7 Apps for Truckers to Manage Finances on the Road in 2024

Truck drivers are always on the go, and when you spend weeks on the road, you need apps that can make your trip easier.

Apps are especially important when it comes to managing your documents and finances, which can be a hassle with the limited room you have in your cabin.

This guide will cover how smartphone apps can help professional truck drivers, the best trucking apps to use for finance management, and bonus apps to make your trip more enjoyable.

How can apps help truckers?

1. Apps can help truckers save money

Whether you’re a freelance trucker, you have your own owner-operator or business, or work for a multi-million dollar company, every dollar counts when the average cost to fill up a big rig is between $360 and $900.

Trucker apps can locate the best fuel prices around the country so you can save yourself—or the business you work for—money.

2. Apps for truckers can save time

Keeping track of your expenses can take a good chunk of time when it’s done manually.

Apps that can help truck drivers manage their expenses on the move can save a significant amount of time in reporting and organizing financials by automating the process.

3. Trucking apps help drivers find amenities and truck stops

Seasoned truck drivers may be able to find their way around the country without an app, but for budding truckers or those who often take new and unusual truck routes, trucking apps can be a foolproof way of finding amenities and truck stops to recharge.

The best apps for truckers in 2023

1. Shoeboxed

You’ve been on the road for 2 weeks. You have dozens of loose receipts from gas stations and fast food joints in your cabin that you have to get back to the office at the end of your route. You can’t help but lose a few to the wind when you climb in your truck after a 10-hour haul. What’s a guy (or gal) supposed to do?

Shoeboxed allows you to capture receipts from your phone or mail in receipts to be scanned and uploaded to your account.

Shoeboxed is the #1 app for receipt management and expense reporting and lets you capture photos of, categorize, and create expense reports for receipts on the go.

Shoeboxed also offers a mail-in receipt-scanning service, Magic Envelope, that you can use to send your receipts to a scanning facility and have them uploaded to your account for expense organizing and reports.

Quite notably, truck drivers are prominent among Shoeboxed’s happy customers; and they recommend keeping a Magic Envelope on the seat next to them on their long hauls. Whenever they stop for gas or for a bite to eat, they stuff the receipt in the Magic Envelope. 

Then at the end of the month, they send the postage pre-paid Magic Envelope off to Shoeboxed’s scanning facility and they get notified when the receipts are processed and viewable in their account. 

Pros

• Custom plans so you can get the biggest bang for your buck (contact customer support).

• “Set and forget” expense reporting—use the Magic Envelope to store your receipts, ship at the end of your route, and get them scanned and uploaded to your account. 

• Accurate mileage tracking that can be included in expense reports.

• Fleet managers can keep track of driver expenses

• Add multiple users to a single account for FREE.

• Scan receipts on the go. You’ll never lose another receipt!

• Store digital copies of related documents for loads, such as invoices.

• Integrate with other software, such as QuickBooks, for tax reporting and accounting purposes.

• Used and trusted by truckers.

Cons

• Plans that include the Magic Envelope cannot be purchased through the mobile app.

Price

• Plans that include the Magic Envelope start at $18/month, up to $54/month. Plans that include the Magic Envelope are available for purchase on desktop only.

• 30-day free trial.

Available for download on the Apple App Store and on Google Play

2. Trucker Path

The Trucker Path app is an all-in-one trip-planning app trusted by over 1 million professionals in the trucking industry.

With Trucker Path, you can discover stops along your route, see what amenities they have, and read reviews.

You can also see live updates on truck parking availability in various locations, see if weigh stations nationwide are open, find truck-ready fuel stations and stops and compare fuel prices, discover truck washes, plan your route with the navigation tool, and more with the Trucker Path app!

Pros

• Search for 8 amenity types along your route (overnight parking, ATM, laundry, shower, pet-friendly, WiFi, onsite gym, and fax service amenities).

• 15 types of places to choose from, including rest areas, parking, weigh stations, restaurants, scales, stores, and more.

• Find 3 different truck services near you (washes, repair shops, and tire care).

• Search locations by 10 dealers, including Speedco, Peterbilt, Mack, and International.

• Find deals on fuel to save money on your trip.

• Trusted by over 1 million truckers.

• See how truckers rate stops and read reviews.

• Great for freelance truckers or fleets.

Cons

• Most complaints stem from the GPS feature, which isn’t always accurate or suitable for big rigs. It’s highly recommended to use a separate GPS.

• When Trucker Path is in use, it lowers background app noise (such as music from Spotify).

Price

• Gold – $14.99/month OR $12.5/month (paid annually)

• Diamond – $29.99/month OR $20.8/month (paid annually)

• For Team – $99.99/month (5 Driver Seats) OR $199.99/month (10 Driver Seats)

• 7-day free trial.

