Managing money in trucking isn't like other businesses. Every load affects cash flow. Every driver settlement changes your P&L. Every fuel purchase hits multiple accounts.

The right accounting software doesn't just track numbers. It gives you real-time visibility into what's actually making money and what's draining it.

Here are the top 10 accounting software options for trucking companies, ranked by who they're built for.

1. Fintruck - Purpose-Built Trucking Accounting

Fintruck isn't QuickBooks with a trucking add-on. It's accounting software designed specifically for carriers from day one.

What makes it different:

• Live bank feed synchronization

• Automatic reconciliation tied to loads

• Trucking-specific chart of accounts (not generic business categories)

• Real P&L, balance sheet, and cash flow reporting

• Department-level tracking by truck, trailer, driver, and division

• Multi-entity consolidation for carriers running multiple MCs

The biggest advantage? Direct integration with Datatruck TMS. Your operational data flows straight into your financials. No manual entry. No reconciliation headaches.

Best for: Mid-size to large fleets tired of forcing general accounting software to work for trucking.

2. QuickBooks Online - The Standard (With Limitations)

QuickBooks Online works for trucking, but you'll need to customize it heavily.

What it does well:

• Solid payroll system

• Time tracking

• Tax reporting

• Integrates with third-party TMS and fleet software

What it doesn't do: Understand trucking-specific needs out of the box.

You'll spend time setting up custom categories, building reports, and working around features designed for retail or services. If you're already using QuickBooks and it works, fine. But don't expect it to handle per-truck profitability or IFTA calculations without extra work.

Best for: Companies already comfortable with QuickBooks who are willing to add trucking-specific tools.

3. TruckingOffice - Built for Owner-Operators

If you're running 1-5 trucks, TruckingOffice gets the job done without unnecessary complexity.

Core features:

• Real-time IFTA tax reports

• Maintenance scheduling

• Invoice and expense tracking

• Simple interface

It won't scale to 50+ trucks, but that's not the point. It's designed for small operations that need fast updates and zero bloat.

Best for: Owner-operators and small fleets under 10 trucks.

4. NetSuite Cloud Accounting - Enterprise-Level Control

NetSuite isn't just accounting software. It's a full ERP system.

What you get:

• GAAP-compliant financial reporting

• Fixed asset tracking

• Multi-location, multi-entity management

• Advanced financial operations

The trade-off? Complexity and cost. NetSuite makes sense for large carriers with multiple terminals, divisions, or international operations. It's overkill for fleets under 100 trucks.

Best for: Large fleets needing enterprise-grade financial controls.

5. Tailwind TMS - Dispatch Meets Billing

Tailwind combines dispatch management with accounting-ready invoicing.

Key features:

• Accounting-ready invoice generation

• Driver settlement calculations

• Load management tied to billing

It's not pure accounting software, but it handles the financial side of driver payroll and settlements well enough for smaller operations.

Best for: Fleets wanting dispatch and billing tightly connected in one tool.

6. Q7 - One-Time Purchase, No Subscriptions

Q7 is a one-time license purchase (rare these days) with full trucking accounting features.

Pros:

• Built-in payroll

• Order management

• No monthly fees

Cons:

• Dated user interface

• No free trial

• Limited mobile access

Best for: Carriers who prefer owning software outright instead of monthly subscriptions.

7. Zoho Books - Mobile-First Simplicity

Zoho Books isn't trucking-native, but it's popular with solo drivers for one reason: it works on your phone.

Features:

• Easy invoicing

• Expense tracking

• IFTA support with add-ons

• Clean mobile interface

You'll need to customize it for trucking, but if you're tech-savvy and want modern mobile access, Zoho delivers.

Best for: Independent truckers who manage finances primarily from their phones.

8. Rigbooks - Simple and Affordable

Rigbooks focuses on core accounting without extra features.

What it includes:

• Customized billing

• Expense and IFTA tracking

• Basic reporting dashboards

It's budget-friendly and straightforward. Don't expect advanced analytics or deep integrations.

Best for: Solo operators on tight budgets.

9. Truckbase - Operations and Finance in One View

Truckbase combines dispatch, fuel logs, maintenance, and accounting in a single dashboard.

The value is in unified visibility. You're not toggling between systems to see operational data and financial performance.

Best for: Fleets who want holistic operational and financial views without multiple tools.

10. Datatruck - Where Operations and Accounting Actually Work Together

Most TMS platforms stop at dispatch. They handle load management, but when it comes to real financial tracking, you're either exporting to QuickBooks or building reports manually.

Datatruck is different.

