Work vehicle mileage

[philio]

Hey everyone, I need so ideas and help finding a way to track millage for my work vehicles. The problem is that this is a family run business and every one involved has different needs. One person doesn't have time to manually write down millage. Another wants something technological. Is there something electronic that I could install on the vehicles to track millage that I could then take and transferrer to my computer for our tax records. We toyed with the idea of a GPS but it would need to track the actual GPS signal and not the one of the towers. Any ideas on what I could do. We are willing to what we need for this.

 

[JeepersCreepers]

I am self employed and also use my vehicle for business. There are 2 ways that the IRS recognizes for mileage claims. First you can write down your mileage at the beginning of the year and again at the end. If the vehicle is used strictly for business then you have nothing else to worry about. If it is also for personal use then you need to figure out what percentage of use was business versus personal. Second you can write down each trip with miles driven and purpose of the trip. Then at the end of the year you just total it all up. I hope that helps.

 

[coup]

Yeah those are your options. I see you say one does not have time to write down the millage. If they have a smart phone you could use an app like trip ally or something.

 

[philio]

I guess I am looking for some kind of a gadget where the person that is driving does not have to think about it but I can use to tell.

 

[Candle]

I'm afraid you might be disappointed. I agree with JeepersCreepers. That is the only two ways that I know of. I personally use my car for both business and for family. I use a word application on my blackberry, and just type in my mileage and the purpose of the trip. I don't find it takes very long, and by now it is just an automatic action.

 

[philio]

Darn, well the problem is mostly my brother. I can get my mother and sister to track their millage but he swears he is to busy. I remind him all year long I need numbers and I never get them. I tried to explain to him the money we lose by not doing this. I think getting him a smartphone with an app would be best. But I doubt he would even use that.. wonder if I could get some kind of little black box.

 

[Alexus]

If your family members worked anywhere else, they would have to take the time to write it down. You might want to stress the importance of the need to know this information, and how it affects the company, and until a better solution can be found, they will just have to do it.

 

[JeepersCreepers]

You could always just set the trip odometer on the vehicle itself and then have him right down the total on that. It would be pretty easy for him.

 

[coup]

I still say you should get them a smart phone and get trip ally. All they have to do is hit a big green button to start it. It then pings the GPS every so many seconds. You can't fire your family can you?

 

[Candle]

Coup, the program sounds very interesting indeed. Is it available to link up to a blackberry? When you say smart phone, do you mean a specific type or brand? It would be really useful for my brother in his work.

 

[Chandler]

If you don't use the smart phone app, how about resetting the trip odometer every time he gets in the vehicle? When he gets back, you could check the odometer and go from there?

 

[coup]

I hate to say this but it sounds like he is not taking responsibility for this. Considering you probably pay higher insurance to have a work vehicle it is going to lose you money if he is "To Busy" I know this sounds mean but I would charge him if he is not willing to do his part.

 

[MaximumSpeed]

If it is only your brother who is not cooperating, then perhaps you could keep a notebook in the vehicle and each person can log their starting number, ending number and destination - and the person driving after him can note that the missing miles were his.