Moving Company Chart of Accounts: Financial Categories Every Mover Should Track
A standardized chart of accounts for moving and storage companies. Revenue categories, cost categories, and KPIs that accountants and lenders expect.
Why Moving Companies Need a Standardized Chart of Accounts
Most moving companies, especially those with 1 to 10 trucks, use a generic QuickBooks chart of accounts that does not reflect how the moving industry actually works. Revenue is lumped into a single line item. Labor costs are not separated by role. Marketing spend is not tracked by channel. Insurance, the third-largest expense, may be buried in a general overhead category.
This makes it nearly impossible to answer basic financial questions: What is our revenue per truck? What does it cost us to acquire a customer? Are we making money on storage or losing money? Is our packing service profitable or are we undercharging?
A moving-industry-specific chart of accounts solves these problems. It creates the visibility that operators, accountants, and lenders need to evaluate performance, identify problems, and make informed decisions. The chart below is based on industry best practices, lender expectations, and the financial categories that matter most for moving and storage companies.
Revenue Categories
Moving companies typically have 4 to 6 distinct revenue streams, each with different margins and seasonality. Tracking them separately is essential.
Local moving revenue (moves within 50 miles, billed hourly) is typically 40% to 60% of total revenue for companies without long-distance authority. Long-distance moving revenue (interstate moves, billed by weight and distance) carries higher per-move revenue but also higher costs. Storage revenue (monthly recurring fees for warehouse or container storage) is the highest-margin category and the most valued by lenders because of its recurring nature.
Packing revenue (professional packing services billed separately from the move) averages 8% to 15% of total revenue. Junk removal revenue, if offered, is a growing ancillary service with margins of 30% to 50%. Other revenue includes specialty moves (piano, hot tub, gun safe), commercial/office moving, and any third-party referral commissions.
Cost of Goods Sold (Direct Costs)
COGS for a moving company includes all costs directly tied to performing a move. These costs vary with volume: more moves mean higher COGS.
Driver and helper labor is the largest COGS component, typically 45% to 55% of revenue. This includes wages, payroll taxes, and benefits for drivers and crew members. It does not include office staff, sales, or management salaries, which belong in operating expenses.
Fuel costs average 6% to 10% of revenue. Truck maintenance and repair averages 3% to 5%. Packing supplies (boxes, tape, paper, bubble wrap) average 2% to 4%. Subcontractor costs (payments to other movers for overflow work, origin or destination agents) can be significant for companies that broker jobs.
A healthy gross margin (revenue minus COGS) for a moving company is 35% to 50%. Below 30% indicates pricing problems, labor inefficiency, or excessive subcontracting. Above 50% is rare and typically indicates the company is underinvesting in crew quality or equipment.
Operating Expenses
Operating expenses are costs required to run the business that are not directly tied to performing a specific move. These costs are relatively fixed regardless of move volume.
Insurance (BIPD, cargo, GL, workers comp, umbrella) is typically the largest operating expense, averaging 8% to 14% of revenue. Facility costs (warehouse rent, office rent, utilities) average 5% to 10%. Marketing and advertising (including lead generation, website, SEO, Google Ads, truck wraps) average 5% to 12% depending on growth stage.
Office and administrative salaries (office manager, bookkeeper, receptionist) average 4% to 8%. Sales and estimator compensation (salaries plus commissions) average 3% to 6%. Software and technology (CRM, dispatch software, GPS tracking, accounting software) average 1% to 3%.
Smaller categories include phone and internet ($200 to $500/month), uniforms and PPE ($100 to $300/month), equipment purchases and depreciation (dollies, pads, straps, ramps), professional services (accounting, legal), and licenses and permits.
A healthy operating margin (gross margin minus operating expenses) for a moving company is 8% to 18%. Companies below 5% are at risk during slow seasons. Companies above 20% are either very well run or underinvesting in growth.
Key Performance Indicators
Beyond the chart of accounts, several KPIs are essential for evaluating moving company financial health. Revenue per truck per month should average $14,000 to $20,000. Revenue per employee should average $8,000 to $12,000 per month. Cost per lead varies by channel but should average $30 to $80. Customer acquisition cost (total marketing spend divided by customers) should be $150 to $400.
Gross margin should be 35% to 50%. Operating margin should be 8% to 18%. Revenue per move should be tracked separately for local, long-distance, and commercial. Average ticket size growth is a key indicator of pricing power and upselling effectiveness.
Cash flow metrics matter more than profit metrics for moving companies because of extreme seasonality. Days of cash on hand, monthly burn rate during winter months, and peak-to-trough revenue ratio all indicate financial resilience. A company with strong profits but insufficient cash reserves can still fail during a slow spring.
