🚗 Mileage Tracking Tutorial

7 animated steps showing you how to set up vehicles, track trips automatically, and export IRS-compliant mileage logs.

Mileage Tracking

Set Up Mileage Tracking in 7 Steps

From adding your first vehicle to exporting an IRS-compliant mileage log — follow along with the animated walkthrough.

🚗
Welcome!
Here's what we'll cover:
1
Add a vehicle
2
Set distance preferences
3
Start your first trip
4
Track a trip live
5
Classify your trip
6
View trip history
7
Export mileage logs

Add Vehicle

Vehicle Name
My Honda Civic
Year
2022
Make / Model
Honda Civic
Starting Odometer
45,230
Save Vehicle

Settings

DISTANCE & TRACKING
Distance Unit Miles ▾
Auto-detect trips
Default classification Business ▾
Detection sensitivity Normal ▾
Min trip distance 0.2 mi

Dashboard

TAP TO START TRIP
or let auto-detection handle it
VehicleMy Honda Civic
Auto-detect● Active
Today's trips0

Trip In Progress

4.7
miles driven
32
mph
12:04
elapsed
$3.41
deduction
⏹ Stop Trip

Classify Trip

✓ Business
Personal
Trip Purpose
DoorDash delivery run
Vehicle
My Honda Civic
Distance4.7 mi
Duration12m 04s
Deduction$3.41
Save Trip

Trip History

Today · April 4
4.7 mi BIZ $3.41
12:04🗺️ View Route
8.2 mi BIZ $5.95
18:32🗺️ View Route
2.1 mi PERS —
5:12
Yesterday · April 3
12.4 mi BIZ $8.99
24:10🗺️ View Route

Mileage Reports

1,247 mi
Business miles this month
$904.08 deduction
EXPORT OPTIONS
PDF
Mileage Log — April 2026
IRS-compliant format · 3 pages
CSV
Mileage Data — April 2026
Spreadsheet format · 84 rows
📤 Share Report
★
Welcome to Mileage Tracking
In this tutorial, you'll walk through 7 steps to add vehicles, auto-detect trips, track in real time, classify business miles, and export IRS-compliant mileage logs.
1
Add a Vehicle
Open Settings → Vehicles → Add. Enter your vehicle name, year, make, model, and current odometer reading. This connects your trips to the right car for accurate mileage tracking.
📍 Settings → Vehicles → Add Vehicle
2
Set Distance Preferences
Choose miles or kilometers. Enable auto-detection so trips start automatically when you drive. Set your default classification to Business or Personal — saves you a tap on every trip.
📍 Settings → Distance & Tracking
3
Start Your First Trip
With auto-detection on, just start driving — TrakMiles Pro detects movement and begins tracking. Or tap the big green play button on the Dashboard for a manual start.
📍 Dashboard → Start Trip
4
Track a Trip in Progress
Watch your trip live — GPS route drawing on the map, current speed, distance accumulating, and your real-time deduction value calculated at the IRS rate of 72.5¢/mile.
📍 Dashboard → Active Trip View
5
Classify Your Trip
After stopping, mark the trip as Business or Personal. Add a purpose note like "DoorDash delivery" for IRS compliance. The deduction calculates automatically for business trips.
📍 Trip Detail → Classify
6
View Trip History
All your trips organized by date with distance, duration, classification, and deduction value. Tap any trip with a map icon to see the full GPS route. Filter by date range or vehicle.
📍 Trips Tab → History
7
Export Your Mileage Log
Generate IRS-compliant mileage reports in PDF or CSV. Every trip includes date, start/end location, purpose, and distance — exactly what the IRS requires if you're audited.
📍 Reports → Mileage Reports → Export

Why Mileage Tracking Matters for Gig Workers

The IRS allows gig workers to deduct 72.5 cents per business mile driven in 2026. For a driver logging 20,000 business miles per year, that's a $14,500 deduction — the single largest write-off most independent contractors qualify for. But the IRS requires a contemporaneous log of every trip, including date, destination, business purpose, and distance.

TrakMiles Pro handles all of this automatically. GPS tracking records your route, auto-detection starts trips when you begin driving, and your mileage log is always IRS-ready for export. No spreadsheets, no guessing, no missed deductions.

Learn more about maximizing your car-related deductions in our guides:

Car Deductions Guide 2026 IRS Mileage Rate IRS Log Requirements Standard vs Actual Expenses Auto vs Manual Tracking All Gig Deductions 2026 Lower SE Tax Best Tracker Apps 2026

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