Trucking businesses should plan for unexpected expenses and emergencies to avoid financial hardship. Emergencies such as truck breakdowns, accidents, or other incidents can result in significant expenses. The IRS can ask you to provide supporting documentation anywhere from three to seven years after you file your truckers bookkeeping taxes. That’s why it’s imperative that you keep a record of your expenses for years to come. Though bookkeeping is a catch-all term for a range of different processes, here are 11 basic bookkeeping tips for truckers. Nick Gallo is a Certified Public Accountant and content marketer for the financial industry.

Each financial transaction is documented based on supporting paperwork, depending on the type of accounting system the company uses. That’s right—all those little slips of paper you keep in your glovebox are important to your trucking business! And you should be documenting them for your finances on a regular basis. One of the main benefits of working with a trucking accountant is that they can help you save time. By taking care of complex financial tasks, you can focus on other areas of your business.

Bookkeeping best practices for truckers

When you’re always on the road, keeping your financial records organized can be hard. You may not always have time to document your transactions, and it can be easy to lose track of receipts. Bookkeeping is a process that you can start without much planning, but accounting requires you to prepare both legally and financially before you can actively begin the process. Here are five steps that must be adhered to in order for the accounting processes of your trucking company to run smoothly. This is one of the basics for bookkeeping of any kind, but even more important for truckers’ bookkeeping.

Our services help small business owners manage their finances, save for expenses, monitor cash flow, and more. Created by a professional accounting firm in Atlanta, Georgia, TranspoCFO provides quality bookkeeping services to trucking businesses. Ideal for small transportation companies without in-house accounting, their team of accountants can take care of your accounting and tax preparation needs so you don’t have to. An accounting solution is also essential for most small businesses, including trucking companies. If you link your trucking accounting software to your business bank account and credit card, it should track your every invoice and expense automatically.

Benefits of Trucking Bookkeeping Services

The IFTA office in your home state will allocate your payments to the proper jurisdictions and determine whether you owe more or deserve a refund. While you wait for your USDOT Number, let us help you prepare for your audit. We give you the right resources to help you comply with federal regulations. TBS will process your MC#/USDOT Number and BOC-3 for free (both are required to activate your authority), with no annual membership fee or application processing fee. Your out-of-pocket cost will be the $300 Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) registration fee and the $50 BOC-3 registration fee which covers the lower 48 states. Our experts will make sure everything is processed correctly the first time, so you won’t have to wait to get those big rig wheels turning.

If you ignore the tasks or leave it for another day, chances are you’ll forget what the payments were made for, and you might end up categorizing things incorrectly or miss out on deductions. Try to maintain your books daily to avoid them amassing into a burdensome pile. Make it a rule of thumb to not leave your office until you have sorted out most of the records of the day. One of the things that I value the most about Trucker CFO is that they make running a business from the road much easier for us. I couldn’t imagine being out here on the road without the support that Trucker CFO provides for our business.