Available for download on the App Store and on Google Play

3. GasBuddy

GasBuddy is a trip cost calculator and one of the best trucker apps for comparing fuel costs.

GasBuddy web page

This trucking app helps users find the cheapest gas stations by state and offers tools such as a gas price map to discover real-time prices in certain locations, a trip cost calculator to plan the best route for savings, an outage tracker to find stations that have power during storms or disasters, and a fuel logbook to track fuel economy.

If you get a free GasBuddy card, you can get GasBack rewards for using your card and save up to 25¢/gal.

Pros

• FREE GasBuddy card that can save you up to 25¢ on each gallon of fuel you purchase.

• Find gas based on fuel type (regular, midgrade, premium, Diesel, UNL88, or E85).

• Sort gas stations by price, deal price, distance, price & distance, or deal & distance.

• Filter stations by features such as Air/Vacuum and Rewards Connect.

• Find stations based on payment method (cash or credit, credit only, or pay with GasBuddy).

• Sort stations based on ratings and 21 amenities, including truck stop, open 24 hours, restaurant, convenience store, has power (useful during outages), and payphone.

• Filter by 19 brands including Exxon, CITGO, Shell, Buc-ee’s, Pilot, and 7-Eleven.

• App automatically lists stations near you starting with the lowest price point. 

Cons

• Prices aren’t always accurate, but inaccurate prices can be reported and updated by users.

• Users complain about advertisement pop ups.

• Deal alerts for lower fuel prices near your location aren’t consistent. 

Price

• Free

Available for download on the App Store and on Google Play

See also: Top 9 Apps for Drivers to Know About in 2024

4. Pilot Flying J

The Pilot Flying J app is one of the best trip-planning app options for truckers that frequent Pilot gas stations.

Users can find Pilot gas stations along their route to plan a better and faster trip, receive exclusive offers and redeem points on in-store purchases, start fueling and pay for gas at the pump right from the app, find and reserve a parking space at rest areas, schedule a shower, and more.

Pros

• You can use face ID to access your account.

• Modern and user-friendly interface.

• Get available offers each day.

• Plan and save trips in-app and find Pilots along your route.

• Get directions through Apple Maps, Google Maps, or Waze.

• See the cost for diesel, the number of fuel lanes, and the parking available at the locations you choose.

• Reserve parking, reserve a shower, and see how many truckers are in line.

• See a list of a location’s amenities and nearby restaurants (plus their hours of operation).

• Pay for fuel and gas station goods and services within the app.

• Rack up points and redeem rewards.

Cons

• Registering through the app can be glitchy. May need to finish registration on desktop.

• Map complaints. Difficult to manually look for a gas station outside of your location (map moves back to your current location).

• Issues with rewards not being 100% redeemable. 

Price

• Free

Available for download on the App Store and on Google Play

5. Trucker Tools

Trucker Tools has over 17 in-app features designed to make your time as a truck driver simpler.

The Trucker Tools app lets you connect with brokers so you don’t bypass opportunities for high-paying loads, locate available parking on your route, find truck stops near you (and their details), and locate weigh stations, truck washes, Walmarts, medical facilities, and inspection sites.

Trucker Tools mobile app web page

There’s also a calculator for axle weights and a load tracker to track your miles and report when deliveries are made, among other features.

Pros

• Set your route in-app and find stops as you travel, such as medical facilities, weigh scales, truck stops, rest areas, Walmarts, and more.

• See all of the amenities a stop offers including payment types, entertainment options, food, fuel types, fuel cards, hours of operation, services, shipping, and more.

• Leave a review for the stops you visit and read other reviews from truckers.

• See how far the stop is from your location as well as diesel prices, parking, and pump availability.

• Filter results based on truck stop type, amenities, distance, or diesel price.

• Often used by brokers for tracking loads.

Cons

• Not as many features as similar apps, such as Trucker Path.

• Easy to use, but a dated app.

• Tracking a load isn’t as accurate as we would like. Tracking doesn’t end once a load is dropped off. You will have to manually end the tracking.

• Looking for loads could be better. App tends to crash and is slow to load available loads.

Price 

• Free

Available for download on the App Store and on Google Play

6. TruckLogics

TruckLogics is one of those apps for truck drivers that’s best for freelancers or owner-operators, simply because it has a variety of features that a truck driver working for a company wouldn’t need.

That said, for owners or fleet managers, TruckLogics is a fantastic choice.

Track loads in real-time, e-sign BOLS, plan your routes and dispatch drivers, view dispatch documents, settle driver reimbursements, file your HVUT Form 2290, and more right from the mobile app.

Pros

• Great for fleet managers, independent owner-operators, leased operators, and brokers.

