Boat Hauling and Transport Invoicing App (2026)
Boat transport bills per loaded mile with permits, escorts, and fuel stacked on top, and the leverage disappears once the boat is off the trailer. ShowTheReceipts ($15/mo) quotes the mileage and every accessorial as its own line, takes a deposit at booking, and collects the balance on delivery by card.
How we picked
Entry-plan prices as published in 2026, checked against each vendor's own pricing page or a recent third-party summary. Judged on the owner-operator hauler's real workflow — per-mile quoting with accessorials, deposits at booking, and payment on delivery — not on fleet dispatch or load-board integration.
| Software | Starting price | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| ShowTheReceipts That's us | $15/mo | Owner-operator haulers: per-mile quoting, permit and fuel lines, deposits, payment on delivery |
| Invoice2go | $9.99/mo+ | Basic mobile invoicing from the cab |
| Joist | Free / $8/mo | Simple estimates and invoices at minimum cost |
| Kickserv Flex | $19/mo | Budget scheduling with invoicing |
| Jobber | $29/mo (Core) | Service businesses dispatching several trucks |
The invoice has to be done before the straps come off
Once a boat is on the customer’s blocks, you’re an unsecured creditor with a long drive home. Every good habit in this business is about not being in that position.
Deposit at booking, balance at delivery, both by card.
1. ShowTheReceipts — $15/mo
Per-loaded-mile quoting with permits, escorts, and fuel as separate lines, a deposit at booking, and a card taken at the drop.
2. Invoice2go — $9.99/mo+
Simple mobile invoicing you can run from the cab.
3. Joist — Free / $8/mo
Bare-bones estimates and invoices; nothing for deposits.
4. Kickserv Flex — $19/mo
Budget scheduling and invoicing for a general service business.
5. Jobber — $29/mo (Core)
Multi-truck dispatch, priced accordingly.
Accessorials worth their own line
- Oversize permits — by state, by route
- Escort vehicles — where width requires it
- Fuel surcharge — billed as its own line
- Return / dead-head leg
- Yard wait time beyond a stated free window
Frequently asked questions
Should I take a deposit on a boat transport booking?
Yes. A cancelled haul is a dead-head day you can't refill, and a deposit at booking makes the date real. Charging it by card when the quote is accepted keeps it from being a phone call you have to make.
How do I bill permits, escorts, and fuel?
As separate accessorial lines on the same invoice, not folded into the per-mile rate. Oversize permits and escort vehicles vary by route, and itemizing them is what keeps your base rate competitive.
When should I collect the balance?
On delivery, before the boat is unstrapped — that's the last moment you have any leverage. A card payment or payment link taken at the drop is faster and safer than invoicing net-30 and hoping.
How do I track a dead-head or return leg?
Price it as its own line on the quote when the route requires it. Customers accept a return-leg charge they can see; they dispute a mileage number that seems inflated for no stated reason.