Data
Chart of Accounts for Moving and Storage Companies
| Account Number | Account Name | Category | Description | % of Revenue Benchmark |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4000 | Local Moving Revenue | Revenue | Intrastate moves billed hourly or flat rate | 35% to 55% of total revenue |
| 4100 | Long-Distance Moving Revenue | Revenue | Interstate moves billed by weight and distance | 15% to 35% of total revenue |
| 4200 | Storage Revenue | Revenue | Monthly fees for warehouse or container storage | 5% to 15% of total revenue |
| 4300 | Packing Revenue | Revenue | Professional packing services billed separately | 8% to 15% of total revenue |
| 4400 | Junk Removal Revenue | Revenue | Junk hauling and disposal services | 0% to 10% of total revenue |
| 4500 | Specialty and Other Revenue | Revenue | Piano moves, commercial, referral commissions | 2% to 8% of total revenue |
| 5000 | Driver Labor | COGS | Wages, payroll taxes, benefits for CDL drivers | 18% to 25% |
| 5100 | Helper/Crew Labor | COGS | Wages, payroll taxes for movers and packers | 20% to 30% |
| 5200 | Fuel | COGS | Diesel and gasoline for fleet | 6% to 10% |
| 5300 | Truck Maintenance and Repair | COGS | Scheduled maintenance, tires, repairs | 3% to 5% |
| 5400 | Packing Supplies | COGS | Boxes, tape, paper, bubble wrap, specialty materials | 2% to 4% |
| 5500 | Subcontractor Costs | COGS | Payments to agents, overflow carriers | 0% to 15% |
| 5600 | Equipment Rental | COGS | Dolly rental, shuttle truck rental, crane rental | 0% to 2% |
| 6000 | Insurance (All Types) | Operating Expense | BIPD, cargo, GL, WC, umbrella | 8% to 14% |
| 6100 | Facility Rent and Utilities | Operating Expense | Warehouse, office, electricity, water | 5% to 10% |
| 6200 | Marketing and Advertising | Operating Expense | Lead gen, SEO, Google Ads, print, truck wraps | 5% to 12% |
| 6300 | Office and Admin Salaries | Operating Expense | Office manager, bookkeeper, receptionist | 4% to 8% |
| 6400 | Sales and Estimator Compensation | Operating Expense | Salaries plus commissions for sales roles | 3% to 6% |
| 6500 | Software and Technology | Operating Expense | CRM, dispatch, GPS, accounting, website hosting | 1% to 3% |
| 6600 | Phone and Internet | Operating Expense | Office phones, mobile phones, internet | 0.5% to 1% |
| 6700 | Uniforms and PPE | Operating Expense | Crew uniforms, gloves, safety equipment | 0.3% to 0.8% |
| 6800 | Equipment Depreciation | Operating Expense | Dollies, pads, straps, ramps (non-vehicle) | 0.5% to 1.5% |
| 6900 | Vehicle Depreciation or Lease | Operating Expense | Truck payments, depreciation on owned fleet | 4% to 8% |
| 7000 | Professional Services | Operating Expense | Accounting, legal, consulting | 1% to 2% |
| 7100 | Licenses and Permits | Operating Expense | USDOT, MC authority, state licenses, city permits | 0.3% to 0.8% |
| 7200 | Training and Certification | Operating Expense | CDL training, safety training, ProMover certification | 0.2% to 0.5% |
| 7300 | Bad Debt | Operating Expense | Uncollectable customer balances | 0.5% to 2% |
| 7400 | Claims and Damage Payouts | Operating Expense | Customer damage claims paid out of pocket (below deductible) | 1% to 3% |
Source:
Financial KPI Benchmarks for Moving Companies
| KPI | Healthy Range | Warning Level | How to Calculate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue per truck per month | $14,000 to $20,000 | Below $11,000 | Total revenue / (number of trucks x months) |
| Revenue per employee per month | $8,000 to $12,000 | Below $6,000 | Total revenue / (total employees x months) |
| Gross margin | 35% to 50% | Below 30% | (Revenue - COGS) / Revenue |
| Operating margin | 8% to 18% | Below 5% | (Revenue - COGS - OpEx) / Revenue |
| Customer acquisition cost | $150 to $400 | Above $600 | Total marketing spend / number of customers |
| Cost per lead | $30 to $80 | Above $120 | Marketing spend by channel / leads from that channel |
| Days of cash on hand | 60 to 90 days | Below 30 days | Cash balance / (annual operating expenses / 365) |
| Debt-to-revenue ratio | Below 0.4 | Above 0.6 | Total debt / annual revenue |
| Average revenue per move (local) | $800 to $1,500 | Below $500 | Local revenue / number of local moves |
| Average revenue per move (LD) | $3,500 to $6,500 | Below $2,500 | LD revenue / number of LD moves |
| Peak-to-trough revenue ratio | 2.5x to 3.5x | Above 4x (too seasonal) | July revenue / January revenue |
| Insurance as % of revenue | 8% to 14% | Above 16% | Total insurance cost / total revenue |
Source:
Sources: American Moving and Storage Association financial benchmarking surveys, QuickBooks industry templates, SBA small business financial guidelines, Trunk research database, interviews with moving industry accountants and CFOs.