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Top Trucking Payroll Software

The 6 Best Trucking Payroll Software Vendors in 2024

The best trucking payroll software, tested by in-house HR tech experts at SSR. Find pricing info, feature breakdowns, advice on product demos and more below.

Rodrigo Vázquez Mellado
Written by
Rodrigo Vázquez Mellado
HR and B2B software analyst and advisor, tech writer and editor, former conversational designer
Contributing Experts
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Last Updated: Mar 28, 2024
TOP
HIRS system with payroll and benefits
Gusto
4.0
Popularity Score
4.0
User Score
4.1
Product  Score
Visit Website
TOP
HIRS system with payroll and benefits
Gusto
4.0
Popularity Score
4.0
User Score
4.1
Product  Score
Learn More
TOP
Well-trusted name in payroll software
ADP
4.0
Popularity Score
3.0
User Score
3.6
Product  Score
Visit Website
TOP
Well-trusted name in payroll software
ADP
4.0
Popularity Score
3.0
User Score
3.6
Product  Score
Learn More
TOP
Payroll and financials for SMBs
QuickBooks
4.1
Popularity Score
4.0
User Score
4.0
Product  Score
Visit Website
TOP
Payroll and financials for SMBs
QuickBooks
4.1
Popularity Score
4.0
User Score
4.0
Product  Score
Learn More
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Introduction to Trucking Payroll Software

Running payroll in the trucking industry can be different than in most other fields. Since drivers can sometimes be compensated by the mile or load instead of getting a weekly or monthly paycheck, having the right payroll software can be key to saving time and headaches for HR.

While some of these solutions are geared specifically toward trucking companies, others are general payroll providers whose solutions adapt to the needs of any trucking business. Some are general bookkeeping tools, while others are full-on trucking management systems.

If you’re looking for a software solution that can run driver payroll, we’re confident that you’ll find at least a couple of these options to your liking. These are the best trucking payroll software vendors as of 2021.

In case you want more information on general payroll vendors, we’ve put together a roundup of the best payroll software, and another one of the best free payroll solutions for small businesses.

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Top Trucking Payroll Software

Gusto

: HIRS system with payroll and benefits

ADP

: Well-trusted name in payroll software

QuickBooks

: Payroll and financials for SMBs

Axon Software

: Real-time trucking software

Axis TMS

: Feature-rich trucking command center

TruckLogics

: Trucking software + PayWow

Our Criteria: Here's How We Chose The Top Trucking Payroll Software

To identify the few companies that would make sense to recommend as trucking payroll software vendors, we talked to business owners and HR professionals at trucking companies of various sizes, mainly in the US. We leveraged our years of experience in the payroll space, engaging in conversations with each product team and some of their trucking clients.

Our final selection was guided mainly by vendors’ performance across three critical criteria: trucking-friendly payroll features, ease of use, and customer support.

  • Trucking-Friendly Payroll Features: Naturally, we placed significant emphasis on payroll software that caters to the unique needs of trucking companies. The chosen solutions may provide specialized functionalities such as driver pay calculations, per diem tracking, compliance with Hours of Service (HOS) regulations, and seamless integration with fleet management systems.
  • Ease of Use: User-friendliness is paramount for efficient payroll management within the fast-paced trucking industry. We focused on software solutions that prioritize intuitive interfaces and straightforward workflows.
  • Customer Support: We prioritized the payroll software vendors who are well known for their reliable assistance. The chosen solutions are very customer-centric, striving for uninterrupted payroll operations and timely issue resolution.

Our selection process also prioritized tools boasting a contemporary user experience (UX) and streamlined workflows that effortlessly guide both payroll managers and trucking business owners. To gain deeper insights into our methodology, delve into our comprehensive criteria for evaluating HR tech vendors.

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Compare the Top Trucking Payroll Software

Popularity Score
Best for
Key Differentiator
Pricing
Free Trial
Customers
Users Score
Product Score

Gusto

Most Popular
4.0
Expanding trucking pros with limited HR resources
Notable automation features for time-constrained managers
Starts at $6/month/person
Yes
200,000+
4.0
4.1

ADP

Most Popular
4.0
Large companies (1,000+) looking for a personalized service
Vast resources for white-glove payroll services
Custom Pricing
Yes
35,000+
3.0
3.6

QuickBooks

Most Popular
4.1
Trucking SMBs with a simple payroll and accounting structure
No-frills and cost-friendly system with good support
Starts at $22/month
Yes
29 million
4.0
4.0

