Bookkeeping for trucking companies and owner-operators
In trucking, the margin lives in the details: fuel, factoring fees, maintenance, tolls and miles. When the books are a month behind, you can't see your real cost per mile or whether a lane is worth running. Mispar keeps owner-operator and small-fleet books reconciled every month, organized for IFTA, per diem and tax season.
Best for: Owner-operators with their own authority, owner-operators leased onto a carrier, and small fleets.
Every month
Cost per mile
Quarterly-ready
IFTA records
$80/day
Per diem (from Oct 1, 2026)
$229/mo
Plans from
Where trucking books usually go wrong
- Factoring deposits recorded as revenue: factoring fees, reserves and chargebacks disappear inside a net deposit.
- Fuel card and settlement statements never reconciled.
- No cost per mile, so rates get accepted without knowing if a load pays.
- Fuel receipts and mileage not organized for the quarterly IFTA return.
- Per diem, maintenance, and truck payments mixed together.
- Settlement deductions from a carrier (insurance, escrow, ELD, fuel advances) never broken out.
How Mispar keeps your trucking books clean
Industry-specific chart of accounts and categorization — not generic buckets that hide what matters.
Revenue per load
Record revenue per load at the gross rate, and book factoring fees, reserves and chargebacks separately.
Fuel cards & settlements reconciled
Reconcile fuel card statements, carrier settlements, and every bank and credit account.
Settlement deductions broken out
Break out settlement deductions — insurance, escrow, ELD, fuel advances — into the right accounts.
IFTA-ready fuel records
Track fuel purchases by state alongside your mileage records so your IFTA return is ready each quarter.
Operating costs kept separate
Keep maintenance, tires, tolls, insurance and permits in their own accounts.
Truck & trailer loans
Track truck and trailer loans (principal vs. interest) and equipment purchases for your CPA's depreciation.
Cost per mile & profit per load
Calculate cost per mile and profit per load every month.
Trucking deadlines your books need to be ready for
- IFTA quarterly returns — generally due the last day of the month after each quarter (April 30, July 31, October 31, January 31).
- Form 2290 heavy vehicle use tax — generally due by August 31 for trucks of 55,000 lbs or more placed in service in July.
- Quarterly estimated taxes — April 15, June 15, September 15, January 15.
- Per diem — the IRS special meals-and-incidentals rate for the transportation industry is $80 per day within the continental U.S. (effective October 1, 2026). Drivers subject to DOT hours-of-service rules can generally deduct 80%. We track days away from home so your CPA can apply it.
Reports that show what each mile earns
- Cost per mile and revenue per mile
- Profit and loss per truck and per month
- IFTA-ready fuel and mileage summary by state
- Factoring and settlement reconciliation
- Year-end package for your CPA
A simple, predictable process
From kickoff to your first clean close, here is exactly what happens.
Accounts connected
We connect your bank, credit and fuel card accounts, factoring company and carrier settlements in QuickBooks Online or Xero.
Loads & settlements
Each load recorded at its gross rate, with factoring fees, reserves and settlement deductions booked separately.
Fuel & miles by state
Fuel purchases and mileage organized by state so your IFTA return is ready each quarter.
Monthly close
Books reconciled, with cost per mile and profit per load delivered every month.
Trucking & Owner-Operators bookkeeping — your questions
Do you do IFTA filing?
We keep your fuel purchases and mileage organized by state every month so your IFTA return is ready each quarter. The return itself is filed by you, your permit service or your CPA using our summary.
How do you handle factoring in the books?
We record each load at its full invoice amount and book the factoring fee, reserve and any chargebacks separately. That shows your true revenue and your true cost of factoring, instead of a net deposit that hides both.
Can you calculate my cost per mile?
Yes. Every month we divide your total operating costs — fuel, maintenance, insurance, truck payments, permits and your pay — by miles driven, so you know the minimum rate a load has to pay.
What is the 2026 trucking per diem rate?
For travel on or after October 1, 2026, the IRS special meals-and-incidentals rate for the transportation industry is $80 per day in the continental U.S. and $86 outside it. Drivers subject to DOT hours-of-service limits can generally deduct 80% of that amount. Confirm your situation with your CPA.
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