Tracking maintenance by individual truck helps you spot which vehicles are draining money and when it’s time to replace instead of repair. Without per-truck data, you just see a lump sum for repairs each month with no way to know if one truck is responsible for most of it.

In QuickBooks, use classes or locations to assign each expense to a specific truck. Create a class for each vehicle using the unit number or VIN last four digits. When you enter a repair bill, assign the expense to that truck’s class. This lets you run profit and loss reports by class and see exactly what each vehicle costs you.

If you’re using QuickBooks Online, tags work similarly to classes. Some trucking companies prefer sub-accounts under vehicle expense, creating separate accounts like “Repairs - Truck 101” and “Repairs - Truck 102.” This approach works but can clutter your chart of accounts if you have a large fleet. Classes or tags keep the chart of accounts clean while still giving you the breakdown.

Capture more than just the dollar amount when recording repairs. Note the mileage at time of service, what was repaired or replaced, and whether it was scheduled maintenance or a breakdown. This context matters when you’re reviewing costs six months later trying to decide whether to sell a truck that keeps having problems.

Trucking companies that track consistently can calculate cost per mile by truck. Divide total maintenance and repair costs by miles driven over the same period. A truck costing $0.08 per mile in repairs while another costs $0.25 per mile tells you something important about which asset is worth keeping.

Build the habit of coding expenses correctly as they happen. When a repair invoice comes in, assign it to the right truck before you pay it or file it away. Waiting until month end to sort through a stack of invoices means you’ll guess wrong on some of them or skip the truck assignment entirely because it takes too long.

Run a by-truck cost report quarterly at minimum. Look for trucks with repair costs climbing sharply or trucks that have repeated issues with the same components. This data supports real decisions like whether to invest in a major repair or sell the truck while it still has value.

If the setup feels complicated or you’re not sure how to structure the tracking in your accounting software, a bookkeeper for trucking businesses can configure the system properly from the start. Getting the structure right upfront means the reports actually show you what you need to see without manual spreadsheet work later.