Tracking mileage can provide countless benefits, especially if you're self-employed or use your vehicle for business purposes. As a Doordasher, this is one of your biggest opportunities to save. On average, you spend hours a day on the road traveling from one job to the next. And though the flexibility is great, your car puts on substantial wear and tear as a result. That is why it’s important to find ways to earn back those expenses if possible. The easy answer — an app to track mileage!
Whether you doordash for passive income or do it as a full-time job, consider mileage tracking the best kept secret for maximizing your yearly savings. But before we dive into the mileage tracking options available for UberEats drivers, Dashers or delivery dudes, here’s some of the main reasons why professionals rely on mileage tracking for yearly savings.
Advantages of tracking mileage as a delivery driver:
As a Dasher, you are considered self-employed which means Doordash doesn’t take taxes out of your monthly paychecks. In other words, it is your responsibility to keep track of business expenses that gradually add up throughout the year. While there are a handful of expenses to oversee, mileage or car expenses (gas, repairs, etc.) usually end up amounting to the biggest write-off.
5 reasons tracking mileage benefits Dashers:
- Tax Deductions: If you use your vehicle for business purposes, you may be eligible for tax deductions. Fortunately, By tracking your mileage, you can accurately determine the business-related mileage and claim it as a deduction on your tax return. This can help reduce your taxable income and potentially lower your tax liability.
- Financial Planning: Tracking mileage allows you to have a clear picture of your transportation expenses. You can analyze your mileage patterns and associated costs, helping you make informed decisions about your budget, fuel consumption, and vehicle maintenance.
- Insurance Claims: In the unfortunate event of an accident or damage to your vehicle, tracking mileage can be helpful when filing insurance claims. Insurance companies often require information about the mileage at the time of the incident, and having accurate records can assist in the claims process.
- Business Analysis: Mileage tracking can provide valuable insights into your business operations. By analyzing your mileage data, you can identify trends, evaluate the efficiency of your routes, and optimize your driving practices to reduce costs and improve productivity.
- Documentation and Record Keeping: Tracking mileage provides a documented history of your driving activities. This can be useful for record keeping, providing proof of mileage for business-related travel, and maintaining organized financial records.
Is there an app to track mileage?
Yes, there are several apps available that can help you track mileage while Doordashing or working for a different delivery service. These apps are designed to automatically track your mileage using GPS technology and provide you with accurate records for tax deductions or reimbursement purposes.
While the DoorDash app has many useful features, mileage tracking is not one. By signing up for MileIQ, you can track both personal and business mileage automatically. It detects when you're driving and records the distance traveled, eliminating the need for manual entry. This convenience saves time and ensures accurate mileage tracking.
The app also generates comprehensive mileage reports that can be exported in various formats, such as Excel or PDF. These reports offer a clear breakdown of your mileage, including dates, distances, purposes, and even maps of your routes. Such reports can be immensely useful for record-keeping, expense tracking, or submitting reimbursement claims.
However, one thing Dashers love about MileIQ is that it's available for both iOS and Android devices, ensuring widespread accessibility. You can download the app from the respective app stores, making it compatible with a wide range of smartphones and tablets. The best part — the first 40 drives are free!
How do I track my DoorDash earnings?
To track your DoorDash earnings, you can follow these steps:
- Open the DoorDash driver app on your smartphone or tablet.
- Once you're logged in, you'll see the driver dashboard. This dashboard provides an overview of your earnings and activity.
- Tap on the "Earnings" tab in the app. This section will provide detailed information about your earnings, including your daily earnings, weekly summaries, and breakdowns of your earnings by day and by delivery.
- To view more specific information about each delivery, you can tap on individual deliveries in the earnings section. This will provide details such as the customer's name, the delivery address, the items ordered, and the amount you earned from that delivery.
- DoorDash provides daily and weekly statements that summarize your earnings for specific time periods. These statements can be accessed by tapping on the "Statements" option within the earnings section.
- DoorDash offers different payout options, such as direct deposit or the Fast Pay feature that allows you to receive your earnings instantly for a small fee. You can manage your payout settings and see the details in the "Banking" section of the app.
Additionally, DoorDash may send you regular email summaries of your earnings and provide access to a web-based dashboard for a more detailed overview of your earnings and performance. It's important to note that the exact features and navigation within the DoorDash app may vary slightly depending on the version of the app and updates made by DoorDash.