Q7 Trucking Business Software Review 2023: Features & Pricing
This article is part of a larger series on Accounting Software.
Q7, by Frontline Software Technology, is a trucking management system (TMS) that integrates fleet management and dispatch operations with accounting functions like accounts payable (A/P), accounts receivable (A/R), and banking. Q7 is available as a locally installed program, but it offers a subscription-based cloud version for those wanting remote access to their files. You’ll need to contact the provider to request pricing information. There’s no free trial, but you can request a free demo before buying the product.
Pros
- Full-fledged double-entry bookkeeping software with trucking features
- Offers more specialized trucking features than most other similar programs
- Custom features, such as the mileage interface, can be added for an additional fee
- Choice of desktop or cloud version
- Includes training and technical support for all users
Cons
- No upfront pricing information
- Desktop version is incompatible with Mac—only Windows 7 or newer
- No free trial
- Complex system requires training and time to master
- Trucking companies that need a full-fledged bookkeeping solution: Q7 combines fleet management and accounting in one place. Among all the trucking accounting software we reviewed, Q7 is the only full-fledged double-entry accounting solution that has specialized trucking features, making it our pick for the overall best trucking accounting software.
- Trucking companies that want an all-in-one solution: Q7 handles all trucking management processes, such as dispatch, fleet management, accounting, and mobile logistics, in one place so that you don’t have to log in and out of different modules.
- Desktop users: The software can be deployed with a site license to be used on your desktop computer so that you don’t have to worry about internet reliability or security issues.
- Supply chain leaders: Q7 allows supply chain leaders to create freight settlements, which are useful if you handle high-load volumes and work with multiple carriers.
- Small freight brokers: While Q7 has the features needed for freight brokers, it also has many unnecessary functions that add to the cost. A much less expensive option for freight brokers is Tailwind TMS.
- Owner-operators: Owner-operators don’t need all the features of Q7 and can use QuickBooks Online to bill customers, pay vendors, and track expenses. For trucking features, QuickBooks can be integrated with TruckingOffice.
- Small trucking companies that need affordable detailed load tracking: Rigbooks offers detailed tracking of cost per mile and profit per mile for as low as $19 per month.
Are you looking for something else? If you think general bookkeeping software might meet your trucking company’s needs, check out our list of the best small business accounting software.
Q7 Alternatives
Best for: Freight brokers that don’t need the extensive features of Q7 | Best for: Trucking companies that need bookkeeping without trucking-specific features | Best for: Companies seeking affordable load tracking |
Cost: From $117 per month | Cost: From $30 per month | Cost: From $19 per month |
Q7 Deciding Factors
Supported Business Types | Small and mid-sized trucking companies needing a standalone bookkeeping software with trucking-specific features |
Pricing | Custom quote; must contact the provider |
Free Trial | None, but free customized demo available |
Standout Features |
|
User Reviews | N/A |
Customer Support | Training and installation setup and support (included in Q7 license or subscription), contact form, and tip articles |
Q7 New Features 2023
- Mobile app for drivers: With the new mobile app, drivers can collaborate with their managers in real time, track the status of their load assignments, see their current trips, view upcoming schedules, and track orders until completion. When the driver has successfully delivered a load, they can set the status to complete. Check out Frontline’s YouTube video to learn more about the driver’s mobile app.
- New reports: You can now generate Fuel Tax Reimbursement reports and Load Profit reports. The Fuel Tax Reimbursement reports calculate International Fuel Tax Agreement (IFTA) tax rates for vendor equipment owners automatically while the Load Profit reports provide insights into revenue, driver pay, and load count by customer.
- Report Writer wizard: The Report Writer tool allows you to automate the creation of your accounting and operational reports. You can set up the reports to be delivered to your inbox on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis.
New Report Writer wizard in Q7 (Source: Frontline Software Technology)
Q7 Pricing
The Q7 pricing details aren’t specified on the provider’s website, and you’ll need to contact Frontline Software Technology to get prices. Also, you can request a demo so that you can decide whether to buy it.
Q7 Features
Q7 combines accounting and fleet management features to help you streamline the different aspects of your trucking business. Here’s a list of some of Q7’s accounting and trucking management features.
General Accounting Features
The A/R function allows you to create and send customizable invoices to your clients and record full or partial payments received from your customers. The invoicing system is tied to the dispatch module so that whenever an order is successfully delivered, you can easily process an invoice for that order.
You can customize invoices by adding your company logo and changing the invoice colors. You can also export invoices as a PDF or spreadsheet file and import to another system if needed.
