hiding brokerage margin.

Cost of operations

Track fuel as its own category with subaccounts for retail, card discount, fuel tax paid or refunded, and reefer fuel if applicable. Keep maintenance in subaccounts such as preventative service, tires, and repairs. Break out tolls, scales, and wash. Put driver pay in a distinct category that matches your pay model, for example per mile, percentage, or day rate. If you use owner operators, separate contractor payments and the associated year end reporting.

Compliance and insurance

Use dedicated accounts for liability, cargo, physical damage, and workers compensation. Add separate accounts for permitting and compliance costs such as UCR, apportioned plates, and drug and alcohol testing. That level of detail makes year end reconciliations and rate negotiations easier because you can show a clean history of premiums and fees.

The North Texas compliance stack you must manage

Trucking bookkeeping is inseparable from compliance. Your books need to capture the activity that drives filings and audits.

IFTA in Texas

You file quarterly, report total miles by jurisdiction and fuel purchased, and settle the net tax due or refund. Build your process so your bookkeeping and fuel data produce the miles and gallons detail IFTA expects, including how to treat miles run on fuel trip permits. The key is alignment between your trip data, fuel card statements, and the quarterly worksheet.

IRP apportioned registration

If you run interstate, you handle apportioned registration under the International Registration Plan. You license power units in one jurisdiction and apportion fees based on where you travel. Renewals often require proof of Unified Carrier Registration, so keep UCR current and attach those receipts to your registration records. Book the registration expense in the month paid and track units by number so you can allocate fixed costs accurately.

UCR

The Unified Carrier Registration is an annual fee based on fleet size for interstate carriers and certain brokers and leasing companies. Keep the payment confirmation with your compliance records and make sure your bookkeeping captures the expense correctly each year. Add the renewal date to a compliance calendar so it does not slip during busy freight weeks.

Hours of Service references in your records

You do not record HOS inside accounting software, but HOS rules affect payroll, per diem, and the cost per mile you calculate for bids. Know the property carrying limits such as the 11 hour driving limit, the 14 hour on duty window, the 30 minute break requirement, and the 60 or 70 hour weekly limits with the 34 hour restart. These constraints shape productivity and help explain revenue fluctuations when you compare weeks.

Texas taxes to keep on your radar

Texas franchise tax

Texas does not have a personal or corporate income tax, but most entities owe franchise tax unless they fall under the no tax due threshold. Track gross receipts in your books with this threshold in mind and save your working papers for the public information or ownership information report due with the annual filing. Plan for a May deadline and keep owners and addresses current.

Sales tax and motor carrier services

Transportation of property is generally not a taxable service in Texas. Structure invoicing so freight revenue is not inadvertently taxed and document any mixed transactions where taxable services might be bundled with nontaxable transportation. When you create internal sales policies, save the supporting state guidance in your accounting file.

Federal per diem and mileage references

For drivers using per diem, the Internal Revenue Service publishes special meals and incidental expenses rates for the transportation industry that refresh in the fall. If you reimburse mileage for light duty vehicles used by support staff, the optional standard mileage rate updates each calendar year. Your bookkeeping should reflect the year specific rates used to prevent over or under deductions and to keep payroll policies consistent.

The monthly bookkeeping workflow that keeps you compliant

A simple, repeatable bookkeeping cadence is the best risk reducer. Use a monthly close built around bank and fuel card statements, trip data from your TMS or ELD system, and neat document capture.

1. Keep business and personal fully separate

Use a dedicated business checking account and business credit card. Deposit all settlements and payments into the business account and pay all trucking expenses from it. This separation turns your monthly close into a straightforward matching exercise, cuts down on missing write offs, and makes due diligence simple if you ever sell trucks or invite investors.

2. Capture source documents without manual chasing

Adopt a receipt capture tool and set a driver policy. For fuel, repairs, tires, and scale tickets, snap the receipt at purchase time. For lumper fees, detention approvals, and OS and D notes, attach the carrier or broker documentation to the trip in your TMS and export a single PDF per trip to storage. The month end folder should contain bank statements, card statements, a trip revenue register, and a fuel purchase summary with gallons and jurisdiction. Your IFTA data quality depends on this stack.

3. Reconcile accounts in QuickBooks Online

We work in QuickBooks Online because it fits small fleets and integrates with fuel cards and receipt capture. Each month, we reconcile every bank and card account to the statement ending balance, post the fuel card journal entries, and tie out payroll or contractor payments against settlement reports. Consistent reconciliation is what gives you a reliable profit and loss and a balance sheet that lenders trust.

4. Tie operations to accounting

Import or summarize your trip level revenue by customer and trip date. Post fuel surcharges to their own revenue account. For accessorials such as detention and layover, match your invoices to the carrier or broker approvals. On fuel, reconcile gallons to card statements and your IFTA summary. For maintenance, link large repairs to unit numbers so you can track lifetime cost by truck and trailer.

5. Close with a driver and unit level profit and loss

Once reconciled, produce a per unit report that shows revenue, loaded miles, deadhead miles if tracked, variable costs such as fuel and maintenance, and fixed costs allocated per truck such as insurance. A simple allocation method divides fixed costs by active power units, while a more precise method uses miles or days in service. The goal is a clean cost per mile for each truck.

Reports that help small carriers make better decisions

Weekly cash view

Use a 13 week cash forecast to plan fuel, payroll, and insurance drafts. The core line items are opening balance, expected settlements by customer, planned fuel and maintenance, insurance, truck notes, and taxes. Update each Friday and compare plan to actual each Monday.

Monthly profitability by lane and customer

Look back at the month and compare cost per mile by lane. Track which lanes run heavy deadhead or poor dwell at shipper and receiver. If a lane looks thin after fuel and driver pay, call the customer and adjust the rate or shift that capacity elsewhere. When you have steady access to intermodal or air supported lanes, use those options to balance backhauls and reduce empty miles.

