How to find out how many miles you have driven

I use an Excel Workbook I created to track everything. It started as a way to estimate my paycheck. I say estimate because I didn't import the tax tables and use a formula to calculate taxes. I just used a flat rate so it's off by $5-$10 one way or the other on the take home, but it was close enough for my purposes. That way I could tell my wife what to expect the following week as soon as I finished this week. We are a week in the hole like many companies. You can see what THIS week's check (last week's work) is gonna be online Wednesday evening, but I wanted to know how each load I was doing was adding up as I did it. Helps my wife plan bills and me plan purchases.

Well, it quickly evolved into a helluva tracking tool and came in REAL handy doing my taxes and taking my per diem credits when I filed my taxes that year. And no; I don't just blindly accept that my paycheck is accurate. It's not a trust issue. It's a payroll folks are human too and they deal with payroll software that has to have input from a bunch of different sources, thing. Mistakes happen. They'll gladly fix a mistake, but they can't do that if I don't let them know there's been a mistake. I can't do that if I don't track what I'm supposed to be paid against what I was actually paid.

Yeah it did take time to set up the workbook, create data sheets and formulas etc. but it has paid me dividends (caught a couple honest mistakes which they fixed next check). It not only tracks my paid miles (I say paid miles b/c we all know that what they pay you is less than what you run and I just find it easier and faster to track paid miles b/c they are on each load assignment) loaded, MT, total, weekly, MTD and YTD; it calculates what I can anticipate my actual direct deposit should be for this week as I go and it calculates averages. Average gross, net, weekly and monthly miles and pay. It also divides my total pay by my total miles and keeps a running tab on my true CPM before and after taxes and deductions and it tracks what my per diem deduction for taxes will be so I don't have to guesstimate when my accountant asks. IRS ain't real keen on guesstimates.

Yes I'm a little anal but it has helped me out a lot and saved my arse one time when the company I was with was deducting my child support from my paychecks but had stopped sending it to the court. Being anal, the first of each month I call the court to make sure we are straight. They don't play around about child support. They'll lock you up in a skinny minute over it AND jerk your license so when you get out you got no job. I DO have a trust issue with my ex. She'd love nothing more than for me to get behind so she could have me locked up. The clerk says no. They hadn't received any the pervious month and have already issued the subpoena to come to court. I explained to the clerk. It's coming out of my check. Clerk says tell it to the judge but you better be able to prove it. I called the company. Got hold of payroll supervisor. She checked. Sure enough. Why? New girl in payroll and she just made an honest mistake. A real big one mind you but nothing malicious or crooked. So they make a deposit to the court. I'm all square but the court date is set and ex is pushing for contempt. Gotta tell it to the judge. I bring pay stubs, a letter from payroll explaining and he see's in the computer it's all square. Ex still wants me found in contempt. He says: "Ma'am, he checks his check stubs and calls the court each month, caught the oversight by his company and I don't know of many fathers that go to those lengths to make sure their children are receiving their support. You could have told him you didn't get it that first week and I suspect why. If you think I'm going to find him in contempt you are sadly mistaken. I have half a mind to hold you in contempt for wasting the court and everyone else's time". SWEET!

Yeah, folks - track your pay and deductions. It's your money and nobody's gonna do it for you.

 

What if we aren't paid the old school scamming way of mileage and are instead paid hourly? Oh that's right I know exactly what I'm paid. No spreadsheets, mileage tracking, w2 guessing bs needed. You guys are funny.....

 

Hourly mistakes in payroll are the most common, but then you probably don't know how much or even what they are suppose to deduct. After all your paid hourly.

 

I look at my hours everyday when I shutdown. I fill out my own pay sheet. I have a copy of said pay sheet for every week. So yes I do know what they deduct and what my check is suppose to be. I fill out my drive time, my on duty time, my fuel bonus, my fuel mileage bonus, my safety bonus, and everything else then I scan this to them via transflo. I have a copy of the pay sheet so when my check comes I can compare and so far it has been spot on down to the penny.

 

Wow no one logs their trips?

 

Why would I keep track of my trips?

 

I get a photocopy of my Trip Report with every payroll stub.

 

Let me clarify

wow! No one logs?

 

Logs what?

 

I thought logs were what you burn in a fireplace or wood stove!

Back to the original question, SWAG it. (Scientific Wild Arse Guess.) It will be close enough. Just don't come up with a million miles of driving in three years. They just might question that a bit. . .