About this ebook
The difference isn't the truck. It's the numbers.
Most owner-operators can back into a dock blindfolded but have no idea what it actually costs to move their commercial vehicle one mile down the road. They chase big gross weeks, accept cheap loads just to "keep the wheels turning," and wonder eleven months later why the business account is empty. This book fixes that, for good.
Owner-Operator Money is the definitive trucking personal finance guide and no-fluff, road-tested system for running the financial side of an independent trucking business. This is not a dry list of tax deductions or a lecture—it is a practical financial literacy blueprint you can run with a pen, a folder, and ten minutes on a Sunday right in your bunk. Written specifically for one-truck operations, it bridges the gap between raw freight revenue and long-term business profitability.
Inside this comprehensive truck driver accounting companion, you'll discover how to:
Calculate Your True Cost-Per-Mile: Master the single most important metric that tells you exactly yes or no on every single load board offer.
Allocate Fixed Operating Costs: Learn how to spread annual or recurring business expenses across honest, realistic miles so you stop getting ambushed by yearly bills.
Manage Truck Fuel and MPG Trends: Track your fuel economy systematically to prevent your absolute biggest operating expense from bleeding your business dry.
Log Per-Diem Tracking Compliance: Maintain clean, daily per-diem records to maximize your tax deductions and hand off flawless data to a professional tax preparer.
Reconcile Weekly Settlements: Run a 10-minute audit on every carrier or broker settlement sheet to catch missing revenue before it walks out the door.
Establish Business Reserve Buckets: Smartly split every incoming dollar into designated reserves for estimated quarterly taxes, maintenance funds, a slow-week cushion, and a steady paycheck for YOU.
Fund a Dedicated Truck Maintenance Account: Build a robust financial cushion before the mechanical breakdown arrives—because in owner-operator trucking, it is always coming.
Spanning nine straight-talking chapters, this guide establishes one repeatable rhythm for your trucking business. It features a complete toolkit of cab-ready financial tools—including a cost-per-mile calculator, fixed-cost planner, fuel and MPG log, per-diem day tracker, weekly settlement sheet, and reserve bucket allocator—all thoughtfully formatted as digital workbook templates ready for convenient at-home printing.
Revenue is what shows up on the load board. Net profit is what's left after the truck takes its cut. Stop being broke at the top. Learn your numbers, keep your hard-earned money, and run your rig like the serious business it was always meant to be.
Please note: This book is for educational purposes only and does not constitute formal tax, accounting, or financial advice. Any dollar figures or rates mentioned are purely illustrative examples. Always confirm your specific business structure and tax filing strategy with a qualified trucking tax professional or CPA.
