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Free mileage log template

Write down each drive as you make it: the date, why you went, where from and where to, and either the odometer readings or the miles. Mark it business or personal. The log works out the miles, multiplies business miles by the rate per mile you set, and adds everything up by month and for the year, ready for an expense claim or for whoever does your taxes.

Free download
Pro Want saved routes, several vehicles and a reimbursement report that fills itself in? See Mileage Log Pro →
Preview of the real sheet. Click the tabs underneath.Shaded cells are formulas
Trip Logrowsandcells.com
Every drive logged, with business miles and value at your rate.Free template
DatePurposeFromToTypeOdometer startOdometer endOr milesMilesParking and tollsMileage valueNotes
Jan 8, 2026Client meeting, Bloom FloristHome officeBloom Florist, Elm StBusiness38,50138,51514$9.80
Jan 15, 2026Headshots, Carver LawHome officeCarver Law, downtownBusiness38,57438,59622$9.00$15.40Garage downtown
Jan 24, 2026Weekend visit to MomHomePortlandPersonal38,68638,872186
Feb 3, 2026Print lab pickupHome officePro Print LabBusiness1111$7.70
Feb 12, 2026Venue walkthrough, Cedar BarnHome officeCedar Barn, Route 9Business39,05239,10048$33.60Round trip
Feb 26, 2026Bank depositHome officeFirst Valley BankBusiness66$4.20
Mar 7, 2026Engagement shoot, Lin and OrtizHome officeRiverside ParkBusiness39,30039,31818$5.00$12.60
Mar 19, 2026Camera repair drop-offHome officeLens and Light RepairBusiness39,42639,45731$21.70
Mar 28, 2026Grocery runHomeMarket BasketPersonal99
Apr 9, 2026Product shoot, Hearth BakeryHome officeHearth BakeryBusiness39,60439,62016$11.20
Apr 22, 2026Client meeting, Summit RealtyHome officeSummit Realty officeBusiness39,73439,76127$18.90
May 2, 2026Wedding, Patel and MooreHome officeLakeview InnBusiness39,80839,87264$12.00$44.80Round trip, valet
May 14, 2026Print lab pickupHome officePro Print LabBusiness1111$7.70
May 25, 2026Memorial Day tripHomeBar HarborPersonal40,14340,385242
Jun 6, 2026Wedding, Nguyen and HaleHome officeCedar Barn, Route 9Business40,45240,50048$33.60Round trip
Jun 18, 2026Equipment rental returnHome officeCamera Rental CoBusiness40,54440,57834$23.80
Jun 27, 2026School pickup and errandsHomeTown centerPersonal1313
Jul 11, 2026Real estate shoot, 14 Oak LnHome office14 Oak LaneBusiness40,73740,75821$14.70
Jul 19, 2026Wedding, Brooks and KimHome officeHarbor Yacht ClubBusiness40,85140,90857$15.00$39.90Round trip, lot fee
Jul 30, 2026Office supply runHome officeStaples, Mill RdBusiness88$5.60
Aug 8, 2026Family reunionHomeBurlingtonPersonal41,03441,248214
Aug 16, 2026Headshots, Summit RealtyHome officeSummit Realty officeBusiness41,29941,32627$18.90
Aug 28, 2026Client meeting, Hearth BakeryHome officeHearth BakeryBusiness41,43641,45216$11.20
Sep 5, 2026Wedding, Alvarez and PriceHome officeLakeview InnBusiness41,54641,61064$12.00$44.80Round trip, valet
Sep 12, 2026Print lab pickupHome officePro Print LabBusiness1111$7.70
Sep 18, 2026Venue walkthrough, Mill HouseHome officeThe Mill HouseBusiness41,81341,85138$26.60
Sep 24, 2026Real estate shoot, 9 Birch CtHome office9 Birch CourtBusiness41,96341,98219$13.30
Sep 27, 2026Apple pickingHomeHill OrchardPersonal2626
Oct 3, 2026Wedding, Shah and DuarteHome officeHarbor Yacht ClubBusiness42,13142,18857$15.00$39.90Round trip, lot fee
Oct 7, 2026Bank depositHome officeFirst Valley BankBusiness66$4.20
Oct 10, 2026Fall mini sessionsHome officeRiverside ParkBusiness42,43442,45218$5.00$12.60
Oct 14, 2026Client meeting, Carver LawHome officeCarver Law, downtownBusiness42,56642,58822$9.00$15.40Garage downtown
Oct 16, 2026DentistHomeBright Smile DentalPersonal1212

What's inside

  • A trip log with date, purpose, start and end point, business or personal, and parking and tolls
  • Use odometer readings or just type the miles: the Miles column works it out either way
  • Business miles times the rate per mile you set, on every trip and for the year
  • A month-by-month table of trips, business miles, personal miles and value
  • A year summary with business share of logged miles, ready for a claim or your tax preparer
  • Works in Google Sheets and Excel with the same formulas

How to use it

  1. Download your copy

    Click "Free download" to save the .xlsx file. It opens in Excel, or in Google Sheets: open a blank sheet (sheets.new) and choose File, then Import, then Upload.

