Fixed asset depreciation for transportation industry

We take depreciation and leasing seriously

We undertake detailed modelling of fixed asset depreciation and lease calculation rules for both accounting and tax.

We monitor changes to ATO tax rulings and accounting standards like IAS 16 and IFRS 16 so you don’t have to.

And, of course, we are ISO27001 certified.

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Deep coverage of depreciation and leasing concepts:

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Fixed assets for transportation and logistics companies

Fixed asset depreciation software and lease accounting management plays an important role in the transport and logistics industry because of the substantial capital invested in infrastructure and equipment typically used in most company’s daily operations. Proper handling of fixed assets guarantees precise financial statements, adherence to regulations, and informed strategic planning. Vehicles, warehouses, and specialised machinery are among the valuable assets that demand careful monitoring of depreciation, maintenance expenses, and utilisation.

Vehicles:

Trucks are often the backbone of transport companies, these vehicles facilitate the movement of goods over land. Vans are also commonly used for local deliveries and smaller-scale logistics operations. In the warehouse and/or distribution centres, forklifts and other equipment handling machines are essential for material. For those larger more specialised air freight handling companies, aircraft represent a significant investment of fixed assets on the balance sheet.

Technology Infrastructure:

IT Systems and software applications for fleet management, route optimisation, inventory tracking, and customer relationship management are commonplace. This will include communication systems and the infrastructure for facilitating communication between drivers, dispatchers, and other stakeholders. GPS and telematics technology is used for real-time tracking of vehicles and optimising route efficiency.

Warehouses and Distribution Centres: 

Physical facilities utilised for storing inventory, managing logistics, and facilitating the distribution process. Infrastructure within these facilities, such as shelving, racks, and storage systems, also constitute fixed assets.

Machinery and Equipment:

Materials handling equipment may include include conveyor belts, pallet jacks, and cranes, essential for efficient material handling and logistics operations. Packaging machinery equipment may be installed for packaging goods before shipment. Sorting systems can be automated for categorising packages and cargo.

Containers and Pallets:

Are vital for the transportation of goods via various modes such as sea, land, or air. Often these are hired, but also a component of may be company owned for stacking and organising goods during transportation and storage.

Real estate and land holdings:

Land and Property may be owned or leased for constructing logistics facilities, warehouses, or administrative offices. Some larger transport and logistics companies hold such assets for rental income or future development.

Specialised equipment:

Refrigeration capability is a large industry for  perishable goods under controlled temperature conditions. Tankers and specialised vehicles used for transporting liquids or gases, commonly seen in industries like chemical and petroleum. Also cranes may be necessary for loading and unloading heavy or oversised cargo, especially in industries like construction and manufacturing.

Office Equipment and Furniture:

Computers, printers, desks, chairs, and other office furnishings essential for administrative functions within the company.

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Flexible, user-friendly presentation of complex functionality:

AssetAccountant – saving you from spreadsheets since 2019

Let’s kick some assets

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Fixed asset management for transport and logistics companies: Depreciation and lease accounting

Proper management of fixed asset accounting, such as depreciation and lease accounting, is crucial for companies operating in the transport and logistics sector. By maintaining precise financial records, adhering to accounting regulations, efficiently allocating resources, managing risks, strategically planning, and boosting investor trust, these accounting procedures play a vital role in enhancing the effectiveness, longevity, and competitiveness of transport and logistics firms within a constantly evolving and fiercely competitive market.

Accurate Financial Reporting:

Fixed asset for transportation accounting is essential for maintaining an accurate representation of a company’s financial health on its balance sheet. By accurately valuing assets owned or under lease, stakeholders are provided with a transparent view of the organisation’s financial standing. Depreciation accounting plays a crucial role in this process by allocating the cost of assets over their useful life, reflecting their gradual consumption or obsolescence. This ensures that the company’s profitability and financial position are fairly and accurately presented.

Compliance with Accounting Standards:

Adhering to accounting standards such as Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) or International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) is required for ensuring consistency, comparability, and transparency in financial fixed asset for transportation accounting practices. Lease accounting standards, such as ASC 842 (in the USA) or IFRS 16 (rest of world), mandate the recognition of lease assets and liabilities on the balance sheet, enhancing transparency and providing stakeholders with a comprehensive understanding of the company’s financial obligations related to leases.

Optimised Resource Allocation: 

Accurate depreciation accounting enables companies to assess the true cost of asset ownership over its useful life, aiding in informed decision-making regarding asset replacement, refurbishment, or disposal. Lease accounting facilitates better evaluation of lease versus buy decisions, enabling companies to choose the most cost-effective financing options for acquiring assets, thereby optimising capital allocation and enhancing financial efficiency.

Risk Management:

Effective transportation fixed asset software in accounting helps mitigate risks associated with asset mismanagement, such as unauthorised use, loss, theft, or damage, by providing mechanisms for tracking asset location, condition, and usage. Lease accounting ensures proper recognition and disclosure of lease-related liabilities, reducing the risk of financial misstatements or non-compliance with regulatory requirements.