Axon Software

Most Popular
4.0
Trucking businesses looking for a feature-based solution
A trucking-industry focused software tool with payroll
Per feature
No
Undisclosed
4.6
4.3

Axis TMS

Most Popular
4.1
A business seeking robust trucking management software
Full trucking command center with payroll as an add-on
Starts at $99/month
Yes
Undisclosed
4.5
4.3

TruckLogics

Most Popular
4.0
Good bet for fleet managers and owner operators alike
Wide array of integrations and trucking-specific features
Starts at $9.95/month
Yes
Undisclosed
3.6
3.9
Phil Strazzulla
HR Tech Expert, Harvard MBA, Software Enthusiast

Need Help? Get Custom Recommendations for Top Trucking Payroll Software

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Detailed Reviews of the Best Trucking Payroll Software

Gusto

Visit Website
Gusto
Learn More
Popularity Score
4 / 5
User Score
4 / 5
Product Score
4.1 / 5

Why we picked Gusto

Gusto's powerful payroll software makes it easy to pay contractors, including contract drivers, whether they operate within the U.S. or globally. While it can accommodate businesses of any size, it is particularly well-suited for small to medium-sized companies.

PROS

  • Gusto supports payments for domestic and international contractors.
  • Supports online signatures, automatic deductions, and automated tax filing.
  • Flexible payroll schedules and unlimited pay runs.
  • Unlimited contractor payments in the U.S.
  • Responsive customer support.
  • Transparent pricing. No long-term contract is required.
  • Free account setup.
  • The dashboard feature keeps tabs on compliance tasks
  • The hiring and onboarding sequence is nicely streamlined between HR and the new hire
  • Post-offer, pre-start tasks are made easy with integrations like CorpNet (state tax set up) Checkr (background checks)
  • Easy payroll for U.S.-based W-2 folks, domestic, and international contractors
  • Person-to-person phone support, email, and other customer service resources
  • The business model is responsive to customer needs

CONS

  • While it’s one of the best payroll tools around, it’s not built specifically for the trucking industry and might lack features for this market.
  • No built-in accounting tool for earnings and expenses monitoring.
  • The 'Simple' tier plan lacks in-built time tracking and online signature features, necessitating third-party integrations.
  • Premium plan or Plus plan with add-ons offer features like federal/state compliance alerts and broker/health insurance plan integration, not available with the Simple plan.
  • No provision for a free trial.
  • Gusto can support payments for international contractors, but not employees
  • No native accounting feature to keep earning and spending under the same roof
  • Analytics dashboard is simplistic

Gusto Review

Gusto offers unlimited contractor payments in the U.S., ensuring hassle-free processing. With features like online signatures, automated tax filing, and flexible payroll options, it is a convenient and efficient solution for managing trucking payroll.

The platform's automatic deductions streamline benefits administration, while person-to-person support and licensed benefits advisors ensure excellent customer service.

Gusto's transparent pricing, responsive business model, and free account setup make it an attractive choice for small to medium size trucking businesses.

Note that the platform lacks a native accounting feature for tracking earnings and spending,  and advanced features, like time tracking and online signatures, are only available through third-party integrations.

Additionally, the analytics dashboard is simplistic, and federal/state compliance alerts and broker/health insurance integration are only included with the Premium plan,  or as add-ons with lower-tier plans.

This is a good tool for trucking businesses seeking efficient payroll management.

Gusto Customers

American Canning, Matchless Builds, Citizen Pilates, Pain Clinic, Distant Moon.

Gusto Pricing

  • Simple Plan: $40 per month plus $6 per person.
  • Plus Plan (Limited Time Sale): Starting at $60 monthly plus $9 per person.
  • Premium Plan: Customized plan options available by contacting sales.
  • Contractor Only Plan: $6 per person per month, designed for businesses with contractor drivers and no W-2 employees.

Best For

Gusto offers robust payroll software for contractor drivers within the U.S., and the ideal business size is small to medium.

Gusto in action
No items found.

ADP

Visit Website
ADP
Learn More
Popularity Score
4 / 5
User Score
3 / 5
Product Score
3.6 / 5

Why we picked ADP

An affordable payroll solution from one of the top names in this type of software, used by thousands of organizations.

PROS

CONS

ADP Review

As what is probably the best-known company in the payroll services space, it’s no surprise that ADP has an offering that could adapt to the trucking industry. Although not made specifically for trucking companies, ADP Run is their simple, fast, and affordable payroll solution for SMBs. It is used by nearly 700,000 organizations.

