Track Miles From Day One: The Deduction That Pays for Everything Else

The IRS standard mileage rate (67–70 cents per mile in 2025–2026) makes mileage the biggest deduction drivers own — but contemporaneous logs are required. Platform totals are acceptable if complete, including deadhead miles between drops. One spreadsheet row per day: date, platform miles, personal miles. At 30k platform miles, the deduction is worth $20k+ — more than most drivers’ insurance and maintenance combined.