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Strategic Planning and Decision-Making:

Accurate and comprehensive fixed asset management for transportation enables management to develop long-term strategic plans, assess investment opportunities, and prioritise capital expenditures based on the anticipated returns and risk profiles of different projects. Lease accounting facilitates scenario analysis and sensitivity testing, allowing companies to evaluate the financial implications of various lease structures and terms on cash flow, profitability, and financial ratios.

Enhanced Investor Confidence:

Transparent and reliable fixed asset for transportation and logistics company depreciation & lease accounting practices give confidence to investors, lenders, stakeholders or even potential buyers of a business by providing them with accurate and timely information to assess the company’s financial performance, solvency, and risk profile. Compliance with accounting standards and regulatory requirements demonstrates the company’s commitment to governance, integrity, and accountability, enhancing its reputation and attractiveness to investors.

Priced to meet the market:

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Transportation accounting software

AssetAccountant for corporations cloud-based fixed asset transportation accounting software offers logistics companies enhanced accessibility, collaboration, security, scalability, integration capabilities, and cost-efficiency compared to traditional spreadsheet-based or clunky, outdated Microsoft Windows software, making it a prudent investment for optimising financial management and operational performance in today’s digital era.

Accessibility and Flexibility:

Cloud-based transportation fixed asset software allows for anytime, anywhere access to financial data, enabling employees to work remotely or access information while on the go, which is particularly valuable in the dynamic and mobile nature of the transportation industry.

Data Security and Compliance:

Cloud-based solutions like AssetAccountant for depreciation and lease transportation fixed asset software provides strong security measures and data encryption, guaranteeing the protection of sensitive financial information against unauthorised access and cyber threats. Moreover, these platforms frequently comply with industry-specific standards, like PCI DSS for payment processing in logistics, to ensure that all regulatory requirements are met. AssetAccountant is ISO27001 certified to the highest data security Standard in the world.

Scalability and Integration:

Cloud-based accounting software is scalable, capable of accommodating the evolving needs of transportation companies as they grow and expand their operations. Furthermore, subscription platforms like AssetAccountant often integrate seamlessly with other business systems (e.g. General Ledger and/or ERPs), such as inventory management or fleet tracking software, streamlining processes and improving overall operational efficiency.

Cost-Efficiency:

Eliminate the need for costly hardware investments and maintenance associated with on-premises software, offering a cost-effective and predictable pricing model based on subscription fees. Additionally, updates and maintenance made to AssetAccountant regularly rolls out software upgrades, improvements and functionality additions at no additional cost, reducing overall IT overheads for transport and logistics companies.

Why our clients love Asset Accountant

Greg Singh Group Tax Manager, Whitehaven Coal Limited
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Greg Singh image

“Up until 2021 we had been using Excel spreadsheets to calculate and manage fixed asset tax depreciation for the group's registers, which was not sustainable. To address this and to implement automation of the process, we researched solutions offered in the market, including by the large accounting firms and specialist software providers. After thoroughly vetting AssetAccountant as a vendor, testing the software and its calculations, and reviewing the company’s data security, we committed to implement the software for all tax fixed asset registers for the Whitehaven Coal group. Since implementation we have been very satisfied with the decision. The software is intuitive, robust, easy to use, and accurate. AssetAccountant’s commitment to ongoing development of the product's features has also been impressive.”

Sharon Hughes CFO, Buildsafe
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Sharon Hughes image

"After being introduced to AssetAccountant in 2020 by PriceWaterhouseCoopers, I carefully reviewed the software's functionality to suit our complex fixed asset depreciation and lease accounting requirements. For example Buildsafe acquires, disposes and writes off thousands of assets including partial transactions. We also need flexible reporting and detailed journals. I have found the software to be enterprise standard, robust and precise. The software is a very elegant blend of beauty and smarts. The ongoing support, product development and assistance has been responsive and reliable. An amazing team and product. Thank you."

John Smith CFO & Company Secretary, Dateline Resources Ltd
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John Smith image

"AssetAccountant (AA) has produced the ultimate Fixed Asset Management System. AA integrates seamlessly with Xero and produces reports that satisfies any auditor with easy to trace transactions that are verifiable. The real hidden gem is their Lease Accounting facility which takes all the heartache and time consuming issues out of AASB16. Fantastic product - has literally saved me hours of work."

Suzanne Walker Director, Clear Path Accounting
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Suzanne Walker image

"We love using AssetAccountant. The time savings for every client’s depreciation entries means not only is profit increased on every job, but our additional team capacity can be directed to more valuable work. There is literally no risk in the investment of AssetAccountant fixed asset depreciation software."

Chris J Emerson CPA Emerson Consulting Services LLC
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Chris J Emerson CPA image

"Big Boy Jocks On.... Ever wanted the big company fixed asset system without all the clunkiness and overthinking on the part of the software developers (I'm looking at you Thomson Reuters...)? Well then you need AssetAccountant. It provides just the right mix of complex depreciation calculations and beautiful user interface. It's a system designed by accountants and executed perfectly by developers. The integration is seamless with Xero (you can sign into AA with Xero credentials which is awesome if you are already running Xero on your browser) and journaling synchs are very flexible between the two applications. Then there is the price. I challenge you to find a more robust fixed asset system at these price points. Well done AssetAccountant. You get me. I now have my big boy jocks back on for fixed asset management....and they fit!"

