Catch-Up Bookkeeping for Trucking & Transportation Companies
Behind on the books while the trucks keep rolling? We rebuild revenue load by load, reconstruct driver and owner-operator settlements, restore the fuel and distance records your quarterly fuel tax reporting depends on, separate zero-rated international freight from taxable domestic movements, and file the returns you are behind on. Licensed Ontario CPA. Flat fee. All fees include HST.
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The Paperwork Travels With the Truck, and That Is the Problem.
A carrier generates records in every direction at once. Loads settle through brokers weeks after delivery, fuel is bought across several jurisdictions, drivers and owner-operators are paid on statements full of deductions, receivables are often factored, and equipment sits under a mix of ownership, lease and finance. Meanwhile the quarterly fuel tax return depends on distance and fuel records that live in the cab. When the office falls behind, the fuel tax filings almost always fall behind with it, because both run on the same documents.
We rebuild the whole picture from settlement statements, fuel card reports, trip and logging data, equipment agreements and bank records, so revenue, driver pay, fuel tax reporting and the freight tax treatment all reconcile. If you are a carrier behind on your books, our transportation and logistics accounting team can bring you current. See also our bookkeeping services for transportation and logistics companies and our tax accountant for truck drivers.
Book Free Consultation
Our Trucking Catch-Up Bookkeeping Services
Revenue Rebuilt Load by Load
We reconstruct revenue from settlement statements, rate confirmations and deposits.
Fuel Tax Records
We rebuild distance and fuel by jurisdiction so quarterly fuel tax reporting reconciles.
Driver Settlements
We reconstruct pay and every deduction, from advances and escrow to chargebacks.
Freight Tax Treatment
We separate zero-rated international movements from taxable domestic freight, period by period.
Equipment & Cost Per Mile
We set the capital cost pools, split lease interest from principal, and rebuild cost per mile.
Back Returns Filed
Once the books are rebuilt we file the outstanding GST/HST and T2 returns from clean numbers.
How We Catch Up a Carrier's Books
Rebuilt quarter by quarter, in the order the filing deadlines demand. All fees include HST.
Scope the Backlog
Two calendars run behind at once on a trucking file, not one.
- Establish which accounting periods are unreconciled and what was filed for each.
- Identify the outstanding GST/HST, fuel tax and corporate returns separately.
- Confirm the fleet size, driver count and owner-operator count for each period.
- Establish what settlement, fuel card and logging data can still be exported.
- Fix one price for the whole rebuild, in writing, before anything begins.
Rebuild Revenue at Gross
Where receivables are factored, the gross figure is usually the missing one.
- Reconstruct revenue from broker settlements, rate confirmations and bills of lading.
- Record factored receivables at gross with the factoring cost shown as an expense.
- Reconcile each period's revenue to bank deposits and factoring advances.
- Separate freight revenue from fuel surcharges, accessorial charges and detention.
- Account for interlined movements on their own footing.
Restore Fuel and Distance Records
The quarterly fuel tax return cannot be rebuilt from the ledger alone.
- Rebuild distance travelled by jurisdiction from trip records or logging exports.
- Rebuild fuel purchased by jurisdiction from receipts and fuel card statements.
- Reconcile fuel expense in the books to the fuel reported on the quarterly returns.
- Document the basis wherever a gap has to be estimated rather than sourced.
- Bring the outstanding quarterly filings current alongside the accounting periods.
Rebuild Settlements and Classification
Driver pay is where trucking exposure concentrates.
- Reconstruct gross pay by mile, by load or by percentage for each driver.
- Rebuild every deduction: advances, insurance, escrow, permits, claims and chargebacks.
- Review each owner-operator against the control, tools and financial risk tests.
- Correct prior periods where a driver was treated as a contractor but was not one.
- Reconcile payroll, source deductions, T4s, slips for contractors and WSIB.
Fix the Freight Tax Split and Deductions
One rate across all freight is the error we correct most often.
- Separate zero-rated international movements from taxable domestic freight.
- Apply the interlining treatment where carriers share a movement.
- Claim the input tax credits on fuel, repairs, equipment and subcontracted carriage.
