Invoicing

I have been using Trucknpro for several years. www.foglinesoftware.com. You can do your IFTA trip sheets, invoicing, revenue, etc., and the cost isn't bad. You could also check Easy Trucking at www.easytrucking.com. Another is The Truckers Helper. www.thetruckershelper.com. Truckers helper is a little more complex to use, depending on the version. I think the Trucknpro software is the simplest to use. All three programs will do a profit & loss statement. All will show you the profit by load. I just like the way Trucknpro is set up. All three have either a online demo's or allow you to try it for a short time before buying. One nice thing about having trucking specific software is that you can see how well or poorly you did on a particular load or time period immediately after putting in the load information. You can also check your deadhead miles. There are other programs around that can run in the thousands of dollars to purchase.

 

invoice them quickly before they use your money to pay another truck.

 

I have looked at Profit Gauges Software. As I recall it seemed like a decent program, but I believe you had to pay a monthly fee and that the software did not download on your computer. I prefer having the software on my own computer where it is not as easily accessible to others. With most trucking software you pay a one time fee for the software and nothing more unless you want to buy a newer or expanded version. Something else bothered me about that program, but I don't recall what it was now. Before I bought my first trucking software I looked at about everything that was on the market, at the time. Back then, there seemed to be more programs available. Some of those programs were cost prohibitive for smaller operations and others are apparently no longer in business. I would go with whatever I was comfortable. You might want to sit down and think about what you really need your software to do and then go from there.

Any of the three trucking software programs that I mentioned will do most of what any owner operator or small fleet needs. With some, such as Truckers Helper, you pay based upon the number of trucks and needs of your business. They have several versions from a company driver to single owner operator to fleets of up to about 100 trucks, as I recall. It has some nice features, such as a driver qualifications file and a means to track individual shipments while in transit. It is very comprehensive. You can even do your payroll using hourly, percentage or mileage pay. That is a nice feature. But, some of what they have in their program is not wanted or needed for small operations. It is also a little more complex to learn and use. Easy Trucking is not quite as comprehensive, yet you pay extra for having more than 5 trucks. It is the same program, but you pay more to have more trucks. If you have multiple drivers in your trucks, it can easily put you over 5 trucks and that creates problems with the program.

I still prefer the Trucknpro or foglinesoftware program. It is simple to learn and use and you don't pay extra for having more trucks. I would like to see a version where the program will do payroll. It is possible to do it on the program now, but it won't do the tax deductions automatically, at this point. It is not really designed to do payroll. However, it does practically everything else you will need to track revenue and expenses and to stay on top of your business. One other factor that is appealing to me is that the owner or developer of the software is constantly working to improve the program. He actively solicits users to gather their input with the possibility of installing it in a newer version at some point. He is currently working on a version for those interested in doing LTL freight. In fact, he sent out an email to current users asking for suggestions on ways to improve the program.

When I received my first copy of Foglinesoftware's program, there was only one version. Now there are several. The software is now called Trucknpro. I bought Easy Trucking before getting Trucknpro. My main reason for buying it was the invoicing capability. The program did the job, but I never really cared of how the program worked. It also had a couple of glitches and they don't seem to be interested in improving the software. Over the years that I have used Trucknpro, there have been many updates, some simple, others more comprehensive. As far as I know, Trucknpro is the only trucking software that will allow you to scan your receipts into the program. That is one of the newer improvements. It also has a menu that makes it easy to find things, such as brokers, vendors, etc., The program also now tracks maintenance. Truckers Helper also has that feature, but it is more expensive. If you are primarily interested in the invoicing feature, it must be integrated into the software. There are programs that only do invoicing, but it won't allow you to incorporate it into the program. You can set up a spreadsheet to handle your revenue and expenses. I know an owner operator who prefers a spreadsheet. He doesn't have a need for invoicing customers. You can also set up an invoice on your word processor. But, if you want something that is integrated, then you will need to find software that has that feature built into the program.

Having it built into the system enables you to input the load information and then click a button to print an invoice. It saves having to put all that information into a separate invoice each time. It also forces you to keep all your bookkeeping up to date.

 

I been considering buying a truck one day and this information has helped me a lot. I was trying to figure out how to get paid after I got the load. I know how to find it pick it and deliver it just didn't know this portion.

 

The software makes it much easier. You could use a word processor to invoice, but with the software, you put in the load information and then print out the invoice without having to do anything extra. You can print out your quarterly maintenance reports, track individual expenses, such as fuel, pm's, etc., as well as profitability by the load or time period. You can also customize the program so that you can track individual expense items, such as tires. I put tires into the maintenance, but you could separate that item if you so choose. You put in your mileage and gallons by state and then print out a report at the end of the quarter for your IFTA. The program does all the calculations for you. I have used a spreadsheet to keep track of the IFTA miles and gallons, but this is much simpler to use. It is important to know and understand your costs. The software will give you your costs and profit immediately after putting the information into the program. They do have a drivers version, I believe. Trucknpro has different versions of their software for different aspects of the industry, such as company driver, owner operator with a single truck or fleet owner with multiple trucks. As a company driver, you could put in your load information and have some historical data to check for the time when you do buy a truck. Company drivers also have expenses you could track. It is easy to lose a receipt or forget to write down an expense. The software makes it much easier. Drivers can take a per diem for each day you are on the road. You could put that information into the software each day or week that you are on the road and then give it to your tax preparer at the end of the year. By tracking it as you go, you won't forget a day you were on the road. You can use your log books, but this will give you a total as you go along.

 

What program(s) does this? Is there any templates someome can share