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A comprehensive Chart of Accounts for trucking companies and owner-operators. Covers per-mile cost tracking, IFTA fuel tax, DOT compliance expenses, fleet maintenance, and freight revenue management.
Use This TemplateThis template includes 42 accounts designed for trucking operations, from freight revenue to per-mile cost analysis.
Primary account for freight payments and expenses
Dedicated account for driver and staff payroll
Equipment replacement and emergency reserves
Outstanding freight invoices from brokers and shippers
Prepaid insurance, permits, and license renewals
IFTA fuel tax credits and refunds receivable
Semi-trucks, day cabs, and tractor units
Contra-asset for truck depreciation
Dry van, flatbed, reefer, and specialty trailers
Contra-asset for trailer depreciation
Maintenance shop tools and equipment
Bills owed to fuel suppliers, repair shops, and vendors
Business credit card for road expenses
Fleet fuel card balance (Comdata, EFS, etc.)
Driver wages, payroll taxes, and benefits owed
Quarterly IFTA fuel tax obligations
Financing on truck and tractor purchases
Financing on trailer purchases
Owner capital invested in the trucking company
Accumulated profits from prior years
Distributions to owner(s)
Line-haul revenue from loads transported
Fuel surcharges billed to customers
Detention pay, lumper fees, layover charges
Income from leasing trucks to other operators
Diesel fuel — typically 25-35% of revenue
Per-mile, percentage, or hourly driver compensation
Health insurance, per diem, and benefits for drivers
Highway tolls, bridge fees, weigh station charges
Per-load cargo insurance and claims
Commissions paid to freight brokers and agents
Preventive maintenance, breakdowns, and repair costs
New tires, recaps, and tire service — tracked separately
Trailer repairs, brakes, lights, and annual inspections
Auto liability, physical damage, and umbrella coverage
UCR, IFTA decals, IRP plates, oversize permits
Drug testing, physicals, ELD fees, CSA compliance
Administrative salaries, dispatching, office supplies
Cell phones, GPS/ELD subscriptions, satellite service
Operating lease payments (if not owned)
CPA, attorney, IFTA filing service, factoring fees
Depreciation on trucks, trailers, and shop equipment
Your cost per mile is the single most important number in trucking. Divide total expenses by total miles to get your all-in cost. Most profitable trucking companies operate at $1.20-1.80/mile in total costs. Know your number and only accept loads above it.
Track fuel surcharge revenue separately from base freight revenue. This lets you compare surcharges received vs actual fuel costs to see if surcharges are actually covering fuel price increases or if you are subsidizing them.
Budget $0.10-0.15 per mile for maintenance and $0.03-0.05 per mile for tires. Set aside these amounts in a savings reserve. Trucks need major maintenance at predictable intervals, and surprises destroy cash flow.
Track gross revenue per truck per week as your fleet efficiency metric. For long-haul operations, target $4,000-6,000 per truck per week. Below that, investigate deadhead miles, loading delays, or route inefficiency.
Trucking is a high-revenue, low-margin business where the difference between profit and loss often comes down to pennies per mile. Fuel costs alone can consume 25-35% of revenue, and a single major breakdown can wipe out a month of profit. A properly structured Chart of Accounts in QuickBooks® gives trucking companies the visibility to track per-mile costs, manage fuel tax obligations, and make data-driven decisions about equipment, routes, and rates.
The foundation of trucking profitability is understanding your all-in cost per mile. This includes fuel, driver pay, insurance, maintenance, tires, permits, depreciation, and overhead. Most profitable trucking companies operate at $1.20-1.80 per mile in total costs (varies by operation type). Your Chart of Accounts should make it easy to divide total expenses by total miles to calculate this critical number. If you do not know your cost per mile, you cannot know whether a load at $2.50/mile is profitable.
Fuel is the single largest expense for most trucking companies. Tracking it accurately is essential for IFTA (International Fuel Tax Agreement) compliance, which requires quarterly reporting of miles driven and fuel purchased in each jurisdiction. This template includes dedicated accounts for fuel costs, fuel surcharge revenue, IFTA tax payable, and fuel tax credits. By comparing fuel surcharges received against actual fuel costs, you can determine whether your surcharge program is actually protecting your margins.
Preventive maintenance is far cheaper than breakdown repairs. Industry data shows that a well-maintained truck costs $0.10-0.15 per mile in maintenance, while deferred maintenance can spike to $0.25+ per mile with unexpected breakdowns. This template tracks maintenance costs separately for trucks and trailers, and includes a dedicated tires account because tire expenses are significant enough to warrant separate tracking. Budget $0.03-0.05 per mile just for tires.
Driver pay is the second-largest expense in trucking after fuel. Compensation models vary widely — per-mile rates, percentage of linehaul, hourly wages, or hybrid structures. By tracking driver pay as COGS rather than a general expense, you can calculate the gross margin on each load. This is critical for evaluating whether to hire company drivers, use owner-operators, or partner with carriers for overflow freight.
Trucking insurance is expensive — a single truck can cost $8,000-15,000 per year for liability and physical damage coverage. Rates are heavily influenced by CSA scores, accident history, and fleet size. By tracking insurance costs per truck, you can make informed decisions about fleet expansion and identify when poor safety records are driving up costs. DOT compliance costs (drug testing, physicals, ELD systems, annual inspections) are tracked separately so you can budget for these mandatory expenses.
Freight revenue is not just about the rate per mile — detention pay, fuel surcharges, and accessorial charges all contribute to total revenue per load. By tracking these revenue components separately, you can analyze whether you are capturing all the revenue you are entitled to. Many trucking companies leave money on the table by not consistently billing for detention time, lumper fees, and fuel surcharges. This template provides the accounts to track each revenue component independently.
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