IFTA and IRP ready data

Your reports should be able to answer three questions in minutes. How many taxable miles did you run by jurisdiction this quarter. How many gallons did you buy by jurisdiction. Are your fleet credentials current for UCR and IRP renewals. Good bookkeeping puts those answers in one place.

Cost control that actually moves the needle

Fuel discipline

Fuel is the largest variable cost. Small fleets can still buy smart. Use a card program that provides network discounts and honest reporting. Compare posted rack discount stations on your most common lanes. If your trucks cross state lines often, watch where you buy because quarterly settlement nets out fuel tax based on where you drive. Accurate gallons and miles by jurisdiction protect you from surprises at filing time.

Maintenance planning

Break out preventative maintenance from repairs. Trend PM costs by unit and by week. Stagger major services so you do not pull too many trucks from revenue weeks at once. Track tire cost per thirty second to see which positions and brands are your best value and which drivers need coaching on alignment and inflation habits. Keep a simple service calendar and share it with dispatch.

Driver pay and per diem

If you reimburse per diem, align your policy with current transportation industry rates. Post per diem separately from wages so you can analyze the true cash cost of a trip and verify year end reporting. If you pay a percentage of linehaul, make sure your invoices break out fuel surcharge so the percentage applies only where intended. If you pay per mile, keep a weekly report that compares paid miles to actual miles to catch systemic variance.

Insurance and claims

Audit your policy classes and radius at renewal. Keep a clean, dated equipment list and driver roster with MVR dates, medical certifications, and training dates. Claims history and paperwork quality can save real money at renewal because you can demonstrate lower operational risk. If a claim occurs, save every document to the unit folder and book the deductible in the period paid.

Common pitfalls we fix for North Texas carriers

Mixing personal and business spending

Using a personal card for a truck purchase or fuel creates a reconciliation mess and can delay tax filings. It also makes it hard to prove cash flow to banks when you want to add a unit. Keep all carrier activity inside the business bank and card environment and document any member draws or capital contributions clearly.

Treating fuel surcharge as miscellaneous income

Fuel surcharge is a separate revenue stream that offsets fuel volatility. When it gets dumped into general linehaul, you lose visibility into how much of your revenue is covering fuel versus base rate. That matters when you renegotiate a contract after diesel moves. Break it out and watch it monthly.

Thin IFTA documentation

Many audits go bad because miles and gallons by jurisdiction do not match. Keep your ELD or TMS trip reports, card statements, and invoices in a single quarter folder. File IFTA on time each quarter to avoid penalties and respond quickly to any inquiries. Reconcile gallons from the card program to gallons in your IFTA worksheet before you certify.

Missing IRP and UCR renewals

These are annual or periodic tasks that can fall through the cracks when freight is busy. Build a compliance calendar with renewal dates for UCR and IRP. Save confirmations in your accounting file and book the expenses in the month paid so your year to date cost per mile reflects the true cost of running apportioned plates.

Pricing and bids that reflect your real costs

A profitable rate starts with a clear cost per mile. Break your cost into variable and fixed. Variable includes fuel, maintenance, driver pay, and tolls. Fixed includes insurance, truck notes, permits, and back office. Use last quarter numbers and adjust for current diesel and expected utilization. Then add target margin. If your books are current, this exercise takes minutes before you commit to a new lane or a seasonal customer in the Metroplex.

Year end close without surprises

Close each month and your year end becomes a checklist. Reconcile every account through December. Verify totals for contractors. Review depreciation on trucks and trailers and confirm you have titles and loan balances recorded correctly. Prepare working papers that support revenue for state filings. Save a clean year end package with bank statements, trial balance, profit and loss, balance sheet, and a fixed asset rollforward. When lenders ask for statements, you can provide them immediately.

How we work with small North Texas fleets

We work in QuickBooks Online and set up a monthly process that moves fast but keeps audit proof records. You send monthly bank and card statements, a fuel summary, and trip revenue from your TMS or ELD. We categorize income and expenses, reconcile all accounts, and deliver a monthly package that includes a driver and unit level profit and loss, cost per mile trends, cash forecast suggestions, and a compliance snapshot for IFTA, apportioned plates, and UCR. We also help you design a per diem and reimbursement policy that follows current guidance and tie it into your payroll process.

A quick North Texas advantage to remember

The region’s logistics ecosystem gives small fleets access to intermodal, air cargo, and highway density that many markets cannot match. Use that to build round trip patterns, reduce deadhead, and negotiate consistent freight with customers that value reliable capacity near major hubs. Your bookkeeping turns those advantages into lasting margin by showing what works and what does not each month.

Final checklist you can use this month

1. Reconcile every business bank and card account to the statement ending balance.
2. Post fuel card activity and match gallons to card statements and quarterly fuel tax totals.
3. Tag revenue by customer and lane. Break out fuel surcharge, detention, and accessorials.
4. Produce a per unit profit and loss and review cost per mile by lane.
5. Confirm UCR registration and apportioned plate status and file quarterly fuel tax on time if the quarter just ended.
6. Review per diem and reimbursement rates for the current year before you finalize payroll policy changes.
7. Save a clean monthly package so year end is a formality.

Ready to make bookkeeping a breeze

Small trucking companies do not need a giant back office to run tight books. They need a clean process, the right categories, and a partner who understands IFTA, apportioned plates, UCR, and Texas franchise tax. If you want accurate books, unit level profitability, and filings that are done right, we can help. We work in QuickBooks Online, categorize your income and expenses every month, and build reports that help you price lanes and grow a stable North Texas fleet.

Schedule a call with us today to get your books organized and your compliance on autopilot.