406 Consulting Group
Trucking and transportation accounting — cost per mile, route profitability, IFTA compliance
Industry

Thin Margins. Tight Cash. We Know This Industry.

Trucking runs on cash flow — and most companies don't have the visibility to manage it. We build the financial tools and infrastructure that keep fleets moving and owners in control. We saved a 50-employee trucking company from bankruptcy in 90 days. That's not a tagline — it's a case study.

Why Trucking & Transportation need specialized accounting

Trucking companies run on razor-thin margins and cash flow that works on daily swings. Fuel, drivers, and maintenance don't wait for customers to pay — and most trucking companies run on 30–60 day receivables while expenses hit daily. Without proper forecasting and operational visibility, you're flying blind on the most critical number in the business: cash.

Which routes make money? Which drivers perform? Where is the cash going? You're running, but you don't have real visibility. Revenue is up. You're busier than ever. But somehow cash keeps disappearing. Growth in trucking is expensive and risky without the right financial foundation.

Common pain points we solve

Cash flow gaps between loads: most trucking companies run on 30–60 day receivables while expenses hit daily
No visibility into route & driver profitability: not every route makes money, not every driver performs the same
Fuel cost volatility killing margins: fuel is often 25–40% of operating costs — a 10-cent swing can wipe out a week's profit
IFTA & compliance complexity: multi-state operations mean filings most bookkeepers don't understand
Owner pay & entity structure: owner-operators often pay themselves last or inconsistently
Bank relationships under strain: equipment financing and operating loans all depend on financials that tell a confident story
Partial loads & contract gaps: operational leaks that are invisible without the right financial lens
Scaling without a financial foundation: adding trucks without infrastructure is how companies grow themselves into bankruptcy

What we do for Trucking & Transportation

  • Cash flow forecasting: real-time visibility into weekly and monthly cash position
  • Route & driver profitability analysis: per-route, per-driver margin analysis
  • IFTA & multi-state tax compliance: accurate filings and state tax management across all operating states
  • Bookkeeping & Controller Services: clean books and monthly reporting that gives a real picture
  • Bank & equipment financing prep: Carrie's commercial lending background means we know what banks need to see
  • Business turnaround assessment: for companies in crisis — triage the cash bleed and build the 90-day recovery plan
  • Owner pay & tax planning: structure compensation correctly, minimize tax liability
  • Fractional CFO Services: strategic financial leadership for growing fleets

The metrics we track

  • Revenue / mile — tracked daily with seasonal variance and customer-specific profitability
  • Cost per mile — all-in costs including fuel, labor, maintenance, insurance, overhead
  • Driver accountability — hauls per day, cost per haul, slippage by driver
  • Route profitability — revenue per mile and per hour by customer contract and route
  • Cash flow runway — weekly cash position forecast vs. actual
  • Break-even hauls — annual haul count needed to cover all fixed costs

Frequently asked questions

Related services

BookkeepingPayrollControllerCFOAdvisoryTax Preparation

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