Trucking Payroll Software: 5 Options for Effortless Driver Pay

If you’re looking for trucking payroll software, you’re likely trying to: 

• Reduce the hours you spend creating driver settlements each week. 
• Bring all the information you need to process driver pay into one place,  such as your truck drivers’ pay preferences, whether they’re contractors or employees, and the mileage and weight data for each load.
• Find an easier way to stay compliant with IFTA, DOT, and other local taxes, then integrate everything with QuickBooks accounting software or invoicing systems.

Many trucking companies turn to payroll software providers like QuickBooks or Gusto expecting a fix for these challenges, but these generic tools don’t actually solve those problems. They’re great for distributing payments once you’ve determined each driver’s earnings, but they’re not very helpful for actually calculating those amounts in the first place. 

That’s because generic payroll tools aren’t made with the trucking industry in mind, meaning they lack essential features you’ll need as a trucking company. Critically, they have no concept of a truckload, so they don’t capture specific details such as mileage, weight, or per-load rates. You’ll still need to track and calculate these figures manually before inputting them into your payroll tool to issue payments. 

To solve this issue, you need a trucking management software (TMS) that can capture all the relevant load details and make them available for payroll. 

However, most trucking software is just too difficult to use, so dispatchers and drivers end up not using it. This is a real issue given they’re the ones who gather the load and ticket information in the first place, which means payroll teams need to enter all of those details manually instead. 

With Toro TMS, trucking companies can save 70% of time on back office tasks like payroll. 

In this guide, we’ll show how our platform is built to be really easy for dispatchers and drivers to use. In our software, all load and ticket information can be entered once and automatically carried through your teams’ entire workflow — from planning orders to paying drivers. 

We’ll also briefly cover four additional TMS solutions with payroll features so you can compare your options. 

Toro TMS handles driver settlements so you don’t have to. Discover how it saves your payroll team time — book a demo with our team today.

1. Toro TMS: Top trucking software for bulk haulers

Toro TMS is one of the only platforms built for dry and liquid bulk haulers with fleets of 15-100 trucks. It’s designed for the specific needs of trucking companies that manage high numbers of loads per truck per day. 

Below, we’ll dig into how we help you save time on payroll by enabling you to: 

• Centralize data so dispatchers only have to enter load information once, letting back office teams instantly access the same info for payroll without repeat entry.
• Create driver settlement PDFs with load-by-load earnings and deductions included for instant review.
• Export load-based pay data to QuickBooks or other third-party services while maintaining IFTA and tax compliance.

We’ll also touch on other accounting tasks, including how Toro helps you to: 

• Analyze driver pay through industry-built reporting for better insights into profitability and company performance.
• Automate invoicing for accurate driver pay and quicker billing.

Collect all the load data you need to pay drivers in one place 

To pay drivers and create driver settlements, your payroll teams need accurate information about every load each driver has carried. They’ll need to gather this information manually if you’re not using some kind of trucking software already. But even if you are using a TMS, this only saves time for payroll if load details are accurately entered and updated in the system. 

Typically, though, this just doesn’t happen — mainly because most TMS tools are just too complicated to use. For instance, most TMSs require the same information, like pickup points or tonnage, to be entered four or five times per load. Then, when changes need to be made to the load, the new information needs to be re-entered from scratch. This becomes extremely time-consuming for bulk haulers who are managing as many as eight loads per truck per day.

Toro solves this issue by providing a system based around a centralized load data. In Toro, dispatchers can create a load and enter the relevant data just once — all on a single screen. That data is automatically and instantly available to your back office teams to perform tasks like driver pay calculations. Once the load data is in Toro, all relevant fields are automatically updated with that information. 

With Toro, everything starts with dispatch. When creating a load, dispatchers enter data that everyone else in the company can use. The main dispatch screen on the dashboard allows you to:

• Create load templates for recurring orders: Instead of re-entering details like pickup locations, tonnage, or rates each time you create a new load, store them once as a template and reuse the same info for repeat orders. 
• Edit load details in real-time: Updates sync instantly to driver payroll calculations as you adjust load information in real-time. For instance, changing a load’s tonnage will automatically refresh in driver settlements without the need for manual re-entry.
• Assign loads to available drivers: Toro’s dispatch screen allows you to see driver availability right alongside load data. It’s an easier way to monitor driver schedules and allows you to assign each load to an available driver without manual tracking. 
• Track loads with ELD syncing: Monitor driver progress live as ELDs feed mileage and hours directly into each load. This allows you to deliver exact figures to payroll for settlements, such as total miles or hours, with no extra time tracking tools required.