• Features such as dispatch management, check calls, fuel, expenses, scan & upload documents, driver settlements, and more.

• Drivers can chat with each other about routes, stops, etc. in-app (this can be turned on or off).

• Track freight within the app.

• Add another account to manage multiple drivers.

• Create invoices and expense reports and find loads.

• Easy to use.

Cons

• Outdated app interface.

• Complaints about app crashing.

• Pricing isn’t transparent on the app. You’ll have to visit the website to review plans and what they include.

Price

• 15-day free trial.

Fleet Managers: 

• Small Fleet (3 to 7 trucks): $29.95/month (Pro), $49.95 (Preferred), $69.95 (Premium)

• Mid Fleet (8 to 14 trucks): $49.95 (Pro), $69.95 (Preferred), $89.95 (Premium)

• Large Fleet (15+ trucks): $79.95 (Pro), $99.95 (Preferred), $119.95 (Premium)

Owner Operator: 1-2 trucks

• $9.95/month (Pro), $19.95/month (Preferred), $29.95/month (Premium)

Leased Operator and Brokers:

• Leased Operator: $7.95/month

• Brokers: $39.95/month

Available for download on the App Store and Google Play

7. QuickBooks

QuickBooks is best for an owner-operator or a freelance professional truck driver.

While you get a better overview of your business on the website, the QuickBooks app for trucking business offers a level of convenience whenever you’re on the go.

QuickBooks Online offers a mobile app to manage your business

Prepare and file taxes directly from the app, record expenses, invoice clients, run profit and loss reports, and more right from your mobile devices.

Pros

• Best for owner-operators looking to manage every aspect of their business in one place.

• Prepare and file taxes through the app.

• Keep up with your expenses, invoice clients, and run reports right from your phone.

• Modern, easy-to-use app.

• Opt to use face ID to log into your account for easy access.

• Take payments, track inventory, track mileage and time, manage bills and 1099s from the app.

• Customizes your experience to the trucking industry for tax reporting and expense categories.

• Has many add-ons that can be integrated with other apps and accounting software, such as Shoeboxed.

Cons

• Not all features are available on the app. You’ll have to access features like other report types, recurring invoices, and managing 1099 contractors from your desktop.

• Main complaint is support. Customer support lacks helpfulness.

Price 

• Subscribe and save 50% – $14.99/month for the first 3 months then $29.99/month.

• 1 month free trial, then $29.99/month.

Available for download on the App Store and on Google Play

Click here to view desktop plans and pricing.

What’s the best choice for receipt tracking?

Winner: Shoeboxed

What’s Shoeboxed’s Magic Envelope, and how does it help truck drivers?

Shoeboxed offers a mail-in receipt scanning service called Magic Envelope to turn your receipts into digital data for expense reporting and tax prep.

The Magic Envelope is a helpful tool to keep in your cabin to stuff receipts in.

When you (or your fleet manager) sign up for Shoeboxed online, you’ll receive a postage pre-paid Magic Envelope every month to keep in your cabin, stuff receipts inside, and mail out at the end of your route.

If one Magic Envelope isn’t enough, you can even request more to take with you on your long-haul trips.

Receipt categories and expense reports

From Shoeboxed’s mobile app, you can monitor the processing of your receipts, watch them get categorized into 15 editable tax categories, including fuel, groceries, and meals, and see all of the receipt info from your trip—including images—uploaded to your account within 24 hours.

Once your receipts are added to your account, you can create a detailed expense report with receipts attached to send to fleet managers.

To make things easier, an unlimited number of managers and owner-operators can be added as free sub-users to your account so they can review your expenses without you having to lift a finger.

Shoeboxed’s mobile receipt scanner

Not interested in taking a trip to the post office? No problem!

Shoeboxed also has a receipt scanning feature that allows you to snap photos of receipts directly from your phone.

The information on your receipts will be processed, human-verified, and uploaded to your account where you can then choose various categories, edit the receipt information, create expense reports, and more.

Which app is best for tracking mileage?

Winners: Trucker Tools and Shoeboxed

Trucker Tools

This app has a built-in load tracker, among 16+ other features, so you can accurately track your load from pick up to drop off.

Trucker Tools load tracking feature

You can update amenities used on the route, leave a review for the broker, and scan load documents upon delivery.

Shoeboxed

Aside from being a receipt tracking app, Shoeboxed has a built-in mileage tracker that you can use to add to expense reports for accurate reimbursement on your travels.

Just drop pins at every stop you make, and Shoeboxed will do the rest!

Which option is best for fuel prices?

Winner: GasBuddy

GasBuddy allows you to search for cheap gas in every state in the United States, get GasBack when you shop at places like Home Depot, Advanced Autoparts, Old Navy, Hotels.com, and PetCo, and you can save up to 25¢/gal whenever you use their free gas card.

