It’s easy to get swept up in the finances. But the truth is that running a successful trucking business goes well beyond accounting.

There are two big mistakes that owner-operators make. One is not paying enough attention to cash flow. The other is getting so swept up into the accounting that other vital areas of the business get neglected. Either type of strategic error could be nearly impossible to overcome.

How to avoid these errors? There are solutions on the market designed to help truckers avoid making thes mistakes. 

For instance, there are a few key ways that trucking software can help tend to the other aspects of the business including:

Managing Dispatch Activities

Most of the day-to-day activities of a fleet manager or owner operator revolve around dispatching events. Tracking dispatching activities is tedious, time-consuming work. Trucking industry pros don’t work without a trucking software package. Owner-operators without good software support make easily preventable errors. 

By using a trucking software with systems that manages all of the dispatch details, such as

• shipper’s billing information
• delivery details
• routing.

Then the odds of making those preventable mistakes sharply decrease. When owner-operators use trucking software to manage dispatch activities, they will improve the overall long-term health of the business.

Thorough Record Keeping

Getting organized is the number one thing we hear about. Truckers, owner-operators, and fleet managers have to keep track of files. Paper or electronic, keeping track of where the data is and making it easy to find is a huge concern to everyone.

One of the ways that trucking software helps owner-operators is by making files easier to maintain. Trucking software that stores scanned photos and uploads important documents for safe, secure storage online saves time and money in the long run. A trucker needs to keep records safe to avoid costly mistakes.

Let’s face it: manual record-keeping is not only time-consuming, but also leaves your efforts prone to human error. Anything that gets you away from chasing little pieces of paper is better, but don’t you want a software solution that manages more?

If you had a choice, wouldn’t you use trucking software that handles automatic files back ups? The right software completely eliminates the headache of misplacing files, lost BOLs, or unreadable fuel receipts. Not worrying about things like filing paperwork frees fleet managers and owner-operators to deal with long-term strategic planning for the business.

Strategic Planning for Your Trucking Business

One of the challenges that come with operating a trucking business is juggling short-term goals with long-term ones. Luckily, trucking software will help fleet managers and owner-operators with both short and long-term strategic planning efforts.

Dispatches: Immediate planning with trucking software includes load planning software capabilities, either full loads or LTL. Trucking software with load planning software capabilities helps fleet managers plan dispatches and routes. When their trucking software is integrated with an ELD that tracks truck locations, fleet managers can make smart decisions as to which trucks should take which loads.

Analysis: As far as long-term planning goes, trucking software collects insights. Maintenance and fuel costs records allow easy and quick access to data. Then fleet managers and owner-operators want a high-level snapshot of how their business is performing. Trucking software that shows how a business is performing at any given moment is a crucial asset to make smart long-term business decisions. 

The key to building a successful trucking business

You can’t ignore accounting. You don’t get paid when you don’t send out invoices.
Taxes – IFTA, IRP, personal and business income taxes – gotta pay them.

There are also many other areas that owner-operators should focus on too. If you’re thinking about getting your own authority, then you need the tools to make your trucking business work efficiently and effectively.

In the end, there’s one key to building a successful trucking business. Find a software that manages accounting along with all other aspects of the business. The most reliable, affordable option on the market for owner-operators hoping to shift their business into the next gear is TruckingOffice.

Get more insight on why TruckingOffice is the software solution your trucking business needs by starting your free trial today.