Owner-operators have more deductible expenses than most business owners realize. Missing even a few categories adds up to real money lost at tax time and inaccurate cost-per-mile calculations that make good loads look bad.

Fuel and fuel taxes are the biggest line item. Track every fill-up with date, location, gallons, and cost. You need this for IFTA reporting anyway, and it’s the foundation of understanding your operating costs. Keep fuel receipts because they prove state-by-state allocation if you’re ever audited.

Maintenance and repairs include oil changes, tires, brake work, general repairs, and preventive maintenance. A single set of drive tires runs $2,000 or more. Track parts and labor separately when possible. This category alone can hit $15,000 to $25,000 annually depending on miles and equipment age.

Insurance premiums cover multiple policies including liability, cargo, physical damage, bobtail, and occupational accident if you’re a 1099 operator. These are fully deductible and often total $15,000 to $25,000 per year. Good bookkeeping for trucking companies means these get categorized correctly from the start.

Truck payments and interest matter whether you’re financing or leasing. The interest portion is deductible separately from depreciation on the equipment itself. If you own the truck outright, you’re taking depreciation instead.

Permits, licenses, and fees add up fast. IRP registration, IFTA decals, UCR filing, state permits, oversize and overweight permits for specialty loads, and Heavy Use Tax. Most owner-operators are surprised when they total these at year end.

Tolls are easy to forget if you’re paying cash at booths, but PrePass and toll transponder accounts provide records automatically. Track cash tolls separately because they’re just as deductible.

Meals on the road get special treatment. Owner-operators can use the DOT per diem rate, which is higher than the standard business meal rate. It’s currently $69 per day for travel within the continental US. You can claim this for any day you’re away from your tax home with a required rest period. Per diem is simpler than tracking actual meal receipts and usually saves more money.

Lumper fees and detention pay documentation matters for your records even if they’re reimbursed. If you’re covering lumper fees out of pocket, those are deductible. Detention pay is income, so you need to track both sides.

Equipment and supplies include chains, straps, tarps, load bars, tools, and anything else you need to secure and deliver freight. Also track ELD devices, dash cams, GPS units, and their monthly service fees.

Communication costs like cell phone plans, mobile hotspots, and satellite communication services are deductible for the business-use portion. If you use one phone for everything, estimate the business percentage and be reasonable about the split.

Truck washing seems minor but regular washes to maintain the equipment add up over a year. Same with parking fees at truck stops when paid parking is required.

Professional services include accounting, bookkeeping, and legal fees. Working with small business bookkeepers in New Mexico or elsewhere means those fees are deductible too. Dispatch service fees count if you’re using a dispatching company.

Medical requirements specific to trucking are deductible. DOT physicals, drug testing, and sleep apnea testing if required for your medical card all count.

The expenses you track directly affect your tax bill and your understanding of actual cost per mile. Most owner-operators know their fuel cost per mile but don’t know their all-in cost including insurance, maintenance, and fixed costs. Without that number, you can’t evaluate whether a load is actually profitable.

Track expenses weekly, not quarterly. Shoebox accounting leads to missed deductions because you can’t remember what that $347 truck stop charge was for six months later.