You can find out more about Toro’s dispatch features here: ‍How to Choose a Dispatch Software for Trucking Your Teams Will Actually Use

However, dispatch efficiency only works if drivers stay in the loop, too. While most TMS tools force drivers to download mobile apps to receive dispatch instructions (which they often don’t want to use), Toro TMS lets dispatchers send load instructions straight to drivers’ phones via text — no log-ins or downloads required. 

Each assignment arrives preloaded with key details (such as customer names, pickup times, and delivery points) and dispatchers just need to hit send. 

Drivers also get a unique link in each text message to upload photos of scale tickets, bills of lading, and delivery confirmations so they’re stored centrally with the rest of your load details. 

All your drivers need to do is click the link, snap a photo of the document, and click “submit.” Then, our software automatically extracts data like tonnage or miles from these uploads and adds it to the corresponding order. 

This way, your back office teams have all the information they need in one place in order to process payroll — without the need for any further data entry at all. Thanks to Toro’s centralized load data structure, all relevant information is easily accessible to everyone who needs it.

Read more: Trucking Ticket Management Software: How to Better Manage Your Paper Tickets

Link driver pay profiles with every load to simplify pay calculations

Once all your load information is in Toro, the next step is to determine how each driver should be paid. Pay calculations depend on several things, such as: 

• The driver’s preference to be paid by mile, weight, or hours worked. 
• Whether they’re employees, contractors, or sub-haulers.
• If their settlements should include fuel deductions.
• Any employee benefits or personal agreements they have with your company.

Toro simplifies all of these pay agreements by using driver profiles that make pay calculations clear and automatic. Every driver has a profile that stores specific pay details, such as how each driver is paid and other payroll details, along with their availability and HR information.

As dispatch logs loads with mileage from ELD sync, tonnage from tickets, and hours tracked, Toro pulls these profile settings and matches them to the load data so our software can calculate pay automatically. Then, it generates a clear PDF summary (with earnings, deductions, and net pay) and sends it straight to the driver's phone for review.

By linking pay profiles directly to loads, Toro offers an automated way to ensure all earnings and deductions are accurate. It also reduces the time payroll needs to spend on driver settlements, cutting the risk of pay disputes with drivers.

Generate trucking-specific reports to uncover more actionable insights

Generic payroll software doesn’t offer tools for tracking driver mileage, load tonnage, and other details, so you can’t generate highly detailed trucking-specific reports to track revenue, expenses, or profitability. Relying on those generic tools leaves you blind to how specific loads, drivers, or routes impact revenue and costs, turning payroll optimization and operations into guesswork.  

On the other hand, a TMS with advanced reporting capabilities — such as Toro TMS — allows you to see which drivers are most profitable or whether paying by mileage, hour, or tonnage is better for your business. For instance, you may notice that paying drivers by the mile is more profitable than paying them by the ton, regardless of load type. 

Toro TMS makes it easy for managers and business owners to get these insights with reports built for trucking. Specifically, you can: 

• Analyze driver pay and profitability, breaking down earnings by pay setup, load, truck, or customer to spot top performers
• Track mileage trends, including miles driven empty, to refine routes and reduce fuel costs tied to IFTA and deductions
• Export custom reports, like commodity reconciliations, to adjust billing or payroll discrepancies

These reports tie load-level details to financials, offering your trucking company clear data to boost efficiency and profits.

Automate invoices and declare fuel tax alongside your payroll 

Alongside driver pay, you can also use Toro to create invoices and declare how much you owe on IFTA. Just like with payroll, these features are automated, so you have the data you need wherever you need it — without having to reenter it manually.  

For example, after a load gets delivered and all of your accurate documentation is collected, back office teams can file an invoice without having to track down key details like mileages, BOL numbers, and driver pay details. Simply click “Create invoice,” and our system will automatically generate ready-to-send paperwork.  

Our software also uses ELD integrations, state mileage tracking for loads, and fuel transaction history to generate accurate IFTA tax filings without manual entry. 