They strive to make the payroll process effortless, so you have more time to run the other parts of your business. You can do payroll and tax filing in just a few easy steps, pay employees by check, direct deposit, or paycard, and it’s all doable from either the phone, the web, or their mobile app. One thing to note, however, is that they lack trucking-specific features like being able to pay drivers by the mile.

Should you run into any snags with the rest of their offering, ADP has 24/7 customer support from a team of payroll experts. They can also manage health insurance for truckers in all 50 US states. It is also worth mentioning that ADP does have other products for larger businesses, and not just for payroll, so they can certainly grow with you.

ADP Customers

ADP Pricing

Best For

ADP in action
No items found.

QuickBooks

Visit Website
QuickBooks
Learn More
Popularity Score
4.1 / 5
User Score
4 / 5
Product Score
4 / 5

Why we picked QuickBooks

Quickbooks is one of the highly-trusted names in financial tracking, payroll, expense reports, and even time and attendance software for small businesses.

PROS

CONS

QuickBooks Review

As one of the most popular payroll and accounting software in the world, QuickBooks’ offering for the trucking industry fits the niche particularly well. More than 10,000 transportation SMBs use the product to manage labor costs, tackle payroll tax calculations, track time, and much more.

The QuickBooks accounting platform can help to provide same-day direct deposits to drivers, manage health benefits & workers comp, create customizable payroll reports, generate stubs, and much more. Payroll can be automated along with taxes and forms, almost in a set-it-and-forget-it manner.

The main benefit of QuickBooks in relation to trucking companies is that it’s got built-in time tracking, letting you account for every hour worked and then approve payroll when ready. Additionally, it helps that QuickBooks is a fuller accounting solution, so you can manage all your finances in one place.

QuickBooks Customers

QuickBooks Pricing

Best For

QuickBooks in action
Reviewer's Rating
10/10

First and foremost, we utilize the invoicing functionality to create and send professional invoices to our clients. This feature allows us to track payments, send reminders, and easily manage our accounts receivable.

In addition, QuickBooks helps us with tax tracking by enabling us to categorize income and expenses appropriately, making tax preparation more efficient. This feature ensures that we have accurate records and can easily generate reports for tax purposes.

Another important aspect of our QuickBooks usage is the mileage and expense tracking. We utilize the built-in tools to record and categorize our business-related mileage and expenses, ensuring that we have a comprehensive record for reimbursement or tax deductions.

The reporting capabilities are vital to our organization as well. We leverage the various reporting options available to gain insights into our financial performance, monitor cash flow, track profitability, and make informed business decisions based on real-time data.

Finally, QuickBooks serves as our central hub for transaction tracking. We record and categorize all our financial transactions, including sales, purchases, and payments, in order to maintain accurate and up-to-date financial records.

What do you like about this tool?
  1. QuickBooks integrates seamlessly with other business tools and software
  2. It allows us to customize our needs and only pay for what we use
  3. It integrates with other vendors to help us streamline processes
Why did your organization buy this tool, and how long have you used it for?

I have used it for almost 3 years and tried different versions. I chose QuickBooks because it provides a user-friendly interface, comprehensive features, industry recognition, seamless integration capabilities, and scalability options—all of which contribute to efficient financial management and supports the organization's needs.

It is easy to switch between versions as business needs change (add or remove payroll option, etc). One of the primary reasons we selected QuickBooks is its widespread adoption and industry recognition. QuickBooks is widely regarded as a leading accounting software solution, trusted by millions of businesses worldwide. This reputation reassured us of its reliability and stability.

It offers scalable options that can accommodate our organization's growth and evolving needs. As we expand, QuickBooks provides the flexibility to add additional features or upgrade to more advanced versions to support our changing requirements, ensuring long-term viability for our financial management system.

What do you dislike about this tool?
  1. There are so many versions and it's hard to find directions for the one that we use at that time
  2. It is nearly impossible to talk to a human being
  3. During the sales process they will give you as much attention as you need but as soon as you are in, you are pretty much on your own
How is this tool different than their competitors?
  1. Quickbooks offers many different options and they will cater to your business needs (just make sure you do your due diligence at the beginning before they close the deal)
  2. EVERYONE knows about Quickbooks so it's easy to use and clients have no problem paying you via QB
  3. However, many other similar tools will offer live support or even a dedicated account manager. Even though it may cost a little more but this might be a dealbreaker to some businesses.
What Instructions should people think about when buying this type of tool?
  1. Know exactly what you need it to do for you and clearly specify it during the sales process. Make sure you do not overpay for something you will not use
  2. Make sure you stay within budget and pay attention to special pricing as most plans will offer discounted costs but only for the first few months.
  3. Check that your bank and other third-party vendors will integrate with QB. While a lot of them do, not all.
How has this tool changed or evolved over time to meet users needs?

