Trucking is the most-overpaid small-business segment in the federal tax base. Per-diem rules most CPAs don't know. Section 179 on $180K tractors mis-elected every year. Fuel-tax refunds left unclaimed. Driver classification handled wrong until an audit shows up. The savings are real. The rules are real. Most preparers just don't know them.
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Truckers come to us with the same three problems: per-diem deductions never claimed (the most-common $15K/yr leak), Section 179 mis-elected on the truck purchase, and driver classification done by feel instead of by the rules.
"I'm out 280 nights a year. My CPA puts $0 per diem on my return because he doesn't know the rules. That's $15K of deductions I'm losing every year."
OTR owner-op · year 6 · Apr 2026
"I bought my truck for $185K last year. My CPA depreciated it over 5 years. I'm pretty sure Section 179 would have wiped most of it out in year one. Now I'm stuck."
Hot-shot · $290K rev · Mar 2026
"I run 4 trucks with drivers. Some are W-2, some are 1099, some have their own authority and lease back. I genuinely don't know which is right anymore."
Small fleet · $1.6M rev · Feb 2026
OTR drivers away from home overnight can deduct the IRS per-diem rate ($69/day in 2026 — partial day at 75%). Most truckers either don't claim it or claim it wrong. Documented correctly with route logs, a driver running 280 nights/yr deducts ~$19K. We set up the log discipline + document the math.
Heavy trucks over 26,000 lbs GVWR qualify for full Section 179 + bonus depreciation. A $180K tractor purchase in a high-income year can deduct $150K+ in year one if timed right. We map the purchase calendar against income and optimize the election.
Owner-op clearing $120K+ net typically saves $8K–$15K/yr on S-corp election. Reasonable comp benchmarked against trucking-industry wage data. The election is especially valuable for owner-ops who don't run as many nights OTR (less per-diem benefit, more salary benefit).
Interstate carriers must file IFTA quarterly. Off-highway fuel use (refrigeration units, PTO operations) qualifies for fuel-tax refund. We handle IFTA filings and identify refund-eligible fuel use most CPAs miss.
Small fleets running mixed driver structures get audited. The IRS 20-factor test + DOL Economic Realities test both apply and they don't always agree. We map your drivers, fix misclassifications under Section 530 safe-harbor where applicable, and document going-forward policy.
Drivers operating across state lines have apportionment, state-level tax, and authority compliance to manage. We coordinate with permitting and compliance services and handle the state tax returns cleanly.
Per-diem documentation rebuilt with route logs, prior-year amendment filed where statute allowed. Going-forward per-diem captured monthly through Gusto reimbursement. $19.3K of annual deductions recovered.
Amended prior-year return to apply Section 179 to the truck purchase. Recovered $42K of front-loaded depreciation that had been spread over 5 years. S-corp election + reasonable comp added $11.4K/yr recurring.
Driver classification audit completed. 2 lease-on drivers reclassified as W-2 employees (DOL test failed). Section 530 safe-harbor preserved for prior 1099 treatment. Going-forward policy documented + insurance restructured to match.
3-year scope · per-diem documentation review · Section 179 election analysis · S-corp + reasonable comp · fuel tax credit screen · ranked next-step list.
Hot-shots running own authority or fleets with 2+ trucks: Comprehensive ($5K). Multi-state interstate carriers with $1M+ revenue: Strategic ($10K).
No — that's a different specialty. We coordinate with compliance services (like JJ Keller or DAT Compliance) for DOT physicals, drug testing, and IFTA permitting. We handle the tax + bookkeeping side of fleet operations.
Big differences. Heavy trucks over 26,000 lbs GVWR get full Section 179 + bonus depreciation. Pickups + smaller trucks under that threshold have limits. Per-diem rules also differ for HOS-regulated drivers vs. local hot-shot. We model your specific situation.
Yes. IFTA quarterly filings are part of our standard trucking engagement. We pull fuel + miles data from your logs (TruckBytes, KeepTruckin, or manual records) and file all 50 states + provinces as needed.
Lease-on operators have different deductibility rules. We sort out which expenses you can still deduct vs. which the carrier already covers, and structure your reporting correctly. Often saves the lease-on driver $5K–$12K/yr that they didn't know they were leaving on the table.
Bring your truck info (GVWR, purchase year, purchase price), your typical nights-OTR per year, your IFTA history, and whether you have W-2 drivers. We'll quote the right tier and timeline before any work begins.
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