Sample invoice in Q7 (Source: Frontline Software Technology)
One thing we like about the A/R module is that there are several tools you can use to post and track customer payments for invoices. For instance, from the Customer Payments screen, you can use the Config button to control how the invoices will be categorized in the Customer Payments grid, such as by due dates and invoice amounts.
Categorizing invoice list in Q7 (Source: Frontline Software Technology)
The A/P function lets you create purchase orders (POs) for your vendors easily. You can create a freight order that will list all the items you want to order from your vendor, which will help them plan the transport of the items. Q7 also allows you to pay your bills and track unpaid bills so that you can pay them on time.
While Q7’s A/P module is good enough for tracking and managing nonpayroll spend, it’s not as user-friendly as those of other similar software like QuickBooks Online. For instance, we found the vendor setup a bit complicated as the setup form includes many fields which may be overwhelming for new users.
Vendor setup screen in Q7 (Source: Frontline Software Technology)
Q7 lets you write and void checks, create deposits, transfer funds, and reconcile bank accounts. The banking program displays all check and deposit transactions in an organized grid so that you can view the details of each transaction easily at any time.
Q7 comes with a complete general ledger (GL) that you can customize to fit your business. The GL generates reports on balance sheets, trial balances, and corporate income statements with year-to-date comparisons and department reports.
Sample General Ledger in Q7 (Source: Frontline Software Technology)
The Financial Scoreboard offers a bird’s-eye view of all accounting, and you can customize the look and content of any report or create a new one from scratch. Profitability reports specific to the trucking industry are included, and you can use a live reporting tool to catch any accounting mistakes.
Financial Scoreboard (Source: Frontline Software Technology)
Q7 comes with a detailed employee profile that lets you track your employees’ name and contact details, applicable taxes and deductions, and other employee information. You can create a custom profile for each employee and manage company driver line haul methods and rates with ease.
The system supports all forms of taxable wages, nontaxable reimbursements, deductions, and every type of pay method: hourly, salary, by mile, percent of revenue, and flat pay. You can even create automatic triggers for load-specific types of pay like detention and extra stop pay.
Q7 also handles tax-exempt deductions and calculates employer contributions automatically. The Settlement program doesn’t just pay settlements for drivers and carriers, but it also serves as a batch payroll processing center. You can use the optional direct deposit feature or customizable payroll checks to pay your employees.
Essential payroll reporting is readily available, and all payroll reports are built-in and fully customizable. The Payroll Journal is used for a summary of one or more pay periods while the Payroll Tax Audit and 941 Summary is used for tax liability reporting. You can also view your unemployment tax liabilities and employer contributions. At the end of the year, printing complete W-2s for your employees is easy.
Sample Form W-2 in Q7 (Source: Frontline Software Technology)
Trucking-specific Features
Using a single-entry system, Q7 lets you enter orders manually easily or through load tenders using the optional Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) component. Charges can be billed by piece or volume, weight, or by the mile traveled by the trucker. The system calculates customer charges automatically, including fuel surcharges. You can create and send quotations and convert them into live orders once approved.
Order Management Board (Source: Frontline Software Technology)
Q7 Trucking Dispatch Software is the control center for planning and dispatch activities. It’s fully customizable and supports truckload, brokerage, and less-than-truckload (LTL) dispatch, which are described below:
- Truckload dispatch: Q7 maintains and displays the current position of tractors, trailers, carriers, and drivers. You can post check calls manually or via GPS systems, and view approaching or expired safety dates.
- Brokerage dispatch: The user-friendly dispatch console displays the status of load progress and provides access to both customer and carrier contact information. You can send carrier confirmations that detail load specifics, including pickup times, delivery times, and directions.
- Less-than-truckload (LTL) dispatch: Advance load planning features allow you to match loads to trucks quickly, preassign loads, and manage driver schedules. You can also drop manifested loads to a shop or warehouse, consolidate docked loads for outbound resources, and reassign individual load stops to other resources.
Q7 Brokerage Dispatch Board (Source: Frontline Software Technology)
With Q7 Document Management, you can scan, import, and save any type of document, such as proof of delivery or delivery receipts. You also have the option to assign your own references and other user-defined data to each of the documents. When you pair this feature with the Q7 Email interface, you can attach all documents for the load against the invoice and send them to your customers in one PDF. This feature is available for an additional fee.
Q7 document management board (Source: Frontline Software Technology)
The Fleet Maintenance feature allows you to track services and equipment in Q7 so that you can avoid costly emergency repairs. By first creating a customizable list of equipment services, you can create groups of service or maintenance for efficiency. You can then build default schedules for each type of service.