- Capture long-haul driver meal claims at the deductible portion the rules allow.
- Quantify each correction per period and prepare the back returns.
Equipment, Filing and Staying Current
The rebuild finishes with numbers you can actually run the fleet on.
- Separate owned, leased and financed units and split payments between interest and principal.
- Set the capital cost allowance pools, since tractors and trailers do not sit together.
- Rebuild cost per mile with fixed and variable costs properly separated.
- Submit every overdue GST/HST and corporate return from reconciled figures.
- Seek relief on penalties and interest where the history supports the request.
Free Trucking Catch-Up Bookkeeping Consultation
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Pick a time that suits you. Evenings and weekends are available until 9 PM.
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Case Studies
Factored Receivables Booked at Net
A carrier recorded only the advance received from its factoring company as revenue, so reported sales were materially understated, the factoring cost was invisible and every margin was wrong. We rebuilt revenue at gross from the factoring statements and broker settlements, showed the financing cost as an expense, and re-filed the affected periods. The figures here are illustrative of the work we do, not a specific client file.
Fuel Tax Filings Two Years Behind
An operator running several jurisdictions had stopped filing quarterly fuel tax returns because the trip sheets were incomplete. We rebuilt distance by jurisdiction from logging exports and fuel purchases from card statements, reconciled both to the fuel expense in the books, documented the estimated portions, and brought the outstanding quarters current. The figures here are illustrative of the work we do, not a specific client file.
One Tax Rate Applied to All Freight
A cross-border carrier charged and remitted identically on every load, ignoring that international movements are treated differently from domestic ones. We reclassified the freight revenue movement by movement, quantified the correction for each reporting period, and filed the amended returns with the input tax credits properly claimed. The figures here are illustrative of the work we do, not a specific client file.
Owner-Operators Who Were Really Employees
A fleet paid several long-serving drivers as owner-operators although the company supplied the tractors, set the dispatch and carried the risk. We reviewed each arrangement against the control and financial risk tests, moved the affected drivers onto payroll, corrected the prior periods and disclosed voluntarily. The figures here are illustrative of the work we do, not a specific client file.
Where Trucking Company Books Go Wrong
What we find most often when a carrier's books are behind, and what each one costs.
| Problem | Why It Matters |
|---|---|
| Factored receivables booked at net | Revenue understated and a real financing cost hidden from every margin |
| One tax rate on all freight | Zero-rated international movements treated like taxable domestic ones |
| Fuel tax records never reconciled | Quarterly returns that cannot be tied back to the accounting fuel expense |
| Owner-operator status never reviewed | Contractors who function as employees, assessed retroactively across the roster |
| Lease payments expensed in full | No capital cost allowance claimed and interest never separated from principal |
| No cost per mile | A carrier cannot tell a busy quarter from a profitable one |
Two filing calendars run behind at once on a trucking file. The accounting periods and the quarterly fuel tax returns depend on the same trip and fuel documents, so catching up one without the other leaves the carrier half exposed. We rebuild both from the same source records. See our CRA audit resolution services.
Freight, Fuel and Drivers: The Rules We Apply
The treatments that decide whether a carrier's file reconciles, and how we apply each one.
| Item | Treatment |
|---|---|
| International freight movements | Generally zero-rated, recorded separately from domestic revenue |
| Domestic freight movements | Generally taxable, with input tax credits claimed on the cost side |
| Factored receivables | Revenue at gross, with the factoring cost recorded as an expense |
| Fuel tax reporting | Distance and fuel by jurisdiction each quarter, reconciled to the books |
| Long-haul driver meals | A more generous deductible portion than ordinary business meals, subject to the trip conditions |
| Owner-operator versus employee | Decided on control, tools and financial risk, not on the wording of the contract |
Driver classification is where a trucking assessment gets large. Where drivers should have been on payroll and were not, the CPP, EI and income tax that ought to have been withheld become the corporation's liability with penalties and interest, and the finding rarely stops at one driver, because the same arrangement usually applies across the roster and across several years. Directors can also be assessed personally for unremitted source deductions and unremitted GST/HST, exposure that survives dissolving the corporation. Correcting classification on your own initiative is a very different position from having it determined for you.