It's a carrier-first TMS with built-in accrual-based accounting. That means your operational data and financial data live in the same system, updated in real time.

What that looks like in practice:

• True accrual accounting - revenue and costs are recorded when they happen, not when money moves

• IFTA tracking - mileage and fuel tax calculations update automatically with trip data

• Integrated payroll - driver settlements for company drivers and owner-operators, all connected to loads

• Billing tied to operations - invoices generate based on load status and documents, no manual entry

• Real-time dashboards - see dispatch, maintenance, and financial performance together

• Load-level profitability - know which loads made money and which didn't before the week ends

And because Datatruck integrates with Fintruck (purpose-built trucking accounting), you get even deeper financial capabilities. Think of it as QuickBooks built specifically for trucking, directly connected to your TMS.

This matters when you're trying to answer questions like:

• Which trucks are profitable?

• Which lanes are draining cash?

• Are driver settlements accurate?

• What's our real cash position after factoring?

With most systems, you're piecing together answers from three different tools. With Datatruck, the answer is already there.

Best for: Fleets tired of duct-taping accounting software to their TMS and want one system that handles both.

How to Choose the Right Accounting Software for Your Fleet

Size matters. So does complexity.

Owner-Operators and Small Fleets (1-10 Trucks)

Start simple. Tools like TruckingOffice, Rigbooks, or Zoho Books give you what you need without overwhelming you with features you won't use.

Focus on:

• Easy invoicing

• IFTA tracking

• Expense management

• Mobile access

Mid-Size Fleets (10-50 Trucks)

This is where general accounting software starts breaking down. You need per-truck profitability, driver settlement automation, and real-time visibility into cash flow.

Look at:

• Fintruck - purpose-built trucking accounting

• Datatruck - unified TMS and accounting

• Truckbase - operations and finance combined

Large Fleets (50+ Trucks)

At this scale, you need enterprise-grade financial controls. Multi-entity accounting, department-level tracking, and consolidated reporting become critical.

Consider:

• NetSuite - full ERP capabilities

• Fintruck + Datatruck - deep integration between operations and accounting

Why General Accounting Software Falls Short in Trucking

Trucking isn't retail. It's not consulting. The financial structure is completely different.

Here's what generic accounting software misses:

Revenue timing. A load delivered today might not get paid for 30-90 days (or longer if you factor). Accrual accounting matters.

Cost allocation. Every load has fuel, tolls, lumper fees, and driver pay. Tracking costs at the load level isn't optional.

Per-truck profitability. Your fleet isn't one unit. Some trucks make money. Some lose it. You need to know which is which.

IFTA compliance. Quarterly fuel tax reporting based on miles per state isn't a feature most accounting software handles natively.

Driver settlements. Company drivers, owner-operators, percentage pay, mileage pay. These calculations are complex and specific to trucking.

When you use software that doesn't understand these realities, you end up building workarounds. Custom spreadsheets. Manual exports. Reconciliation headaches.

That's wasted time and wasted money.

What About Integration with Your TMS?

If your accounting software doesn't talk to your TMS, you're re-entering data.

Load information. Driver pay. Fuel costs. Invoices. All of it gets typed twice.

This creates problems:

• Errors from manual entry

• Delayed financial reporting

• Inaccurate profitability calculations

• Wasted hours on admin work

The best setups integrate directly. Your TMS and accounting software share data automatically. Changes flow in real time.

That's how carriers scaling from 50 to 350+ trucks operate. They don't waste time on data entry. They focus on running profitable loads.

The Bottom Line

Not all accounting software is built the same. Especially in trucking, where your financials are directly tied to loads, drivers, fuel, and freight.

If you're running 1-10 trucks: Start with lightweight tools like TruckingOffice or Rigbooks.

If you're running 10-50 trucks: Look at purpose-built platforms like Fintruck or integrated systems like Datatruck.

If you're running 50+ trucks: You need enterprise-level financial controls. NetSuite or the Fintruck + Datatruck combination gives you that.

The right system doesn't just track your money. It shows you where you're making it and where you're losing it. In real time. At the load level. Without manual work.

That's the difference between guessing and knowing.

Ready to See How It Works?

Datatruck is the carrier-first TMS that unifies operations and accounting in one platform. Our AI-native system handles everything from document processing to load dispatch to real-time financial reporting. See how carriers are eliminating manual data entry and gaining instant visibility into profitability.

Book a demo and see how Datatruck connects your operations and accounting so you always know where your fleet stands financially.

Or if you want to see purpose-built trucking accounting in action, book a Fintruck demo and discover how real trucking-specific financial management works.

Take control of your fleet's finances - from the first mile to the final payment.