If you’re using QuickBooks for trucking, Toro also offers an integration that makes it really easy to export settlements and sync all your payroll and IFTA data to make bookkeeping effortless. Not only does this integration auto-populate the correct payroll, invoice, and tax information into QuickBooks, but it also automatically maps charges to the right accounts so your books stay current — ensuring you don’t need to copy anything over again.

Toro TMS cuts the hassle of payroll, invoicing, and IFTA so you can focus on growing your trucking business. Book a demo to see how it works for you.

2. Truckbase

Truckbase is a trucking software solution that streamlines payroll processes with driver pay and settlement tools for small to mid-sized carriers. It also syncs with external payroll and accounts tools. However, it's not suitable for fleets with less than 10 trucks, service shippers, or brokers. 

Key Truckbase features include:

• Driver settlement tools that gather load-based earnings for easy payroll management and export
• Real-time ELD integrations (e.g., Samsara, Motive) to deliver accurate mileage and hours for pay calculations
• Customer invoicing portal that aligns load revenue with driver pay data, simplifying the process of preparing settlements
• AI-powered load builder capabilities

Truckbase offers a volume-based pricing model with plans starting at $290 per month, billed annually. 

3. Axon Software

Axon Software is a trucking management system that automates payroll tasks for freight haulers by automating pay calculations for drivers, owner-operators, and staff. 

It's primarily used by specialized fleets that need additional accounting features like government forms and reports for payroll (W2, W3, 1099, T4, T4As), as well as multiple currency support. 

Top Axon Software payroll features include:

• Automated payroll calculations for varied setups (wages, expenses, multiple equipment)
• One-click generation of government forms (W2, W3, 1099, T4, T4A)
• Real-time load-to-payroll syncing and ACH direct deposit
• Live data syncing across dispatch, billing, and payroll
• Fleet management tools, including GPS tracking and maintenance scheduling

Axon Software does not disclose pricing, offering custom plans only. 

4. AscendTMS

AscendTMS is a budget-friendly trucking software that eases payroll headaches for trucking companies and brokers. It's free to use (although its free features are limited), with three additional pricing plans for premium features. 

The software is primarily used by freight brokers, 3PLs, trucking companies, and shippers. However, it’s best for small businesses just starting out with digital trucking tools.

Notable AscendTMS features include:

• Payroll tools for calculating settlements and driver pay
• Automatic linking of texted proof of delivery (POD) to loads
• Built-in accounting tools for tax calculations, invoicing, settlements, and profit analysis
• Real-time reporting with ELD tracking

AscendTMS offers three additional pricing tiers:

• Basic: $49 per user per month
• Premium: $99 per user per month
• Pro: $149 per user per month

5. McLeod Software

McLeod Software is an enterprise-grade trucking software that provides a suite of payroll and trucking management features for larger fleets. You can access the platform’s extensive accounting tools through its LoadMaster module, which includes automated driver pay and settlement calculations. 

Because it's built for large enterprise fleets, it's an expensive and more complicated solution, especially for non-technical users. McLeod Software’s best payroll software features include: 

• Automated driver pay calculations across multiple pay types
• LoadMaster settlement tools for driver statements
• LoadMaster Driver Choice to record load preferences
• Third-party integrations with accounting and payroll systems
• Rapid Alert Notification System (RANS)
• Built-in KSM benchmark reporting

McLeod doesn’t disclose pricing, offering custom enterprise plans only based on individual business needs. 

Toro TMS: The trucking payroll software for bulk haulers

In this guide, we’ve examined five payroll trucking software options and the must-have features for keeping your accounting and back office teams operating smoothly. 

The best choice depends on your business, but if payroll and manual processes are slowing you down, Toro TMS stands out. With Toro, you can:

• Eliminate repetitive data entry to speed up payroll processing 
• Automate driver settlements with load data
• Track pay trends and determine which drivers or pay methods are most profitable
• Get faster driver settlement approvals
• Reduce time spent on invoicing and IFTA time

We’ll simplify the setup process with in-person onboarding at your office. Plus, our support team is always available when you reach out — we’ll reply within 30 minutes from 9 am to 9 pm ET.

Ready to throw away your outdated payroll methods and see how Toro can work for you? Book a demo with us today.