Mileage Tracking for HVAC Technicians: How to Log Every Service Call (Canada & US, 2026)
Updated: Oct 28
Short answer: HVAC technicians who drive their own vehicle to jobs can be reimbursed by their employer, and self-employed technicians can claim business driving on their tax return. The 2026 CRA rate in Canada is 73¢ per km for the first 5,000 km. The IRS rate in the US is 76¢ per mile from July 1, 2026. Either way, you need a trip-by-trip log.
Drive your own car for work? Fuelshine logs every work drive automatically and turns it into a reimbursement report you can send your manager, plus an audit-ready mileage log for tax time. Free to start: Get it on Google Play · Download on the App Store
HVAC work is almost entirely field-based. Technicians might hit five, ten, or more locations in a single day: emergency no-heat calls, maintenance visits, installations, and quick supplier runs for parts. Every one of those drives is part of a reimbursement claim or a tax deduction, and most are hard to remember by Friday.
What counts as an HVAC work trip
Driving from one job site or service call to the next
Supplier and parts-house runs
Call-backs, emergency calls and after-hours calls
Trips to a customer’s site for a quote or inspection
Your regular drive between home and your usual workplace is generally treated as commuting, and it doesn’t count. The rules for the first and last stop of the day can differ, so check the CRA or IRS guidance, or ask your accountant.
HVAC mileage rates for 2026: Canada and US
Canada (CRA): 73¢ per km for the first 5,000 km driven for work, then 67¢ per km after that (4¢ more in the territories). Amounts are in Canadian dollars (CAD).
United States (IRS): 76¢ per mile from July 1, 2026, after 72.5¢ per mile from January 1 to June 30. Amounts are in US dollars (USD).
Example, Canada: a technician drives 15,000 work km in 2026. The first 5,000 km at 73¢ is $3,650. The other 10,000 km at 67¢ is $6,700. Total: $10,350 CAD.
Example, US: a technician drives 12,000 work miles at 76¢. That is $9,120 USD. Miles driven from January to June count at 72.5¢, so your own total depends on when you drove them.
These are examples, not tax advice. For the full rules, see our guides to the best CRA mileage app in Canada and the best IRS mileage app for 2026.
If you drive your own vehicle for an employer
Your employer may pay the CRA or IRS rate, or its own rate. To get paid, send a log that shows the date, where you went, why, and how far for each trip. Our guide on how to track mileage for reimbursement walks through the steps.
If you’re self-employed or run your own HVAC business
Self-employed technicians claim business driving on their tax return: form T2125 in Canada and Schedule C in the US. A day-by-day log is what backs up the claim. See the CRA mileage log requirements and the IRS mileage log requirements.
What an HVAC mileage log should include
Date of the trip
Start and end location, such as the job address or supplier
Business purpose, for example “no-heat call” or “parts pickup”
Distance in kilometres or miles
Odometer readings at the start and end of the year (useful in both countries)
How to track HVAC mileage automatically
Phone-based apps are faster to set up than GPS hardware in every van, and they cost less for small teams. They detect drives in the background, so you don’t have to start and stop a timer.
Install Fuelshine on your phone and let it run in the background.
Tag each drive as Business or Personal with one tap. You choose what goes in your report.
Export your log when you need it: monthly for your employer, or at tax time if you’re self-employed.
Ready to log your first drive? Free to start: Get it on Google Play · Download on the App Store
Managing HVAC technicians?
Technicians use their own vehicles: Fuelshine handles reimbursement for the whole team. See our mileage reimbursement policy and free template, or book a demo below.
Technicians drive company vans: the bigger issue is usually fuel, not mileage. See how HVAC van fuel receipt verification works without installing telematics, and what catches HVAC fuel card misuse.
Frequently asked questions
How do HVAC businesses track mileage and vehicle expenses?
Most use an app that logs each trip automatically, so technicians don’t have to write down every service call. Fuelshine records the date, route and distance of every drive and turns business trips into a mileage log and reimbursement report.
Can HVAC technicians deduct or claim mileage?
Technicians who drive their own vehicle between jobs are usually reimbursed by their employer. Self-employed technicians can generally claim business driving on their tax return. Either way, a trip-by-trip log is the record the claim depends on.
What is the 2026 mileage rate for HVAC technicians in Canada?
The CRA rate is 73¢ per km for the first 5,000 km driven for work and 67¢ per km after that, with 4¢ more in the territories. Your employer may reimburse at this rate or set its own, so check your policy.
What is the 2026 mileage rate for HVAC technicians in the US?
The IRS standard rate is 76¢ per mile from July 1, 2026. It was 72.5¢ per mile from January 1 to June 30. Employers can reimburse at that rate or set their own, and self-employed technicians can use it for the deduction on Schedule C.
Do HVAC companies reimburse technicians for mileage?
Many do when a technician uses their own vehicle for work, often at the CRA or IRS rate or a company-set rate. Technicians who drive a company van usually aren’t reimbursed for mileage because the company pays for the vehicle. Check your employer’s policy.
Is the drive from home to the first job deductible?
Usually not. Travel between home and your regular workplace is treated as commuting. Trips between jobs and to suppliers generally count. Rules for the first and last stop of the day can differ, so check CRA or IRS guidance or ask an accountant.
What is the best mileage app for HVAC technicians?
Pick an app with automatic trip detection, one-tap Business or Personal tagging and a simple export. Fuelshine does all three with no hardware to install, and it supports both IRS and CRA rates.
What should an HVAC mileage log include?
The date, job site or supplier address, business purpose and distance for each trip. Logging as you drive, rather than guessing at the end of the week, captures the short supply runs that are easy to miss.
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