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Getting Started with the IFTA Mileage Calculator

IFTA Mileage Calculator

Step 1: Sign Up and Start Your Trial

  1. Visit the tool page: Go to customwebtools.com/tools/ifta-mileage-calculator
  1. Create an account:
- Click "Start Free Trial" or "Sign Up" - Enter your email and create a password - Verify your email address (check your inbox)
  1. Your free trial includes:
- 14 days of full access - Up to 5 uses per day - Up to 10 trucks - All features unlocked (CSV import, report history, export)
  1. After the trial:
- Upgrade to paid access for unlimited uses and trucks - Monthly: $19.99/month - Annual: $199.99/year (save ~17%)

Step 2: Add Your First Truck

Before logging fuel or mileage, you need to add at least one truck to your fleet.

  1. Go to the Trucks tab
- Click "Trucks" in the tool navigation
  1. Click "Add Truck"
- A form will appear
  1. Enter truck details:
- Truck Name: A friendly name (e.g., "Red Peterbilt", "Truck 1") - Unit Number: Your internal fleet number (optional) - VIN: Vehicle Identification Number - Fuel Type: Select Diesel, Gasoline, or Other
  1. Click "Save"
- Your truck will appear in the trucks list - You can add more trucks by clicking "Add Truck" again

Tips:

  • Use descriptive names to easily identify trucks in reports
  • Keep unit numbers consistent with your internal fleet tracking
  • Make sure the VIN is accurate for official IFTA filing

Step 3: Log Your First Fuel Purchase

Now that you have a truck added, you can start logging fuel purchases.

  1. Go to the Fuel Logs tab
- Click "Fuel Logs" in the navigation
  1. Select your truck
- Use the "Truck" dropdown to choose which truck this fuel purchase is for
  1. Click "Add Fuel Entry"
  1. Fill in the fuel purchase details:
- Date: When the fuel was purchased - Jurisdiction: State or province where you bought fuel (e.g., "California", "Texas", "Ontario") - Gallons: How many gallons you purchased - Price per Gallon: Cost per gallon at the pump - Total Cost: Automatically calculated (or enter manually)
  1. Click "Save"
- The entry will appear in your fuel log table

Tips:

  • Enter fuel purchases as soon as possible while receipts are fresh
  • Double-check the jurisdiction - this is critical for accurate tax calculations
  • You can edit or delete entries if you make a mistake

Step 4: Enter Mileage by Jurisdiction

To generate an IFTA report, you need to tell the tool how many miles you drove in each state or province during the quarter.

  1. Go to the Mileage tab
- Click "Mileage" in the navigation
  1. Select your truck
- Use the "Truck" dropdown
  1. Select the quarter
- Choose the quarter you're reporting for (e.g., Q1 2026: Jan-Mar)
  1. Enter miles for each jurisdiction:
- Scroll through the list of states and provinces - Enter the miles driven in each jurisdiction - Leave blank (or enter 0) for jurisdictions you didn't travel through
  1. Click "Save Mileage"
- Your mileage data is saved and ready for report generation

Tips:

  • Use your logbook or ELD data to accurately record mileage by state
  • Only enter mileage for jurisdictions you actually traveled through
  • You can come back and edit mileage later if needed

Step 5: Generate Your First IFTA Report

Once you have fuel logs and mileage entered, you're ready to generate a quarterly IFTA report.

  1. Go to the Reports tab
- Click "Reports" in the navigation
  1. Click "Generate Report"
  1. Fill in report details:
- Truck: Select which truck to report on - Quarter: Choose the quarter (e.g., Q1 2026) - Year: Enter the year (e.g., 2026)
  1. Click "Generate"
- The tool will calculate: - Miles traveled per jurisdiction - Fuel purchased per jurisdiction - Miles per gallon (MPG) for the quarter - Taxable gallons per jurisdiction - Tax due or credit per jurisdiction - Net tax due or credit for the entire quarter
  1. Review the report
- The report shows a breakdown by jurisdiction - Each row shows miles, gallons purchased, taxable gallons, tax rate, and net tax - The bottom summary shows total net tax due or credit
  1. Download the report (optional)
- Click "Download CSV" to export the report for your records or filing

Understanding Your IFTA Report

The report shows calculations for each jurisdiction you traveled through:

ColumnWhat it means
**Jurisdiction**State or province
**Miles Traveled**Total miles driven in that jurisdiction
**Fuel Purchased (gal)**Gallons of fuel bought in that jurisdiction
**Taxable Gallons**Miles driven ÷ MPG (fuel you "owe" tax on based on use)
**Tax Rate**IFTA tax rate for that jurisdiction (per gallon)
**Net Tax**(Taxable gallons - Purchased gallons) × Tax rate
Net Tax:
  • Positive number = You owe tax (you drove more than you bought fuel)
  • Negative number = You have a credit (you bought more fuel than you used)

The Total Net Tax at the bottom is what you report to your base jurisdiction.

Next Steps

Now that you've generated your first report, you can:

  • Add more trucks to manage your entire fleet
  • Import fuel logs and mileage from CSV for faster data entry (see CSV Import Guide)
  • View report history to access previously generated reports
  • Export reports to CSV for filing or record-keeping
  • Upgrade to paid access for unlimited uses and trucks

Need Help?

  • FAQ: See our Frequently Asked Questions article for common questions
  • User Guide: Read the Complete User Guide for detailed feature documentation
  • CSV Import Guide: Learn how to bulk import fuel and mileage data
  • Support: Contact us at support@customwebtools.com

You're all set! With your first truck, fuel log, mileage, and report complete, you're ready to streamline your IFTA reporting process.

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