Know Your Limits
While you’re on the road, it is only natural that you will want to maximize your safety, comfort, and fun factor. To this end, a little bit of research goes a long way. You’ll need to be aware of the rules of the road, keep tabs on the weather, and not forget the best time to drive a truck. A solid work ethic, a sane sleep schedule, and a few laughs along the way should make it a pleasant ride. The best part? There is no shortage of trucking jobs to choose from! The best way to find the right one is to speak with a seasoned trucking professional who’s been around the block a few times.
Keep Track of Your Miles
When driving for work, you need to keep track of your miles. This helps you know your limits, figure out how much to reimburse your employees, and stay compliant with the IRS.
The most common way to keep track of your miles is to use a paper log or a spreadsheet. You can also use an app to track your miles while on the go.
If you choose to track your miles using this method, you need to ensure that you record all of the information for every trip – including your destination and purpose. This is essential to substantiate your claims on tax returns, as the IRS can slap you with a fine for failing to do so.
Another option is to keep a separate bank account or credit card for business expenses and only use that to pay for your trips. This will help keep your personal and business costs separated, which will make filing taxes easier in the future.
In addition, you need to know how to calculate mileage reimbursement. You can also use a mileage calculator tool to calculate your repayments. These tools allow you to input the reimbursable mileage for each errand and the standard rate to calculate your total mileage for that year.
Mileage reimbursements are essential for companies that want to attract and retain top talent. They are also vital to maintaining employee engagement and ensuring employees are productive at work.
Know Your Company’s Reimbursement Rate
If you are an employee and your company reimburses your mileage, you want to know your company’s reimbursement rate. This can be tricky to navigate, as it varies widely from driver to driver and city to city.
As an employer, it is your job to ensure that your mileage reimbursement policy is fair and equitable for all of your employees. This requires you to consider the geographic differences in fuel costs, insurance premiums, taxes/registration/license fees, and maintenance.
The IRS sets a mileage reimbursement rate every year, and you can use it as a starting point for your own policy. However, it is essential to understand that the IRS rate is not a legal requirement.
In addition, you should consider the fixed and variable costs of a vehicle for each driver. This involves tracking costs for gas prices, maintenance, insurance, depreciation, and taxes/registration/license fees.
This is essential for any company with drivers driving various vehicles, including trucks, SUVs, and minivans. These vehicles often require expensive maintenance and insurance.
Keeping a detailed logbook of business miles is an excellent place to start. Using smartphone applications that automatically track your miles can help you accumulate the necessary data to make a more accurate decision on your reimbursement rate.
Know Your Vehicle’s Mileage
To buy a used vehicle, it is essential to know the number of miles on the odometer. This will give you a better idea of the quality of the car and how much work it will need to keep going.
It is also a good idea to check if the odometer was tampered with or altered. If the numbers are crooked, have uneven spacing, or seem challenging to read, someone has likely been tampering with them.
You can also use a mileage tracker app to monitor your driving habits. These apps are easy to use and help ensure your mileage is accurate.
Keeping track of your car’s mileage can save you money on fuel and prevent unnecessary repairs from happening later on. It can also allow you to understand how long your vehicle will last before it needs to be replaced, which can help you make more informed decisions when purchasing a new vehicle.
One way to calculate your mileage is to add up the total miles you’ve driven in a given year. This can help you understand if you’re going over the limit or not, and it can also help you determine your standard mileage reimbursement rate.
Insurance companies also use the number of annual miles you drive to predict your risk and set your premium accordingly. This is why it is always best to provide an honest estimate of your yearly mileage on an insurance application.
