Free fuel log template (PDF and spreadsheet)
A fuel log is one line per fill-up: the date, the odometer, the gallons, the price, and whether you filled the tank. From those numbers you get your real MPG and what gas costs you per mile. Download the printable fuel log (PDF) or the spreadsheet version (CSV) for Excel or Google Sheets.
On this page (8 sections)
Keep it in the glove box and fill in a line at the pump. After a few fill-ups, you will see your car’s usual gas mileage, and a drop in MPG can be an early sign that the car needs a checkup.
Download the fuel log
- Printable PDF: 2 letter-size pages, landscape. Page 1 has room for the vehicle and 18 fill-ups. Page 2 has 11 more lines, a year-end summary, and a short how-to for MPG. Print more copies of page 1 for a full fuel log book.
- Spreadsheet (CSV): the same columns with example rows. It opens in Excel, Numbers, and Google Sheets.
Both are free, with no sign-up.
What each column is for
| Column | What to write |
|---|---|
| Date | The day you filled up |
| Odometer | The total miles on the odometer at the pump, not the trip meter |
| Gallons | From the pump or the receipt, to one or two decimals |
| Price per gallon | From the pump or the receipt |
| Total cost | What you paid for the fuel |
| Full tank? | Yes, if the pump clicked off and you stopped there. MPG works only from full tank to full tank. |
| Miles since last full fill | This odometer minus the odometer at the last full fill |
| MPG | Miles since the last full fill ÷ gallons added since then (this fill-up, plus any partial ones in between) |
| Notes | Station, fuel grade, towing, a road trip, winter fuel: anything that explains a change in MPG |
The math is the same as in how to calculate MPG, and the MPG calculator checks it for you.
How to fill it in: an example month
Here is one month of fill-ups. The prices are only for the example.
| Date | Odometer | Gallons | Price per gallon | Total cost | Full tank? | Miles since last full fill | MPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct. 2 | 48,210 | 11.2 | $3.19 | $35.73 | Yes | — | — (starting point) |
| Oct. 9 | 48,522 | 10.4 | $3.25 | $33.80 | Yes | 312 | 30.0 |
| Oct. 17 | 48,801 | 5.0 | $3.29 | $16.45 | No | — | — |
| Oct. 24 | 49,110 | 14.6 | $3.15 | $45.99 | Yes | 588 | 30.0 |
Oct. 9: 312 miles ÷ 10.4 gallons = 30.0 MPG. Oct. 24: the partial fill on Oct. 17 counts too, so 588 miles ÷ (5.0 + 14.6 = 19.6 gallons) = 30.0 MPG.
The first line is only a starting point: you need a full tank to measure from. A partial fill doesn’t get its own MPG; add its gallons to the next full fill.
Year-end totals: average MPG and cost per mile
Page 2 of the PDF has a short summary. Use full fills only as the start and end points:
- Miles: odometer at the last full fill minus odometer at the first full fill.
- Gallons: add up every fill-up after the first full fill, through the last full fill.
- Average MPG: miles ÷ gallons.
- Fuel cost: add up the cost of the same fill-ups.
- Fuel cost per mile: fuel cost ÷ miles.
In the example, 49,110 − 48,210 = 900 miles, and 10.4 + 5.0 + 14.6 = 30.0 gallons, so 900 ÷ 30.0 = 30.0 MPG. The fuel cost is $33.80 + $16.45 + $45.99 = $96.24, so $96.24 ÷ 900 = about 10.7 cents a mile. The fuel cost per mile calculator does the same math.
Using the spreadsheet version
- Excel: open the CSV file, then save it as an .xlsx workbook so your formulas are saved.
- Google Sheets: File → Import → Upload, and pick the CSV file.
- Total cost: in row 2, type
=C2*D2(gallons × price), then copy it down. - MPG: on a full-tank row, divide the miles since the last full fill by the gallons added since then, for example
=G3/C3when there was no partial fill in between, or=G5/(C4+C5)after the partial fill in row 4 of the example. - Yearly totals:
=SUM(C2:C500)for gallons and=SUM(E2:E500)for cost.
Delete the example rows before you start.
Fuel log or mileage log?
They answer different questions. A fuel log tracks what goes into the tank: gallons, cost, and MPG. A mileage log tracks trips: where you went, why, and how far, which is what the IRS asks for if you deduct business miles. Many drivers keep both, and track service in a car maintenance log.
For taxes, gas receipts matter only with the actual expense method, where you deduct the business share of real car costs, gas included. With the standard mileage rate, gas is already part of the rate. See standard mileage vs actual expenses.
FAQ
Is this fuel log free?
Yes. The PDF and the CSV file are free to download, print, and copy, with no sign-up.
Do I have to fill the tank every time?
No. Log every fill-up, but MPG can be worked out only at a full fill. Add the gallons from any partial fills to the next full one.
Do I need a fuel log for taxes?
Only if you use the actual expense method for a car you use for business. Then you need your gas costs, and receipts back them up. With the standard mileage rate, you need a mileage log instead. This is not tax advice.
What is a normal MPG for my car?
Your car’s EPA rating is a good reference: look it up on fueleconomy.gov or in the MPG calculator. Real-world MPG varies with your driving, weather, tires, and load, so compare your own fill-ups over time.
Sources
- U.S. Department of Energy and EPA, fueleconomy.gov (EPA ratings) (checked November 12, 2026): fueleconomy.gov
- IRS, Publication 463, chapter 4 (standard mileage rate and actual car expenses) (checked November 12, 2026): irs.gov