Best Trucking Accounting Software (QuickBooks vs TruckingOffice vs Rigbooks)
The Short Answer
For one truck, Rigbooks ($20/mo) or TruckingOffice ($20–$50/mo) beat QuickBooks because they include per-mile, per-load, and IFTA-ready reports out of the box. Above 3 trucks, QuickBooks + a trucking add-on scales better.
General accounting software forces you to build every trucking report from scratch. Trucking-specific tools do it out of the box — but not all are worth their subscription.
Rigbooks or TruckingOffice at $20–$50/mo. Both include per-mile cost tracking, load profitability, and IFTA reports designed for owner-operators. QuickBooks becomes better once you have 3+ trucks and need real GAAP-style books.
Software Comparison
| Software | Monthly | Best for | Weakness |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rigbooks | $20 | One-truck OO | Limited invoicing |
| TruckingOffice | $20–$50 | 1–5 trucks, IFTA | Older UI |
| TruckLogics | $25–$60 | Small fleets | Steep learning curve |
| QuickBooks + trucking add-on | $30 + $15 | Growing to 3+ trucks | Not trucking-native |
| Trucker CFO tools | $100+ | Full-service bookkeeping | Overkill year 1 |
| Excel spreadsheet | $0 | Cheapest, most work | No IFTA, error-prone |
The IFTA reason
Every quarter you must report fuel purchased and miles driven per state. Trucking-specific software auto-populates from your ELD/fuel-card data. QuickBooks won't.
What Reports You Actually Need Monthly
- Revenue per mile (loaded and total)
- Cost per mile broken down (fuel, maintenance, insurance)
- Load profitability by broker
- IFTA-ready state mileage
- Owner draws vs business net
When to Hire a Bookkeeper
Around 2 trucks or $500K annual revenue, DIY bookkeeping becomes false economy. A trucking-specialized bookkeeper runs $200–$500/month, files IFTA, and catches missed deductions worth 5–10x their fee at tax time.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is QuickBooks good for trucking?+
It works, but it's not built for trucking. You'll spend hours setting up custom fields for per-mile and IFTA reporting. Rigbooks or TruckingOffice does it out of the box.
Can I do trucking books in Excel?+
Year 1, yes. It's tedious and IFTA-prone, but $0. By year 2 you'll want purpose-built software.
Does my factoring company handle bookkeeping?+
No. Factors give you funded invoice data — you still need software to record fuel, maintenance, insurance, and per-mile costs.