Mileage log template · updated 14 October 2026
Free mileage log template
Keep a mileage log in Excel, Numbers or Google Sheets. Download the seven-column CSV, replace the placeholder row and add your journeys. No email required.
Want to see a finished report? Inspect the sample mileage report, with a two-page PDF and matching CSV.
Use the template in three steps
Open the CSV in your spreadsheet app. Keep the first row of column names. The next row starts with YYYY-MM-DD and contains instructions, not a real journey: replace it with your first trip or delete it before adding trips.
Add one journey per row. Record its date, starting point, destination, purpose and distance in miles. Use separate rows for an outward and return journey so you can describe each one clearly.
Check your entries and save a copy. Review dates, distances and classifications against your records. Use the filled example to check the layout, and keep your own file separate from these fictional examples.
What to put in each column
- date — the day of the journey, written as YYYY-MM-DD, for example 2026-01-15.
- start — a starting place you can identify later, such as “Home office — Austin”.
- end — the destination, such as “Client site — Round Rock”.
- business_purpose — a specific reason, such as “On-site estimate for remodel bid”, rather than only “business”. For a personal row, describe the personal journey.
- miles — the distance of that journey, such as 28.4. This template is labelled in miles; do not enter kilometres as though they were miles.
- classification — business or personal. The example keeps personal journeys separate from its business-mile total.
- notes — optional context, such as odometer readings or a job reference.
For US recordkeeping guidance, see IRS Publication 463. It describes records of dates, destinations, business purposes and mileage. This template helps organize those details; it is not certified as sufficient for every filer and cannot determine whether a journey qualifies.
A filled mileage log example
The downloadable 2026 example contains 12 fictional journeys: 237 business miles and 8 personal miles. It includes invented dates later in the year. The table below shows six of those twelve rows, so its visible rows are not the full-file total.
| Date | Route | Purpose | Miles | Class |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-01-15 | Home office → Round Rock client | On-site estimate | 28.4 | business |
| 2026-01-15 | Round Rock client → home office | Return from estimate | 27.9 | business |
| 2026-04-18 | Home office → grocery | Personal shopping | 8.0 | personal |
| 2026-06-28 | Home office → AUS | Airport leg to client kickoff | 14.7 | business |
| 2026-07-02 | AUS → home office | Return from kickoff | 15.1 | business |
| 2026-09-09 | Home office → Georgetown inspection | Warranty inspection | 36.8 | business |
Download the filled CSV above to inspect all twelve journeys. These are example records, not a customer’s mileage or a claim about which trips qualify.
Blank entry sheet or app report?
Use this template to enter journeys manually. Its seven columns give you a simple starting point and a filled example to follow.
Use the FlatMile report example to inspect an app-generated document. It includes a readable PDF and a matching CSV with drive records, summary rows and notes. The report CSV has a different layout from this entry sheet.
Spot-check your template CSV
Choose a file using the simple template layout above. The existing check runs in your browser; it does not upload the file.
The check looks for missing columns or entries, invalid dates or distances, duplicate-looking rows and unit hints. It cannot confirm that an entry matches the journey you took, decide its business classification or determine deductibility. Use it with this template, not as a compatibility check for the app’s report CSV or another app’s export.
Keep the next log on your iPhone.
Use this spreadsheet on its own, or download FlatMile: it logs your drives automatically for free, with manual logging too. A subscription unlocks each drive’s distance, route and mileage value, plus PDF and CSV reports.
Automatic logging and manual logging are free, with no trip caps. A subscription unlocks every drive’s distance, route and mileage value, plus PDF and CSV reports. Eligible new subscribers can try it free for 14 days; terms appear in the App Store.