What Our Trucking Catch-Up Includes
- Scoping the rebuild across both the accounting and fuel tax calendars, at a flat fee agreed first
- Reconstructing revenue load by load from settlements, rate confirmations and deposits
- Recording factored receivables at gross with the financing cost shown properly
- Rebuilding distance and fuel by jurisdiction for every outstanding quarter
- Reconciling fuel expense in the books to the fuel reported on the quarterly returns
- Reconstructing driver and owner-operator settlements with every deduction
- Reviewing owner-operator status against the control, tools and financial risk tests
- Separating zero-rated international freight from taxable domestic movements
- Setting equipment capital cost pools and splitting lease interest from principal
- Filing every overdue GST/HST and corporate return from reconciled books
Know Your Exact Fee Before We Start
Flat fee, fixed in advance. All fees include HST. No hourly billing.
Why Carriers Choose Gondaliya CPA for Catch-Up
Built for Carriers
Settlements, fuel tax records, freight tax treatment and cost per mile handled the way a fleet runs.
Licensed CPA Ontario
A certified CPA team rebuilds and files, not just data entry.
Flat Fee, Upfront
All fees including HST, no hourly billing, scoped before we start.
Fully Remote
Your books rebuilt through our secure portal, wherever the fleet happens to be running.
Transparent Flat-Fee Trucking Catch-Up Pricing
| Service | Fee | Scope | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| Catch-Up Scoping & Quote | FREE | One-time | We map both calendars, confirm the outstanding filings and quote a flat fee first. |
| Owner-Operator Catch-Up | Quoted upfront | Per backlog | Single truck: revenue, settlements, fuel records, meal claims and returns rebuilt. |
| Fleet Catch-Up | Quoted upfront | Per backlog | Multi-truck: settlements, classification review, equipment pools and cost per mile. |
| Back GST/HST & T2 Filing | Included | Per return | Every overdue return prepared and filed from reconciled books. |
| Ongoing Monthly Bookkeeping | Quoted upfront | Monthly | Optional, with fuel tax reporting and cost per mile refreshed each period. |
All fees include HST, so the number quoted is the number you pay. Payment is by Interac e-Transfer to info@gondaliyacpa.ca with auto-deposit enabled and the security question set to Not Applicable. Please use our pricing calculator for an exact figure.
Quarters Outstanding? Start This Week.
Flat fee, fixed in advance. All fees include HST. 30-Day Money-Back Guarantee.
Trucking Catch-Up Bookkeeping: Cities We Serve
Licensed CPA catch-up bookkeeping for carriers across Ontario, delivered virtually.
Frequently Asked Questions
Meet Your Trucking Bookkeeping Team
Sharad Gondaliya, CPA
Founder & Managing Director
Gondaliya CPA Professional Corporation
Sharad advises carriers on catch-up rebuilds, driver classification, freight tax treatment and cross-border operations.
Vandana Goel, CPA
Senior Accountant
Gondaliya CPA Professional Corporation
Vandana rebuilds settlements, fuel and distance records, equipment pools and cost per mile period by period until the books are current.
What Our Clients Say
1300+ five-star reviews from business owners across Ontario and Canada.
Related Industries We Serve
Fleet and owner-operated businesses we bring current and keep current.
Transportation & Logistics
- Carrier and freight brokerage books
- Fuel tax reporting kept current
- Cost per mile and fleet reporting
Truck Drivers
- Owner-operator returns and deductions
- Long-haul meal claims maximised
- Incorporation timing advised honestly
Skilled Trades
- Owner-operator and small crew books
- Equipment capital cost allowance
- WSIB and payroll compliance
Small Businesses
- Flat-fee books, payroll and tax
- Catch-up work and ongoing compliance
- One firm from cleanup to filing
Trucks Rolling, Books Behind? Let a CPA Rebuild Them.
Revenue restored at gross, settlements reconstructed, fuel and distance records rebuilt and every overdue return filed, on both calendars at once. Flat fee. All fees include HST.