Is there a way to figure this out for work reports at all?

[ironpony]

I wasn't sure if this was the right forum to post this, but here goes.  In my job, I do deliveries a lot and they want me to pay me for the kilometers I drive.  I recorded the number of km every day that I drove for them.  After doing deliveries for a little over a month now, I went to fill out the paper work.  I should have done it sooner, but am hardly ever at the actual office in this job.  But on the paper work, they don't just want the number of km, they want the exact number of km on the odemeter.   But the odometer has km on it going back years since I bought the car.  I do not know the exact numbers for each day for the last month that I drove for them.

But they want me to figure this out.  Is this possible at all, or do I have to take guesses?  Or what is the best way to handle this, if they want me to remember the exact odometer readings for every day of the past month?

[Happy Lemming]

Can you use mapquest to figure out the exact mileage from point to point? I'm assuming you have the addresses for each stop or can get them from google.

You put in address (A), then put in address (B) and it gives you the exact distance.  Once you get ALL of the exact distances (from each stop you made), you can back into your odometer readings.

Example... if you drove 310.4 km over the past month, and your vehicle says it has 63,254.1 km on it subtract the 310.4 the current odometer reading and you get 62,943.7 as your starting odometer reading, then just bring the mileage forward on your report.

I know this seems like a lot of work, but once you get in a rhythm on mapquest, you'll be able to extrapolate the distances pretty quick. Utilize a spreadsheet to keep track and it will go easier and quick.

I wouldn't estimate or take guesses.

Just my two cents.

Edited October 22, 2020 by Happy Lemming

[ironpony]

Oh okay, but I would still have to guess the odemeter readings in between for each day though, which would still be guessing though, wouldn't it?

Edited October 22, 2020 by ironpony

[Happy Lemming]

Is this vehicle used for both work and personal use??

If there is a blend of work and personal use, then you are going to have to "fudge" the odometer readings for each day, a bit.

In the end, if you get the exact distance for each of your stops (from mapquest), how is your employer going to dispute your personal use of your odometer readings for each day.  The only thing that is disputable is the distance between each stop and the current (or ending) odometer reading on the vehicle.  As long as you back into the end mileage on the odometer, how are they going to say when you used the vehicle for personal use vs. business use.

As long as it all seems reasonable, I think you'll be OK.

[ironpony]

Yeah it's my own vehicle I use and they just take the km off used for work.  As long as it doesn't look suspicious that I am guessing the odometer exact numbers though.

Edited October 22, 2020 by ironpony

[Happy Lemming]

Yes... you are going to be guessing the odometer readings (then), but NOT the actual distances between stops.

Again, use mapquest to get the exact distances between point A and point B.

[ironpony]

Oh okay, it's just will mapquest use the exact roads, or will it measure by going cross country?

[Happy Lemming]

1 hour ago, ironpony said:

Oh okay, it's just will mapquest use the exact roads, or will it measure by going cross country?

mapquest will use the roads, there is a option for the quickest route or the shortest route.  Usually it gives an option of route 1, 2 or 3 and the exact "road" mileage for that route.  You can look at the roads and decide which ones you traditionally take, then record the corresponding mileage (kilometers).

Mapquest does not measure (as the crow flies) from point to point.  It measures the surface streets you actually drive on/travel.

 

[ironpony]

Oh okay, thanks I will check it out.  As long as guessing the Otometers numbers is not going to be bad to do so though.

[Happy Lemming]

6 hours ago, ironpony said:

 As long as guessing the Otometers numbers is not going to be bad to do so though.

I don't see how your employer could dispute your odometer readings, as you use this particular vehicle for personal use, as well as business.  What you do or drive on your own personal time (with your vehicle), is your business, not theirs.

Again, as long as your ending odometer reading on your report coincides with the current odometer reading on the vehicle. I don't know if your employer would actually visit your vehicle and check, but if they do... you'll be all set.

This is going to be a lot of typing of addresses into mapquest to get the exact mileage (kilometers) in distance, but I can't think of any other way to obtain the exact figures based on the surface streets you traveled.

I would vary the "morning" beginning odometer readings for each day, like some days you didn't drive at all once you arrived home and other days you did drive the vehicle (quite a bit) for personal use.  Just as long as the odometer readings are sequential (for each day) and make sense.  Again, this is where a spreadsheet (excel) comes in handy and you could have it do the math for you., look it over so it makes sense.  Then copy the spreadsheet figures into your report & submit for your mileage reimbursement.

It is also good to keep a copy for your own personal tax records.  I don't know how your taxes work in your country, but just in case, you'll be prepared for tax time.

[d0nnivain]

12 hours ago, ironpony said:

But they want me to figure this out.  Is this possible at all, or do I have to take guesses?  Or what is the best way to handle this, if they want me to remember the exact odometer readings for every day of the past month?

Go outside & look at the km on your car now.  Write that on a paper.  

Now write down every place you have driven for personal & professional reasons.  Calculate the mileage for each trip then subtract.  for example: 

Mileage says 21,430. 

You drove 10 km to get to the office so 21,420.  

Yesterday in your last use of the car you drove 100 km R/T for  work.  Starting mileage would be 21,320 & ending would be 21,420. 

Keep going backwards.  

Going forward buy a small notebook & keep it in your car.  Then jot down beginning & ending mileage for each trip.  

