Freight & Logistics
Trucking and logistics businesses run on tight margins. We track profitability by load, reconcile factoring deposits, and keep your books current so you can focus on moving freight.
The Industry
A trucking company picks up a load out of JAXPORT paying $3,800. Fuel runs $1,100. Tolls and lumper fees add $180. The factoring company takes 3% off the top because you can’t wait 45 days for the broker to pay. Driver settlement is $1,500. After everything, the margin on that load is around $640. That’s fine if you know it. The problem is most operators don’t run those numbers per load. They look at total deposits for the month and assume things are going well until the bank account tells a different story.
Freight businesses deal with constant cash flow pressure. You buy fuel today, pay drivers this week, and wait weeks or months for payment unless you factor your invoices. Revenue fluctuates with the spot market. Equipment needs tires, brakes, and eventually a full replacement. Jacksonville sits at the intersection of I-95 and I-10 with a major port, so there is no shortage of freight. But moving freight and making money on freight are two very different things.
Who This Covers
Who This Covers
Owner-operators, small and mid-size trucking fleets, freight brokerages, courier and last-mile delivery services, and warehousing operations throughout Jacksonville and Northeast Florida. Whether you run two trucks or twenty, the financial tracking requirements are the same.
What Makes It Complex
What Makes It Complex
Per-load cost tracking across fuel, tolls, driver pay, and accessorial charges. Factoring company reconciliation where deposits don’t match rate confirmations. IFTA fuel tax reporting across multiple states. Equipment depreciation on trucks and trailers. 1099s for owner-operators and independent drivers. Insurance premiums that shift based on payroll audits and fleet size.
What We Handle
Freight bookkeeping means tracking every dollar at the load level and making sure the money you think you earned is the money that actually shows up. We set up QuickBooks Online to reflect how your business actually runs, not as a generic set of income and expense categories. Loads are tracked individually. Factoring fees are separated so you can see your true revenue. Equipment costs are recorded properly so your depreciation is accurate at tax time.
Most trucking company owners and freight brokers we work with are behind on their books. That is not a judgment. It is the nature of the business. You are on the road, managing dispatch, dealing with breakdowns, and handling customer issues. Bookkeeping falls to the bottom of the list. We specialize in catching up months or years of backlog, getting everything current, and then keeping it that way going forward. Your CPA gets clean books. You get your time back.
Per-Load Profitability
Per-Load Profitability
Every expense tied to a specific load or truck. Fuel, tolls, lumper fees, driver pay, factoring costs, and broker fees all tracked so you see actual margin on every haul. Over time this data shows which lanes, customers, and load types consistently make money and which ones barely break even.
Catch-Up and Ongoing Bookkeeping
Catch-Up and Ongoing Bookkeeping
If you are months or years behind, we dig through bank statements, factoring reports, and fuel card records to rebuild your books from scratch. Once caught up, we handle monthly bookkeeping so you never fall behind again. We coordinate with your CPA to make sure tax filing goes smoothly.
Common Problems
Factoring creates a bookkeeping headache that most trucking companies never properly solve. The rate confirmation says $3,800 but the factoring company deposits $3,686 after their fee. Some companies also hold back a reserve. If you record revenue based on deposits instead of the actual invoice amount, your books understate revenue and hide the true cost of factoring. Over a year with hundreds of loads, those discrepancies add up to thousands of dollars in confusion.
The other pattern we see constantly is books that are a year or more behind. An owner-operator or small fleet owner is running hard all year. Receipts get lost. Bank statements pile up. The fuel card has hundreds of transactions that were never categorized. Tax deadlines pass. Penalties start accumulating. By the time they call us, there are multiple years of backlog and unfiled returns creating stress that compounds every month.
No Visibility Into True Costs
No Visibility Into True Costs
You know fuel is expensive but you don’t know your actual cost per mile. You don’t know whether that dedicated lane to Atlanta is more profitable than spot loads heading to Savannah. Without per-load tracking, every decision about which freight to take is based on gut feeling instead of data.
Tax Surprises and Missed Deductions
Tax Surprises and Missed Deductions
Depreciation on trucks and trailers is one of the biggest deductions available to you. If equipment purchases are recorded incorrectly or not at all, you leave money on the table. Combine that with no quarterly estimates and you end up owing a large tax bill with penalties on top. Per diem, fuel, maintenance, and insurance are all deductible but only if they are tracked properly throughout the year.
What Changes
You start making freight decisions based on numbers. Historical load data shows that dedicated runs to a particular customer average 18% margin while spot loads on the same lane average 9% after factoring fees. You stop chasing high gross rates that don’t translate to profit once all costs are accounted for. Equipment replacement becomes a financial decision instead of a panic response when something breaks down on I-95.
Your books stay current every month. When tax season comes, your CPA has everything they need. When you walk into the bank for financing on a new truck or trailer, you have clean financial statements that show the lender exactly where your business stands. No scrambling, no guessing, no explaining away messy records.
Profitable Lanes and Better Freight Choices
Profitable Lanes and Better Freight Choices
Load-level data over several months reveals patterns you can act on. You see which brokers pay fairly and pay on time. You see which routes cost more in fuel than the rate justifies. You focus your capacity on the freight that actually builds the business instead of just keeping the wheels turning.
Financial Credibility When It Counts
Financial Credibility When It Counts
Truck loans, insurance audits, lease agreements, and potential partnerships all require financial documentation. When your books are clean and current, those conversations go smoothly. You present organized records instead of asking for extra time to pull things together. That credibility opens doors that messy books keep shut.
The First Coast's Trusted Bookkeeping Partner
The Next Step:
A Free Discovery Call
Tell us where things stand with your books. Whether you're months behind or just looking for reliable bookkeeping going forward, we'll give you an honest assessment and a clear price.