Trades
Trucking bookkeeping and payroll by truck and load
Trucking accounting should make it possible to follow a load from dispatch to collection and compare revenue with the vehicle costs behind it. Tidwell helps organize settlements, fleet expenses and payroll for trucking companies.
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General information, not legal advice.
Reconcile freight settlements before recording the net
Fuel advances, deductions and adjustments can change the payment received for a load. Retain the dispatch reference and settlement statement so the books distinguish earned revenue from withheld or offset amounts.
Compare operating costs by vehicle
Tag fuel, repairs, tires, insurance and equipment payments consistently by truck. Separate recurring maintenance from major purchases for CPA review. A fleet total can conceal a vehicle that spends more time in the shop than on the road.
Keep driver payroll inputs tied to approved work
Trucking payroll needs clear compensation instructions and approved work records. Preserve the supporting loads or time details used in the calculation. Your employment adviser determines worker treatment; bookkeeping should not infer it from whether someone owns a truck.
Review hauling records for covered public work
For hauling assigned to a California public project, confirm coverage and reporting instructions before payroll preparation. Keep the load, project and worker records together when certified payroll applies. Tidwell can support the DIR reporting process from those approved inputs.
Sources: DIR: certified payroll reporting
Load-settlement and fleet-cost questions
Can trucking bookkeeping show which vehicle incurs repair costs?
Yes. Vehicle identifiers on invoices and payments make a truck-level cost report possible.
Why keep load statements when the bank shows payment?
The statement explains gross amounts and deductions. Recording only the deposit can hide costs and make outstanding loads difficult to reconcile.
Can hauling companies discuss employee and owner-operator records?
Yes. Bring the arrangements approved by your adviser so the bookkeeping and payroll scope reflects the established worker treatment.
Public-project hauling reference
Understand the costs behind each completed load
Bring your current records and the questions you want the books to answer. We work remotely across California, with meetings at our Atascadero office by arrangement to discuss a practical service scope.
Monthly bookkeeping starts at $500 a month. See pricing