Edited October 22, 2020 by d0nnivain

[ironpony]

Just now, d0nnivain said:

Go outside & look at the km on your car now.  Write that on a paper.  

Now write down every place you have driven for personal & professional reasons.  Calculate the mileage for each trip them subtract.  for example: 

Mileage says 21,430. 

You drove 10 miles to get to the office so 21,420.  

Yesterday in your last use of the car you drove 100 miles R/T for  work.  Starting mileage would be 21,320 & ending would be 21,420. 

Keep going backwards.  

Going forward buy a small notebook & keep it in your car.  Then jot down beginning & ending mileage for each trip.  

Oh okay thanks it's just I don't know the exact numbers for each dayso I guess I have to take guesses? Even though I have an end number and of beginning number, I don't know the exact in betweens of each trip, if that makes sense?

[d0nnivain]

Just now, ironpony said:

Oh okay thanks it's just I don't know the exact numbers for each dayso I guess I have to take guesses? Even though I have an end number and of beginning number, I don't know the exact in betweens of each trip, if that makes sense?

This is where MapQuest comes in.  You know where you got in the car, don't you?  Put that into the cite.  Then put in the address where you went.  The computer will tell you the exact distance for each trip.  This will be a time intensive exercise.  The estimations will come in when you don't remember a personal trip or if you loaned your car to someone.   

[Happy Lemming]

1 minute ago, d0nnivain said:

 This will be a time intensive exercise. 

Yes... that is the only drawback to this task.  A LOT of time and A LOT of typing of addresses into mapquest, but I don't really see a way around it.

[ironpony]

Oh okay thanks.  Well I typed it all out and tried to guess what the odometer readings were.  I just hope I didn't make any errors that will question.

[Snow_Queen]

Easiest way is getting an average going forward on how many miles you drive in a week or however frequent it is. I recommend a spreadsheet to keep track.

[d0nnivain]

3 minutes ago, Snow_Queen said:

Easiest way is getting an average going forward on how many miles you drive in a week or however frequent it is. I recommend a spreadsheet to keep track.

No offense but how on earth is that going to help him go back & calculate the odometer readings?  

Edited October 22, 2020 by d0nnivain

[ironpony]

So I guess there is no way of being able to tell, and just guess it all then?

[Happy Lemming]

55 minutes ago, ironpony said:

So I guess there is no way of being able to tell, and just guess it all then?

You don't need to guess the point A to point B mileage and I wouldn't do that (if I were you), as that can be checked. You can get that figure from mapquest.

But the actual odometer readings could be basically anything, as long as they are sequential and the ending odometer reading matches what is on the vehicle.

Example... Start 60,012.1 (odometer reading) then you drove 12.2 km to visit customer A odometer reading is 60,024.3, then you drove 20.1 km to customer B the next odometer reading would be 60,044.4, then you drove 10.2 km to customer C, your odometer reading would be 60,054.6 ending your day.  The next morning could be anything higher than 60,054.6 as you don't have to account for the personal mileage you drive after your day is done.

[ironpony]

Oh okay, but the forms do ask for the actual odometer readings though, and I asked them about it and they said they wanted it.

[Happy Lemming]

10 minutes ago, ironpony said:

Oh okay, but the forms do ask for the actual odometer readings though, and I asked them about it and they said they wanted it.

OK... so back into the odometer readings.  They have no idea what your starting mileage was on the vehicle, as this is your first report.  Pick a reasonable number as an odometer reading (and not a whole number like 50,000.0 km) but any number and bring the odometer reading forward.  Throw in a few km(s) for personal use now and then and continue the spreadsheet.

I'd practice on a excel spreadsheet first before you copy it onto the actual form.  Let excel do the math for you, then review the entire month, if it makes sense and the ending reading ties to current odometer reading on the vehicle, you're gold!

[ironpony]

Oh okay thanks.  I just finished doing this earlier and just copied it into the papers.  But I noticed a mistake afterward.  As long as it doesn't look too suspicious that they are going to cause headaches over it.

[Snow_Queen]

On 10/22/2020 at 4:32 PM, d0nnivain said:

No offense but how on earth is that going to help him go back & calculate the odometer readings?  

 I must have misunderstood because I got the impression he would need to do this going forward as well. All he can do is a rough estimate for previous travel. 

[d0nnivain]

14 minutes ago, Snow_Queen said:

 I must have misunderstood because I got the impression he would need to do this going forward as well. All he can do is a rough estimate for previous travel. 

No it works going forward but backward reconstruction was his bigger problem as I understood it.  

[ironpony]

Well here is the problem.  I keep forgetting to write down the mileage as I go because I am so busy going from place to place in the job, and things keep changing in the schedule, that I keep forgetting to write it down at the time.  I try to set alarms, but I go overtime, or go undertime, the alarms will not remind me at the right time to do while I can do it, because I get caught up in all this other work.  I feel like it's all out of order and in disserae now.  Does anyone know what to do if I keep forgetting to write to down because I am so busy.  I have been trying to take guesses as to what it could be but I keep screwing up and there are holes in my stories, so to speak, unintentionally, but it's difficult to remember  exact thing I drive in a day sometimes.

Maybe it's my insomnia problems that are making it worse than it should be, not sure.

Edited November 13, 2020 by ironpony