3 Challenges of Tracking Mileage For Your Employees

December 6, 2023 

Mileage tracking is a challenge for companies with a mobile workforce. Travel expense fraud is quite common, and some employees exploit the system for personal gain.

In addition to financial loss, there are compliance and tax implications to consider. Authority audits could lead to penalties.

Finally, an administrative cost in the form of lost time also impacts overall efficiency. The time spent checking the records manually could be substantial.

The tracking process is more complex than some might think. It involves challenges that businesses need to address. Let’s take a look at these challenges in more detail.

1. Ensuring Accurate Tracking

The first thing to overcome is accurate mileage tracking. Inaccuracies invite authorities, such as the IRS, to take a closer look at what a business is up to.

If the information in the records does not reflect reality, prepare to face consequences.

Solution:

Tracking mileage manually is a solution, but it leaves room for human error. Since we live in the digital age, relying on automated tracking solutions, such as MileageWise, makes sense.

The main purpose of a mileage tracking app is to register correct information. Yet, it also helps if a tracking app offers additional features, such as:

• Appealing and simple UI
• Battery-friendly consumption
• Manual tracking options

How Can MileageWise Help Here?

The software can automatically record trips using GPS technology. This means that as soon as the user starts driving, MileageWise begins tracking the trip without any manual input required.

Both its app and web dashboard interfaces are structured to ensure easy navigation, allowing users to quickly find and access different features and settings. Most importantly, MileageWise ensures IRS-Proof logging, but more on that further below.

2. Reminding Drivers to Track Their Mileage

Forgetting to track the mileage occasionally is a sign of human error. On the other hand, if such behavior occurs regularly, it won’t take too long before the problem snowballs even further.

Solution:

First of all, whoever is in charge of managing the drivers has to give clear instructions and explain how important mileage tracking is.

If poor behavior repeats, managers may have to consider penalizing drivers who fail to track their mileage despite having access to all the necessary tools.

A journal, also known as a mileage log, is worth a shout. Creating a detailed mileage log works as a reminder.

Drivers can automate the process of creating a mileage log with the help of a mileage tracking app. Almost all mileage tracking software allows you to generate logs and save them as PDF, CSV, or XLS. Drivers can then print out the log and submit it to the IRS which accepts both paper and digital formats.

The log should contain the following details:

• The year-start & year-end odometer readings of your car
• The mileage for each business trip (e.g. 15.6 miles)
• The date, the starting & ending locations, and the purpose of each business trip
• The total mileage you drove during the year for business, commuting, and personal purposes other than commuting

How Can MileageWise Help Here?

First of all, while nagging your drivers to log their mileage is necessary, if some trips go missing, you can still rely on MileageWise. It offers you two solutions to recover past mileage the retrospective way:

• Google Timeline Import: If a driver had their Google Maps running on their phone, this feature is particularly useful. By uploading their Google Timeline records to MileageWise, MileageWise can identify trips that occurred in the past and turns them into IRS-compliant logs.Google Timeline typically records routes with a high level of accuracy and detail. This means the imported data will reflect the actual paths taken, distances traveled, and time spent on each trip, which is crucial for accurate mileage tracking.

  Manually reconstructing past trips can be time-consuming and prone to errors. By importing directly from Google Timeline, users save time and reduce the risk of inaccuracies that can occur when trying to recall trips from memory.

• AI Wizard: The AI Wizard analyzes the user’s past mileage logs and driving habits. It takes into consideration the routes frequently traveled, common destinations, trip purposes, and times of travel and based on the analysis, the AI Wizard suggests entries that might be missing from the user’s mileage log. These suggestions are based on patterns and regularities in the user’s previous driving history.

3. Facing Equipment Malfunctions

Drivers are no strangers to various equipment and technology malfunctions. Even some modern and recent solutions show signs that something is wrong.

For example, more and more drivers route apps and media from smartphones to the vehicle’s infotainment system to use applications hands-free.

However, if the Apple CarPlay could not be started after the launch, it leaves you scratching your head. A similar thing can be said about GPS systems to navigate the roads.

Drivers rely on technology, and mileage tracking is no exception.

Solution:

As a rule of thumb, drivers must double-check everything before starting the trip. It’s better to be safe than sorry.

Identifying the problem before taking off solves potential obstacles that would get in your way during the trip.

Drivers who are not too tech-savvy might fail to realize that their application is outdated and must manually update to the latest version.

In case it’s an employee’s first trip using a mileage tracking app, it’s up to the right person to explain how to use the app.

Lastly, if a driver runs into issues while using the app or anything else to track their mileage, they should not hesitate to reach out and ask for help.

Streamlining Mileage Tracking: Embracing Digital Solutions for Business Efficiency

In conclusion, mileage tracking presents a multifaceted challenge for businesses with a mobile workforce. It’s not just about preventing financial loss and avoiding compliance issues; it’s about embracing efficiency and accuracy in a digital world.

MileageWise offers a robust solution to these challenges, ensuring IRS-Proof logging through automated tracking, retrospective data recovery, and user-friendly interfaces. By addressing common problems such as human error, forgetfulness, and technological malfunctions, this software stands as a reliable tool for businesses to streamline their mileage tracking process.

Remember, in the realm of business travel, accuracy, and diligence are not just best practices—they are essential for sustainability and growth.