Marco Abril Financial Controller, TPM Builders
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Marco Abril image

"From the initial contact with the team at AssetAccountant to the final implementation, we have received prompt and positive responses. The effective support service and continuous improvement makes AssetAccountant a product highly recommended to a wide variety of industries as well as to accounting firms."

Veenith Singh Group Finance Operations Manager, Beca Group
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Veenith Singh image

"It’s amazing we calculated this year’s depreciation in just a matter of minutes!"

Con Kirgianis Finance Manager, KWP!
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Con Kirgianis image

"Our organisation was looking for a standalone cloud-based fixed asset register that could calculate depreciation for multiple companies. AssetAccountant was a perfect solution that removed the need for tracking assets and calculating depreciation through spreadsheets.

The team at AssetAccountant were very responsive throughout the implementation process. The system is straightforward to use and has various options for both asset tracking and depreciation to make it suitable for most organisations."

Matt Pisarski Global Business Development, Intuit QuickBooks
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Matt Pisarski image

"Now that AssetAccountant is in our app store, our customers and sales team have a cloud option for fixed asset depreciation which has a strong integration with QuickBooks Online."

Kim Stanton Chief Financial Officer, Hardy Aviation
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Kim Stanton image

"After years of “paying a premium” for our Asset Management, we decided to go in-house. More than impressed with the ease and capability of the software, and the staff were a pleasure to deal with from go to whoa. Fabulous to have monthly reporting, as opposed to annual as well."

Alan FitzGerald Founder, Practice Connections
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Alan FitzGerald image

"I have seen a lot of niche products come and go but the one constant has been the lack of a decent fixed asset register. I was recently invited to see the latest incarnation and it did not disappoint. I am confident that both accounting firms and corporate clients will be lining up to use it – I have already been extolling the solutions’ virtues."

Elspeth Mildren Accountant, Lawson Grains
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Elspeth Mildren image

"We initially came across AssetAccountant when researching potential replacements for the Xero asset register. AssetAccountant sparked our interest due to its ability to easily and transparently forecast depreciation, transfer assets between sites, revalue assets and asset part disposals. The AA team have been extremely helpful which has provided us with confidence in the product, we look forward to exploring additional features to find more efficiencies in our processes."

Leanne Spiteri Founder, Virtue Private Advisory
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Leanne Spiteri image

"We highly recommend the use of AssetAccountant. Our clients benefit immensely from accurate asset register records, making spreadsheet accounting (and typical errors) a thing of the past. We can easily maintain tax and accounting registers providing our clients with accurate and meaningful information. AssetAccountant is a breeze to use, and we love that it integrates with QBO and Xero."

FAQs

What is fixed asset depreciation, and how does it apply to the transportation industry?
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Fixed asset depreciation for the transportation industry involves allocating the cost of long-term assets, such as vehicles, infrastructure, and equipment, over their useful life. Depreciation helps transportation companies comply with Australian accounting standards while providing tax benefits by reducing taxable income and reflecting asset value over time.

What depreciation methods can transportation companies use in Australia?
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In the transportation industry, businesses typically use the straight-line depreciation method for assets like vehicles and equipment, providing consistent expense allocation over the asset’s useful life. The diminishing value method is also used for faster depreciation of high-use assets. Compliance with Australian accounting standards is crucial when choosing the depreciation method.

How do lease calculation rules apply to the transportation industry?
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Under lease calculation rules for the transportation industry, leased assets, such as vehicles or equipment, must be recognized on the balance sheet as per AASB 16 Leases. Depreciation is calculated based on the asset’s useful life or the lease term, ensuring that transportation companies comply with Australian accounting standards.

What accounting standards govern fixed asset depreciation for the transportation industry?
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The AASB 116 Property, Plant and Equipment standard governs the recognition, depreciation, and measurement of fixed assets in the transportation industry. Adherence to these accounting standards ensures accurate financial reporting and compliance with Australian regulations.

How has AASB 16 impacted lease accounting for the transportation industry?
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The introduction of AASB 16 Leases has required transportation companies to recognize most leases on their balance sheets, affecting both the depreciation of leased assets and the calculation of lease liabilities. Proper application of lease calculation rules for the transportation industry is essential for maintaining compliance with Australian accounting standards.

What types of assets can transportation companies depreciate in Australia?
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Transportation companies can depreciate assets such as vehicles, heavy machinery, and infrastructure used for operations. These assets must be depreciated in accordance with guidelines from the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) and relevant accounting standards.

Why is fixed asset depreciation important for the transportation industry?
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Fixed asset depreciation for the transportation industry is crucial as it impacts the profit and loss statement by reducing taxable income and the balance sheet by reflecting the asset’s decreasing value. Proper depreciation management ensures compliance with accounting standards and provides an accurate financial overview of asset performance.