Mileage Log

A printable vehicle mileage log for tax and expense records

The mileage log is a single-page sheet for recording every trip you drive. Each row has columns for the date, starting odometer reading, ending odometer reading, miles driven, and the purpose or destination of the trip, plus an optional business/personal column so you can separate deductible miles from personal ones.

A totals strip along the bottom leaves space to add up the miles for the period. Keep one sheet per month in the glovebox, fill it in after each journey, and you will have a contemporaneous record ready for your accountant or expense claim.

Why keep a mileage log on paper?

Tax authorities in most countries expect a mileage record that is written at or near the time of each trip. A paper log kept in the car is the simplest way to hit that bar — no app to open, no phone battery to worry about, no subscription. Use this sheet for:

• self-employed and freelance business mileage deductions
• employee expense claims and mileage reimbursement
• company-car and pool-car logbooks
• rideshare and delivery driving records
• charity, medical and moving miles that may be deductible
• fleet and volunteer-driver trip tracking

At period end, total the miles and transfer the figure to your tax return, expense system or spreadsheet.

What the columns capture

• Date — the day of the trip
• Start Odometer — the reading before you set off
• End Odometer — the reading when you arrive
• Miles — end minus start, the distance for the trip
• Purpose / Destination — who you saw or where you went and why
• Business / Personal — an optional column to classify each trip

Recording both odometer readings, not just the mileage, is what makes the log defensible — the miles column can always be checked against the difference.

What you can customise

• Title: default "Vehicle Mileage Log" or rename it for a specific vehicle or driver
• Header fields: turn the Vehicle / Month / Year line on or off
• Business / Personal column: show it for mixed-use vehicles or hide it for a purely business log
• Row count: 12 to 28 trip rows per page
• Paper size: A4 or US Letter PDF

Notes and limitations

• This is a printable worksheet, not a fillable PDF or calculator — you write the readings and total the miles yourself.
• Check your local tax rules for the mileage rate and what counts as a deductible trip; this sheet records data, it does not calculate a deduction.
• Twenty-eight rows is the comfortable maximum per sheet; print a fresh sheet each month and keep them together.
• Print at 100% scale so the odometer columns stay wide enough for six-digit readings.

Who the mileage log is for

Self-employed drivers

Freelancers, contractors and sole traders who claim business mileage need a contemporaneous record; a monthly sheet in the car is the easiest way to keep one.

Employees

Anyone reimbursed per mile can log trips as they happen and submit an accurate total instead of guessing at month-end.

Rideshare and delivery drivers

Track on-app and off-app miles cleanly, with the business/personal column separating paid trips from the drive home.

Fleet and volunteer coordinators

Give each vehicle or driver a printed logbook so trip records are consistent and easy to audit.

How to use the tool

1. Enter a title or keep the default.
2. Choose whether to show the Vehicle / Month / Year header fields.
3. Turn the Business / Personal column on or off.
4. Pick the number of trip rows (12 to 28).
5. Select A4 or US Letter.
6. Preview the sheet, download the PDF and print at 100% scale.
7. Keep it in the car and fill in a row after every trip.

Worked example

A self-employed consultant sets rows to 24 and keeps the business/personal column on. A typical row reads: Date — 03/07, Start Odometer — 048,120, End Odometer — 048,166, Miles — 46, Purpose / Destination — client site visit, Manchester, Business. At month end she adds the Miles column, notes 512 business miles in the totals strip, and multiplies by her local mileage rate on her tax return.

Methodology

The engine draws a fixed-column table sized to the page: date and odometer columns are kept narrow, the purpose column takes the widest share, and the optional business/personal column is added or removed by re-weighting the columns so the table always fills the width. Row heights scale to the number of rows you request, and the totals strip is aligned under the Miles column so the sum sits in the right place.

Designed for A4 and US Letter printing

The mileage log prints cleanly on A4 and US Letter. Odometer columns are sized for six-digit readings and the row height stays generous even at the maximum row count, so handwriting fits without cramping.

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