They evolve all the time by adding new versions to accommodate everyone's needs (last time I checked there were 45).

What specific type of user or organization is this tool very good for?

Small to Medium, independent contractors, startups.

What specific type of user or organization would this tool not be a good fit for?

This helps us explain it better to readers of the review, and proves you are a customer of the product with access to the tool

Axon Software

Visit Website
Axon Software
Learn More
Popularity Score
4 / 5
User Score
4.6 / 5
Product Score
4.3 / 5

Why we picked Axon Software

As a fully-fledged trucking management system, Axon offers real-time and meaningful information that is instantly updated across every area of the business.

PROS

CONS

Axon Software Review

This Canadian company has been doing trucking software exclusively for decades, boasting a trucking accounting software tool that can help to increase cash flow and staff retention. It aids in saving time for fleet owners by streamlining payroll, settlement processes, accounts receivables, payables, invoicing, and other recurring financial tasks.

While it’s not the most modern-looking solution out there, Axon Software is notable for its real-time approach to the handling of trucking data. Information entered into the system automatically updates your dispatch, driver pay, fuel management, fleet maintenance, accounting, routing, and billing.

Axon Software Customers

Axon Software Pricing

Best For

Axon Software in action
No items found.

Axis TMS

Visit Website
Axis TMS
Learn More
Popularity Score
4.1 / 5
User Score
4.5 / 5
Product Score
4.3 / 5

Why we picked Axis TMS

Axis is a trucking command center with all the features you'd need to run a trucking business smoothly, although payroll is offered as an add-on.

PROS

CONS

Axis TMS Review

Axis is a trucking management system which claims to have all the tools you’d need to run such a business. Their trucking software features includes a driver mobile app, a billing module, carrier functionalities, maintenance management, an IFTA add-on, and brokerage.

As for trucking payroll, Axis does it as an add-on. You can run payroll weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly, and do auto-recurring or amortized deductions. Their systems also lets owner operators choose between paying drivers by the mile, load, or hour.

Lastly, Axis is also notable for being the only vendor on this list that does hardware for trucking as well as software. They sell tablets for truck drivers, dash cameras, asset trackers, and sensors.

Axis TMS Customers

Axis TMS Pricing

Best For

Axis TMS in action
No items found.

TruckLogics

Visit Website
TruckLogics
Learn More
Popularity Score
4 / 5
User Score
3.6 / 5
Product Score
3.9 / 5

Why we picked TruckLogics

Up-and-coming vendor in the trucking payroll space, with years of experience on pure trucking management software.

PROS

CONS

TruckLogics Review

As a trucking management software company, it makes sense that TruckLogics has a part of their product made specially to pay contractor drivers. While not fully available yet, the system will be integrating with PayWow in order to offer a specialized trucking payroll solution within their platform. If you’re not convinced by the vendors above, this one might be worth keeping an eye on, or getting in touch with.

TruckLogics Customers

TruckLogics Pricing

Best For

TruckLogics in action
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Pro Tips on Trucking Payroll Software

Final Advice on Buying Trucking Payroll Software

The main question with picking out trucking payroll software is whether to go with a full trucking management system, or pick a payroll-focused solution and integrate it with what you already use.

On the one hand, you’d get a myriad of trucking features and specialized support, but on the other you’d get a more modern solution with better UX and far more payroll & HR features.

Our advice here would be to make a list of the 3-5 key features that you need and see which vendors from this list fulfill all of them. If you’re leaning towards a payroll-focused vendor, it’s just a matter of making sure they integrate well with your other software.

The best way to make sure of these two factors, is to get a demo with the vendors that you shortlist. Then, show up to that with a detailed set of questions from you and your team, take notes, and don’t be afraid to take control of the demo or even request a trial of the solution.

It could be a lengthy process, but in the long run, considering all the man hours and tedious tasks that it will save you, it will certainly be worth it.

About Us

  • Our goal at SSR is to help HR and recruiting teams to find and buy the right software for their needs.
  • Our site is free to use as some vendors will pay us for web traffic.
  • SSR lists all companies we feel are top vendors - not just those who pay us - in our comprehensive directories full of the advice needed to make the right purchase decision for your HR team.

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