  2. Set your rate and year

    On the Summary tab, add your name and vehicle, then type the rate per mile you use. The 0.70 in the sample is only an example: use your employer's rate, or the official rate for the year if you claim it yourself. Change Log year starts if you need a different year.

  3. Clear the sample trips

    On the Trip Log, select the sample rows from Date to Odometer end, plus Or miles, Parking and tolls and Notes, and press Delete. Leave the Miles and Mileage value columns alone: they hold the formulas.

  4. Log each drive

    Add a row per trip with the date, purpose, from and to. Type Business or Personal in Type, spelled exactly like that, so the totals pick it up.

  5. Add the distance

    Type the odometer at the start and end of the trip, or skip those and type the distance in Or miles. If both are filled in, the odometer readings win.

  6. Check the totals

    The Summary tab adds up the year and the Monthly tab shows each month. Send the log with your expense claim, or share it with whoever prepares your taxes.

Tips

Log it before you drive off

A trip logged on the spot takes ten seconds. Trying to rebuild three months of driving from a calendar takes an afternoon and is never as accurate.

Write a real purpose

"Client meeting, Bloom Florist" says much more than "meeting". A clear purpose and destination on each line is what makes a log useful later.

Note the odometer on January 1

Write down the reading at the start and end of the year. Together with your business miles, it shows how much of your total driving was for work.

Keep parking receipts

Parking and tolls on business trips are usually claimed on top of mileage. Log the amount here and keep the receipt or a photo of it.

Copy the formulas down

The log has formulas ready for about 50 trips. When you need more rows, select the last row and drag its fill handle down so Miles and Mileage value keep working.

Questions

What should a mileage log include?

For each trip: the date, where you went, the business purpose and the miles driven, with odometer readings if you can. Records made at the time are much more convincing than ones rebuilt later. This template also tracks parking and tolls and splits business from personal driving.

What rate per mile should I use?

It depends on why you're logging. For a reimbursement, use the rate your employer pays. For your own taxes, the IRS (or your country's tax agency) publishes a standard rate that changes, usually each year. Check the current one at irs.gov or ask your tax preparer, then type it on the Summary tab.

Do I need odometer readings, or are miles enough?

The template works with either. Odometer readings give a stronger record, so use them when you can, and type the miles in Or miles when you only know the distance, for example from a map.

Does my commute count as business mileage?

Usually not: driving from home to a regular workplace is generally treated as personal. Trips from your workplace to clients or job sites often do count. The rules have exceptions, so check with a tax professional for your situation.

Why log personal trips at all?

You don't have to, but logging them, or at least your odometer at the start and end of the year, shows what share of your driving was for business. That share matters if you ever claim actual car expenses instead of a per-mile rate.

Can I use this for more than one car?

This free log is set up for one vehicle. Use a separate copy for each car. The Pro version tracks several vehicles in one log.

Is this mileage log template free?

Yes. Download the .xlsx file and open it in Excel or Google Sheets. No sign-up needed.

Pro version

Mileage Log Pro

Every drive for every vehicle in one log, with your own rates, saved routes, monthly and yearly totals and a reimbursement report ready to send.

Log a trip in seconds

Save the drives you make often with their miles. Pick one from the dropdown, say whether it was a round trip, and the miles fill in. Odometer readings or typed miles work too.

All your vehicles in one place

Add up to ten vehicles once. Every trip has a vehicle dropdown, and the Dashboard and Monthly tab switch between one vehicle and all of them.

Your rates, not ours

Set a rate per mile for each trip type: business, medical, charity or your own. Only the types you mark as claimable get a value, so personal driving never sneaks into a claim.

Business use you can explain

Type each vehicle's odometer on January 1 and the workbook compares business miles with everything you drove this year, logged or not, for an honest business-use percentage.

A claim ready to send

Pick a date range, a vehicle and a client. The Reimbursement tab lists every claimable trip with miles, rate, value, parking and tolls, totals and signature lines. Print it or save it as a PDF.

Mistakes get caught

A Check column flags a trip with no miles, an odometer that goes backwards, a missing purpose or a vehicle that isn't set up, so problems surface before you send a claim.

FreePro
Trip log with odometer or milesTrip log with odometer, miles or a saved route, plus round trips
One rate per mileA rate for each trip type, with claimable and business-use settings
One vehicleUp to ten vehicles, pick one or all
Monthly totalsMonthly totals plus a year grid by vehicle
Business share of logged milesBusiness-use share from January 1 odometer readings
·Dashboard with cards and charts
·Reimbursement report by period, vehicle and client
·Saved routes with times used
·Check column that flags missing or wrong entries

$12 one-time

9 tabs: Start Here, Dashboard, Trip Log, Reimbursement, Monthly, Year, Vehicles, Routes and Setup. You get two copies: one filled in with a sample photographer's year of driving in two vehicles so you can see it working, and a blank one ready for your own.

Buy now
  • Instant download after checkout
  • Works in Google Sheets and Excel
  • Yours to keep and reuse every year

Expense report

Get paid back for work expenses, mileage included.

Business expenses

Expenses by tax category, totaled by quarter.

Vehicle maintenance log

Every service logged, with what's due next by miles or date.