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How to do payroll in a trucking business

Payroll management in the trucking business differs from that of most other industries. Because drivers are sometimes paid by the mile or by the load rather than by a weekly or monthly payment, having the correct payroll software and automating trucking business can save HR time and problems.

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14.09.2021

Payroll for small businesses such as trucking can be done through automation. While some of the solutions and softwares are tailored to the needs of trucking firms, others are general payroll providers with solutions that can be tailored to the needs of any trucking company. Some are simple accounting software, while others are full-fledged trucking management systems. If you’re looking for a driver payroll software solution, I’m confident you’ll find at least a number of these solutions to your taste. I have enumerated in this article  the finest trucking payroll software providers you can definitely count on. I have put together a summary of the finest payroll software and another one of the best free payroll solutions for small businesses if you want more information about general payroll vendors.

Quickbooks  

QuickBooks' service for the trucking business suits the niche particularly well, as it is one of the most popular payroll and accounting software in the world. The program is used by over 10,000 transportation SMBs to handle labor expenditures, payroll tax computations, time tracking, and much more. The QuickBooks accounting platform can assist with providing same-day direct payouts to drivers, managing health benefits and workers' compensation, creating configurable payroll reports, generating stubs, and more. Payroll, along with taxes and forms, can be automated in a nearly set-it-and-forget-it fashion. The biggest advantage of QuickBooks for trucking companies is its built-in time tracking, which allows you to account for every hour worked and approve payroll when it’s ready. It also helps that QuickBooks is a more comprehensive accounting solution, allowing you to manage all of your finances in one spot.

Axon Software 

This Canadian firm has specialized in transportation software for decades, and it now offers a trucking accounting software application that can help improve cash flow and employee retention. By streamlining payroll, settlement processes, accounts receivables, payables, invoicing, and other recurring financial tasks, it helps fleet owners save time. Axon Software is famous for its real-time approach to processing trucking data, even if it isn’t the most modern-looking solution available. The system updates your dispatch, driver pay, fuel management, fleet maintenance, accounting, routing, and billing immediately as information is entered.

Gusto 

Formerly ZenPayroll which is a payroll system that is utilized by over 100,000 small businesses. They’re known for their vibrant and intuitive user experience, which is simple and straightforward to use. While their system lacks several trucking-specific capabilities, it is suitable for both contractors and salaried staff. It can manage PTO, mileage reimbursement, and tax filing on all levels. Gusto now compensates for its lack of transportation functionality with fundamental HR capabilities. The Core plan, for example, costs $6 per person per month plus a $39 monthly fee and includes payroll, employee benefits, an employee self-service portal, workers compensation administration, onboarding tools, and more.

Axis TMS 

This is a trucking management system that claims to contain all of the capabilities needed to run a business like this. A driver mobile app, invoicing module, carrier functionality, maintenance management, an IFTA add-on, and brokerage are among the features of their trucking software. Axis offers trucker payroll as an add-on service. Payroll can be run weekly, biweekly, or monthly, with auto-recurring or amortized deductions available. Owner operators can also select between paying drivers by the mile, cargo, or hour using their systems. Finally, Axis stands out as the only provider on this list that offers both hardware and software for trucking. They sell truck driver tablets, as well as dash cams, asset trackers, and sensors.

ADP Run 

It’s no surprise that ADP  has a solution that caters to the trucking industry being the most well-known firm in the payroll services field. ADP Run is a payroll solution for small businesses that is simple, quick, and economical. Nearly 700,000 businesses rely on it. They attempt to make the payroll process as simple as possible so you may focus on other aspects of your organization. You can complete payroll and tax filing in a few simple steps, pay employees via check, direct deposit, or paycard, and all of this can be done from your phone, online, or mobile app. If you run into any problems, ADP has a staff of payroll professionals available to help you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. They can also handle trucker health insurance in all 50 US states. It’s also worth noting that ADP has additional products for larger companies, so they can definitely scale with you.

TruckLogics  

It includes a section of their software dedicated to paying contractor drivers, which makes sense for a firm that specializes in trucking management software. While the technology is not yet completely functional, it will integrate with PayWow to provide a dedicated trucking payroll solution within their platform. If the dealers above haven’t persuaded you, this one might be worth keeping an eye on or contacting. 

When it comes to trucking payroll software, the primary choice is whether to go with a full trucking management system or a payroll-focused solution that you can combine with what you already have. On the one hand, you’d receive a lot of trucking features and specialist assistance, but you’d also get a more modern system with a better user interface and a lot more payroll and HR functions. It will also spare you from the burden of having trucking issues as what have been discussed in Unite: low pay a “key issue”, wherein shortage of drivers was observed due to extremely low salary in the UK. .

It is ideal to build a list of the 3-5 most important features you require and then see which providers from that list can provide all of them. It’s just a matter of ensuring that a payroll-focused vendor integrates effectively with your other software if you’re leaning toward one. Getting a demo with the vendors you’ve shortlisted is the greatest approach to ensure these two factors. Then, bring a list of detailed questions from you and your team, take notes, and don’t be hesitant to take control of the demo or even ask for a trial of the solution. It may be a lengthy procedure, but it will be well worth it in the long run, given how many man hours and boring jobs it will save you.


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