How to handle multi-site days?

Log each between-site leg as a separate trip linked to the contract or work order of the corresponding site.

Should the rate be higher for vans and pickups?

Yes. Real cost for these vehicles is 40–60% higher than passenger cars and policy should reflect that difference to be fair.

How to document emergency calls?

Keep the call record (ticket system, client message) attached to the trip to justify after-hours travel.

Construction & Field Service: Mileage Best Practices

Sarah Chen — International Tax & IRS Specialist

Published: 11/3/2025 • Last reviewed: 11/3/2025 • 7 min read

Specialized practices for construction and field service professionals to optimize mileage tracking and reimbursement.

Construction & Field Service: Mileage Best Practices

Construction and field service professionals have unique travel patterns requiring specific approach to mileage.

Sector Characteristics

- Multiple job sites same day - Transport of heavy equipment and tools (increases consumption) - Trips to suppliers for materials - Emergencies and urgent calls outside hours - Larger vehicles (vans, pickups) with higher cost/km

BEST PRACTICES:

1. CATEGORIZATION: - Main trip: home → site → home - Secondary trip: site → supplier → site - Emergency: additional outside business hours Separate for analysis and potentially different rates

2. VEHICLES: - Vans/pickups have 40-60% higher real cost than cars - Consider differentiated rate by vehicle type - Document cargo capacity as justification

3. DOCUMENTATION: - Odometer photo start/end of day - Invoice of materials purchased as proof of supplier trip - Urgent call record to justify extra trip

4. ROUTE OPTIMIZATION: - Plan material purchases to consolidate trips - Use routing apps to sequence multiple sites - Consider central depot vs direct site delivery

5. TOOLS: - Industrial GPS resistant to dust/water - Apps working offline (remote sites without signal) - Integration with work order system

Real Case

Self-employed electrician drove 300km/day visiting 4-5 sites. Using routing app + Quilometragem, reduced to 220km maintaining same productivity. 25% savings + longer vehicle life.