Free template
Mileage log template for business driving
A mileage log records each business trip: the date, where you went, why, and the distance from the odometer, plus the vehicle's total distance for the year. Fill it in on this page, add your company name and logo, then print it or save it as a PDF.
Business mileage log
Driver and vehicle
Business trips
| Date | Starting point | Destination | Business purpose | Odometer start | Odometer end | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Yearly totals
Why tax authorities want a trip by trip log
A mileage log is the record that supports claiming a vehicle's business use. The CRA asks for the date, destination, purpose and kilometres of each business trip. The IRS asks for the mileage of each business use, the total miles for the year, and the destination and business purpose, recorded at or near the time. That is why this log has trip lines and a yearly odometer section.
How GPS tracking records every trip
High Point GPS tracking records every trip automatically: start and end time, start and end address and distance driven, for every vehicle in the fleet. Trip reports can be exported for any period, so the office no longer chases drivers for odometer readings. Drivers or managers still add the business purpose, which no device can know.
Get a quote for fleet trackingFour tips for a log that holds up
Fill it in at the time of the trip or at the end of the week. The IRS treats a record made at or near the time as more reliable than one rebuilt later.
Write a real business purpose, such as a client name or job number, rather than "meeting" or "work".
Record the odometer on the first and last day of the year. Total distance is what turns business distance into a percentage of use.
Keep one log per vehicle. If several people drive the same vehicle, each one signs their own lines.
Questions about mileage logs
- What does the CRA want in a vehicle logbook?
- For each business trip, the CRA asks you to record the date, the destination, the purpose and the number of kilometres driven. You also need the odometer reading at the start and end of the tax year, so business distance can be compared to total distance. This template has a line for each trip and a yearly section for both readings.
- What does the IRS require for business mileage?
- IRS Publication 463 asks for the mileage of each business use, the total miles for the year, the date, the destination and the business purpose. Records should be made at or near the time of the trip, and a weekly log is treated as timely. This form covers each of those items. Check Publication 463 itself for your situation.
- Is there a shorter logbook option in Canada?
- Yes. The CRA accepts a simplified logbook in some cases: you keep a full logbook for one complete year as a base year, then a three month sample log in later years. The sample is accepted only while business use stays within 10% of the base year. See the CRA's motor vehicle records page for the full conditions.
- Is anything I type sent to High Point GPS?
- No. The form runs entirely in your browser, so nothing you type is sent to us. Your entries stay in this browser on this device until you clear them. When the period is over, print the log or save it as a PDF and keep it with your other tax records for that vehicle.
- Can a GPS trip report replace a paper mileage log?
- A GPS trip report records the date, start and end points and distance of every trip at the time it happens, which covers most of what a log needs. It does not know why the trip was made, so someone still has to add the business purpose. Ask your accountant how they want those records presented.