Earn GasBack when you fuel your rig with GasBuddy

Unlike the Pilot Flying J app, GasBuddy searches for the best deals across various truck stop brands.

Which app is best for finding truck stops and amenities?

Winners: Trucker Path and Pilot Flying J

Trucker Path

Trucker Path is the most user-friendly of the best apps for truckers.

Not only can you plan your route and see if weigh stations are available, but you can also find the most affordable fuel stations, truck washes, and other amenities, and read details and reviews to see if it’s worth the stop.

Pilot Flying J

While the app only displays Pilot gas station locations, we still think it’s one of the top apps for amenities based on the fact that you can reserve showers, get free showers with credits, and parking spaces through the app.

Pilot Flying J mobile app features, Apple App Store

Free shower credits can be redeemed through the Pilot Flying J mobile app after each 50 or more diesel gallon fill-up OR 1 free daily shower can be earned for the remainder of the current month and the entire next month if you’ve fueled over 1,000 diesel gallons each month.

What’s the best app for tax prep?

Winners: QuickBooks and Shoeboxed

QuickBooks

With QuickBooks, you can have a tax professional file federal and state payroll taxes on your behalf or file yourself through the system. You can also pay contractors and file 1099s through QuickBooks Contractor Payments.

Shoeboxed

Shoeboxed integrates with QuickBooks so you can effortlessly transfer and categorize your receipts in your QuickBooks account for tax prep and filing.

Owner-operators can use the receipts from their employees’ Shoeboxed accounts to report expenses to the IRS and deduct eligible trucking expenses from the year’s payable taxes.

You might be interested in: The Essential Guide to Bookkeeping for Truckers

What’s the best app for fleet managers?

Winner: TruckLogics

TruckLogics is hands-down the best app for managers and owner-operators to keep tabs on their fleet when they’re on the go.

TruckLogics mobile app features

With the ability to plan routes, dispatch drivers, track loads, e-sign and view documents, manage driver finances, and file IRS forms, you can address pressing business matters right from your phone.

Bonus trucker apps

Keeping up with your expenses on the road is one of the most frustrating parts of the trucking business, but now that that problem is solved, here are some bonus trucker apps that might make your routes more enjoyable.

1. Waze – Best GPS app with live updates

Waze is a GPS app that allows you to edit your arrival time so you can determine the best time to leave based on live traffic updates.

Waze is a fun and trusted GPS app for those that share the road

Out on the road, Waze gives you turn-by-turn directions, and other Wazers can alert you to problems in real time so you can prepare for traffic stops, wrecks, police, and road hazards before they ever reach your rig.

Waze can also help you find gas stations and places to eat near you.

2. AccuWeather – Best international weather app

AccuWeather is one of the top recommended weather apps by truck drivers.

This weather app gives live international weather updates on an hourly and daily basis, alerts to severe weather conditions, and has a radar so you can watch storms as they move along your route.

3. Spotify – Best app for music on demand

If you often find yourself on a long-haul trip with nothing to do but skip through the radio stations, Spotify is for you.

Spotify is used by over 500 million people to listen to their favorite songs.

Listen to your favorite songs on demand, create playlists, and find new music based on your listening history with this popular app.

4. AudioBooks – Best app for listening to your favorite stories

Sticking your nose (or ears) in a good book is one of the best ways to pass the time.

Learn something new, get your blood pumping with a mind-bending thriller, or see history like never before with the millions of books read by captivating storytellers on AudioBooks.

The verdict

When it comes to trucker apps, there are plenty of options to choose from to make your time out on the road easier, more enjoyable, and cost-effective.

Like most industries, keeping up with expenses in the trucking industry can be a challenge—especially when you have a large fleet.

For trucking expense management, we recommend Shoeboxed’s Magic Envelope service as your solution for receipt tracking and reporting.If you’re looking for an all-in-one solution in a truck app, then Trucker Path is the way to go with its vast array of trip-planning and cost-saving features.

About Shoeboxed!

Shoeboxed is a receipt scanning service with receipt management software that supports multiple methods for receipt capture: send, scan, upload, forward, and more!

You can stuff your receipts into one of our Magic Envelopes (prepaid postage within the US). Use our receipt tracker + receipt scanner app (iPhone, iPad and Android) to snap a picture while on the go. Auto-import receipts from Gmail. Or forward a receipt to your designated Shoeboxed email address.

Turn your receipts into data and deductibles with our expense reports that include IRS-accepted receipt images.

Join over 1 million businesses scanning & organizing receipts, creating expense reports and more—with Shoeboxed.

Try Shoeboxed today!