Last updated: · اردو میں پڑھیں
Record every trip as income
Treat each trip as one line of income: trip number, date, client, from and to, vehicle, driver, distance and the agreed fare. Note the delivery note or bilty number so the trip can be matched to paperwork later.
If a trip isn't written down the day it happens, it is very easy to forget to bill it — especially extra drops, waiting time and return loads.
Put every cost against a vehicle
Running costs belong to a vehicle: fuel, tolls (Salik or Darb in the UAE, M-Tag on Pakistan's motorways), repairs and servicing, tyres, the driver's salary, insurance, registration and permits.
When costs are recorded per vehicle rather than as one monthly total, you can see which trucks are profitable and which ones are quietly losing money.
Billed is not the same as collected
Transport clients often pay 30, 60 or even 90 days after the work is done. Keep a list of unpaid invoices grouped by how long they've been outstanding: not yet due, 1–30 days, 31–60, 61–90 and over 90.
Chase the oldest amounts first. Money that is more than 90 days late is far more likely never to arrive.
Keep driver advances and trip cash separate
Drivers are often given cash for fuel, tolls or loading charges, and many take salary advances. Record each amount the day it is given, then settle trip cash against receipts after the trip.
For salary advances, agree the monthly deduction up front and track what is still outstanding, so the balance isn't lost if the driver leaves.
Know your cost per kilometre
Add up a vehicle's running costs for the month and divide by the kilometres it drove. That is its cost per kilometre — the minimum you need to charge before you make any profit.
Example: a truck that cost 150,000 in fuel, maintenance, salary and other running costs and drove 6,000 km costs 25 per km. A trip quoted below that loses money even if the client pays on time.
Tax basics to keep in mind
UAE: VAT is charged at 5%, and businesses must register once taxable supplies pass AED 375,000 in 12 months. Tax invoices show your Tax Registration Number (TRN), and VAT paid on business costs can usually be reclaimed — so keep supplier invoices.
Pakistan: income tax is handled by the FBR, while sales tax on services is collected by the provinces (PRA, SRB, KPRA and BRA). Rates, exemptions and withholding rules for transport services differ by province and change often, so confirm your position with a tax adviser.
A simple monthly routine
Daily: record trips, fuel fills and cash given to drivers. Weekly: raise invoices for completed trips and record payments received. Monthly: review unpaid invoices by age, cost per vehicle and profit per client, and settle driver advances against payroll.
Software such as OneFlow does this from the same records — trips, invoices and expenses — but the routine matters more than the tool. Start with whatever you will actually keep up to date.