Mileage Reimbursement for Telecom Technicians in Canada: Get Every Kilometre Between Sites Paid
Mileage reimbursement for telecom technicians in Canada is paid per kilometre when you use your own vehicle to reach sites, cabinets and customers. For 2026, the tax-free ceiling for an employer's per-kilometre allowance is 73¢ for the first 5,000 km and 67¢ after that. You are paid against a log that your approver can check, so the easiest route is to log trips automatically and invite your approver to see them.
Updated October 23, 2026.
Drive all day between sites and customers? Fuelshine logs every work drive in the background. No start button, no paper log. Free to start on iPhone and Android.
Which telecom driving counts as business driving
For telecom and fibre technicians, installers and line crews, business driving usually includes:
Driving between customer addresses, cabinets, towers or central offices in one day
Trips to a depot or supplier for equipment and cable
Callouts to a fault site away from your usual route
Travel to a site that is not your regular place of work
Driving from home to your regular workplace is generally commuting. Ask payroll how your employer treats the first trip of the day.
Own vehicle or company truck?
Situation | What usually applies |
You drive your own vehicle for work | Per-kilometre reimbursement at or under the CRA ceiling, backed by a log |
Your employer provides the vehicle | Per-kilometre reimbursement usually does not apply. Ask payroll how personal use is handled. |
Your employer pays a flat monthly amount | Often taxable. A per-kilometre rate tied to a log is the cleaner option. |
How much mileage reimbursement can telecom technicians get in 2026?
The CRA sets the ceiling for a tax-free allowance, not what your employer must pay. For 2026 in the provinces it is 73¢ per km for the first 5,000 business km in a year and 67¢ per km after that. Long routes add up fast. A technician who drives 100 km a day for 220 working days covers 22,000 km:
First 5,000 km × $0.73 = $3,650
Next 17,000 km × $0.67 = $11,390
Total: $15,040 at the 2026 ceiling
Smaller totals, with the maths shown:
Business km in a year | Maximum tax-free reimbursement | The maths |
4,000 km | $2,920 | 4,000 × $0.73 |
6,000 km | $4,320 | 5,000 × $0.73 + 1,000 × $0.67 |
10,000 km | $7,000 | 5,000 × $0.73 + 5,000 × $0.67 |
Source: Department of Finance Canada, January 14, 2026. The territories have their own, higher rates. For the full breakdown, see our CRA mileage rate 2026 guide.
What your log needs for each job
Your approver wants the same four things for every trip:
The date
Where you went (the site or customer address)
Why you went (the work order or job number, if your company asks for one)
How far (kilometres)
Add your odometer reading at the start and end of the year if you can. The CRA mileage log requirements guide has the full list.
How to get your mileage paid faster: invite your approver
Install Fuelshine and sign up. It is free to start.
Drive as usual. Trips are recorded in the background, with no start or stop button.
Tag each trip Business or Personal. Add the work order number as the purpose if your company asks for one.
Invite your approver from the app. That is whoever signs off your mileage: HR, payroll, your dispatch lead or your ops manager.
They approve, you track. Your approver sees each Business trip as you tag it and approves or rejects it. You see whether it is waiting, approved, rejected or paid.
Only trips you tag Business are shared with your approver. Your personal trips stay private. No more month-end spreadsheet to email and chase.
For dispatch leads, ops managers and payroll: approve mileage without the spreadsheet
If you approve mileage for a field team, you should not have to wait for a file or check logs against work orders by hand. With Fuelshine, each technician's Business trips reach you as they are tagged, and you approve or reject them in one click.
See each trip's date, distance and purpose in one place
Check distance and purpose against the work order
Approve or reject with one click
Export approved trips for payroll or your accountant
Want to see it with your own team? Book a 30-minute demo, or ask one of your technicians to invite you.
Mileage reimbursement for telecom technicians: common questions
How much is mileage reimbursement for telecom technicians in Canada in 2026?
The CRA's tax-free ceiling for an employer's per-kilometre allowance in the provinces is 73¢ per km for the first 5,000 km and 67¢ per km after that. What your employer pays is set by your contract or company policy.
Do I get paid for driving to my first job of the day?
It depends on your employer's policy and where your regular workplace is. Driving from home to your regular workplace is generally commuting. Ask payroll how the first trip is treated.
What about long rural routes and the territories?
Distance counts the same wherever you drive. The territories have their own, higher CRA rates. This guide uses the provincial rates.
Does Fuelshine need hardware in my truck?
No. Fuelshine runs on your phone and logs trips in the background, with no hardware to plug in.
Will the app interrupt my hands-free calls?
Fuelshine records trips in the background and its voice driving alert is muted, so it will not talk over a call.
Will my approver see my personal trips?
No. Only trips you tag Business are shared with your approver. Personal trips stay private.
This is general information, not tax advice. Check with your payroll team or an accountant about your situation.
Comments