Over-the-road (or long haul) costs and in-house service sales are tracked in accounting. Services are added to equipment profiles for specific tracking. You can schedule service based on a period or on the number of miles driven between services. Q7 also allows you to set a customized advance warning so that you’ll know when a piece of equipment is due for routine servicing.
Q7 fuel and mileage tools are thorough and easy to use. You can combine mileage and fuel purchase data for complete fuel tax reports and create driver deductions for individual purchases on the spot, which appear automatically when processing pay settlements. Fees, repairs, cash advances, and other purchases can also be included in the entry.
Tax miles can be entered by hand or calculated using the optional Mileage interface, which tallies miles per load. Q7 also interfaces with leading trucking mileage programs like Rand McNally and ProMiles. All fuel purchase, state mileage, and IFTA tax reports are included, and they’re completely customizable. You can maintain detailed fuel purchase records, including the responsible driver, invoice number, truck stops, and amounts.
Sample Q7 fuel purchase report (Source: Frontline Software Technology)
A useful feature is the IFTA import tool which allows you to import your current IFTA tax rates into the system, eliminating the need to calculate IFTA tax rates manually. Q7 will help generate an IFTA report instantly based on your fuel purchases and tax miles. To import IFTA tax rates, click on the Import Rates field on the IFTA form and upload the quarter you wish to use.
Importing IFTA Tax Rates in Q7 (Source: Frontline Software Technology)
The Q7 management reporting feature provides complete control over your operation. The reports calculate detailed data, such as generated revenue and profit based on drivers and equipment. You can also evaluate profit per mile, carrier cost, fuel, and repairs. View your GL accounts and use the Real-Time Reports dashboard for live custom reporting. Any custom report can be created by connecting directly to your underlying data.
Q7 interfaces with leading electronic logging devices (ELDs) from providers, such as Samsara, Omnitracs, and SkyBitz. ELDs are intended to be a substitute for driver logbooks. Q7’s integrated communications console allows you to send communication to and from the mobile device.
The Pay Settlement software lets you funnel information from other areas of Q7 to create detailed pay settlements and reports for drivers and carriers. It supports all driver pay and deduction methods, whether that’s percentage of revenue, hourly or flat rate, tonnage, mileage, or pieces.
You can also include weekly deductions and reimbursements, such as health insurance or per diem and payroll tax details. Provide your drivers with settlement sheets that summarize pay, deductions, and reimbursements.
Sample Pay Settlements in Q7 (Source: Frontline Software Technology)
The Safety Console allows you to ensure proper safety compliance for your fleet. You can manage key safety dates to avoid costly violations and keep track of safety-related expiration dates for all types of resources like licenses and registration, inspection, and maintenance.
Safety flags are visible to dispatchers at all times, and you can set a color code that’s based on how far away an expiration date is. The System Health Monitor alerts you with a count of drivers or equipment with expiring safety dates. When safety alerts appear, you have the option to run the report as a formal safety notice or give the report to the driver or carrier.
Q7’s Safety Console (Source: Frontline Software Technology)
Q7 Ease of Use & Customer Support
Q7 isn’t as easy to use as other cloud-based trucking software, and we recommend that you complete at least four to eight hours of training to become familiar with the different software features and how they connect to one another. However, we like that the program is customizable. For instance, you can choose from different color schemes when setting up the system.
Choosing a color scheme for your Q7 system (Source: Frontline Software Technology)
If you need help, Q7 training and support come with the software price, and you can contact Q7 via the online support form. There’s also a knowledge base of articles that tackle various topics and provide tips and tricks for using the software, so you can be sure that you’ll be able to get answers to any questions you might have.
Q7 User Reviews
As of February 2023, there are no user reviews on any review websites. You can check back again in the future to see if someone has left a review of Q7 online.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Is Q7 free?
No, it’s not. It might be among the most expensive trucking accounting software considering the comprehensive set of features it has to offer. Contact the provider to request pricing information.
Does Q7 integrate with QuickBooks Online?
No, it doesn’t. If you’re a QuickBooks Online user and need specialized trucking features, you may connect QuickBooks with TruckingOffice or Tailwind TMS.
Does Q7 have a cloud version?
Yes, and the cloud-based version is available on a subscription basis.
Bottom Line
Q7 is a fully integrated trucking business platform that has everything a trucking company could need. From dispatch operations to fleet management tools, day-to-day operations become easier to manage with this software. The program also has a full suite of accounting tools, including payroll, general ledger, A/R, and A/P. If you have a fleet of trucks and can devote your time to learning the software, then Q7 is right for you.