Field work, explainedMileage tracking

How do you track mileage for field employees without paper logs?

The short answer

Let the phone record every work trip by GPS, then pull a mileage report per person for the pay period. In Hellotracks, trips are recorded while tracking is on, during working hours, each with start, end, distance and duration. Workers can pick a trip purpose, you can approve trips, and the mileage report goes out as a spreadsheet on a schedule. Multiply the miles by your reimbursement rate and pay.

Start freeTry the live demo

30 days free. No credit card. Ends by itself.

How it works in Hellotracks

The mileage report: every trip with its distance, per person and day, ready for payroll.

  1. Trips record themselves

    While tracking is on, the app records each drive from stop to stop: where it started and ended, the distance and the time. Set working hours and only work trips are recorded.

  2. Workers add the purpose

    Set up a trip purpose list and a trip comment list in the company settings, like Customer visit, Supplier or Private, and workers pick one per trip in the app.

  3. Approve, then report

    Review trips and approve them. The mileage report lists every trip with its distance, duration, purpose and approval, per person and day.

  4. Send it to payroll on a schedule

    Schedule the report daily, weekly or every two weeks. It arrives as a spreadsheet, so nobody has to log in on a Friday afternoon.

Your options, side by side

Mileage apps are built for one driver logging their own drives. A team needs the office to see every work trip without asking for it. Here is how the usual options compare.

OptionRecords trips on its ownThe office sees the team's tripsPrice as listedWhat the same price also covers
HellotracksYes, by GPS while tracking is on, within working hoursYes. Every trip per person, with purpose and approval, and a report on a schedule$10 per user a month billed annually, or $12 monthly (Location). Live tracking and timesheets includedLive map updated every second, automatic check-ins with time on site, timesheets, alerts
MileIQ TeamsYes, the driver classifies each driveOnly the business drives a driver submits on a report$8 to $10 per user a month ($80 to $100 a year)Mileage reports for reimbursement (from $9). No live tracking
TripLog TeamsYes, by speed, car Bluetooth or an optional deviceYes, with approvals and a live map$8 per user a month for mileageLive location map. Time clock and job dispatch +$6, expenses +$4 per user
TimeeroYes, while the worker is clocked inYes, routes and mileage per stop or job$5 to $10 per user a month billed annually, $6 to $12 monthlyTime clock, mileage and scheduling. GPS only while clocked in, a point every 5 to 30 minutes or 150 feet. No route optimizer, by Timeero's own account
Everlance Business (Motus)YesYes, with an admin dashboard for approvalsFree for up to 5 members with 30 automatic trips a month; paid plans by quoteExpense tracking on paid plans only
QuickBooks OnlineYes, in the mobile appNo. Each user only sees their own mileage, and by default only admins can trackPart of QuickBooks Online, from $38 a monthAccounting and invoicing for 1 user. No time clock on this plan
Google Maps TimelineYes, if the employee turns it onNo. It stays on the employee's phoneFreeNothing for the office
Paper or spreadsheetNo, every trip by handOnly what is handed inFreeNothing else

Prices in US dollars as each vendor lists them, before tax. Hellotracks' Dispatch plan covers tracking, timesheets, jobs, routes and proof in one price; most tools here do one or two of these. Compare what you would pay for everything you need. Facts about other options checked on November 13, 2026. Prices change, so confirm on their websites.

Reimbursement rates

Most companies pay a fixed rate per mile or kilometer for work trips in an employee's own car. The usual tax-free rates:

  • United States: the IRS standard mileage rate for business is 76 cents per mile from July 1, 2026. From January through June 2026 it was 72.5 cents.
  • Germany: €0.30 per kilometer for business trips by car can be reimbursed tax-free.
  • Spain: €0.26 per kilometer is exempt for employees who use their own vehicle, since July 2023.
  • Elsewhere, ask your accountant: rates and the records they require differ by country.

To be honest

When you need something else

Distances come from the GPS points the phone records, so a trip with a weak signal can come out a little shorter or longer than the odometer. If your tax office requires a formal vehicle logbook for a company car, check that the report meets its rules; in Germany, for example, an electronic Fahrtenbuch has requirements a mileage report doesn't cover. And if one person only needs to log their own business drives, a personal app like MileIQ or Everlance is cheaper.

People also ask

Does it track private trips?

Only while tracking is on. Set working hours and tracking stops outside them, so trips after work aren't recorded. If a private trip happens during work, the worker can mark it with a trip purpose.

Can it calculate the reimbursement?

The report gives the distance per trip and per day in miles or kilometers. Multiply by your rate in the spreadsheet; Hellotracks doesn't apply a rate for you yet.

Does it need a device in the vehicle?

No. Mileage comes from the phone your team already carries, in their own car or a company vehicle.

Which plan includes mileage reports?

Location, at $10 per user a month billed annually or $12 monthly.

See it with your own team.

Put two or three people on it today. You will know more from one week of your own data than from any page.

Start free

30 days free. No credit card. Ends by itself.