Published 3 Feb 2023
What is a Fuel Log?
A fuel log, also known as a fuel log book, records the fuel consumption details of individual fleet vehicles. It may include information such as the starting fuel, distance traveled, ending fuel, and total mileage along with vehicle IDs for easy reference. Fuel logs are primarily used by fleet drivers and fleet managers to keep track of fuel expenses for bookkeeping purposes.
Fuel Log Template
This fuel log template can be used by fleet drivers to log their vehicle's daily fuel consumption including the date of the log entry, vehicle number or identifier, current vehicle mileage, fuel type, gallons of fuel pumped into the vehicle, trip details, and driver's name. Improve your fleet's fuel logging process with the help of SafetyCulture (formerly iAuditor)'s digital fuel log smart form and take advantage of the following features:
- Customizable forms and templates to fit your fleet’s fuel logging needs and preferences.
- Take pictures and annotate them in-app for more comprehensive reports.
- Assign corrective actions through the app if necessary
In this article
- What is a Fuel Log Template?
- Fuel Log Template: The Benefits of Digital Tracking for Better Fleet Management
- Track Your Fleet’s Fuel Consumption and Improve Cost Efficiency with a Mobile App
- Featured Fuel Log Templates
What is a Fuel Log Template?
A fuel log template is a pre-made form used by fleet drivers and fleet managers when recording fuel consumption details. They are typically printed out on paper form and manually completed by hand. Fleet drivers then submit their completed fuel log templates to fleet managers and/or other key stakeholders for recordkeeping purposes.
Fuel Log Template: The Benefits of Digital Tracking for Better Fleet Management
Fleet management entails more than just ensuring that your company’s service cars, vans, and trucks are fit to operate as needed. One of the most important aspects of a fleet manager’s job is to ensure that fleets are operating at an optimal, cost-efficient level. Digitally tracking the fuel consumption of individual fleet vehicles help with fleet management in the following ways:
Be Aware of Fleet Fuel Expenditure
For transport and logistics companies, as well as businesses that rely heavily on their private fleets for product and service distribution, fleet fuel costs count as a major expense. Digitally tracking the fleet’s fuel expenditure ensures that fleet managers are constantly aware of daily fuel spending and whether or not it exceeds accepted levels.
Identify Outliers and Correct as Needed
Paper fuel log templates require fleet managers to manually transcribe and compile the data from each individual log for recordkeeping purposes. Digital fuel logs, however, automatically compile and organize collected data. This allows fleet managers to easily identify negative and positive outliers so bad practices can be unlearned, and best practices can be rolled out and standardized across the entire fleet.
Track Vehicle Mileage and Optimize Maintenance Schedule
In addition to tracking fuel consumption for cost-efficiency, tracking a vehicle’s total mileage informs fleet managers if units are due for maintenance servicing. Industry best practices recommend that commercial long-haul trucks be serviced annually, or after every 30,000 miles, whichever comes first. An optimal maintenance schedule helps operational efficiency by ensuring that vehicles are in good condition. Additionally, it helps operations become more-efficient by avoiding instances of over maintenance.
Make Fuel Logging Paperless and Cost-Efficient
Using pen-and-paper for fuel logging means important fleet records are vulnerable to loss, damage, and unauthorized access. Paper documents also require manual storage and organization which uses up working space, time, and energy. Digital fuel log templates eliminate this problem through safe and secure storage, and automatic data organization for easy access.
Automate Fuel Log Reports
With a digital fuel log template, fleet drivers can automatically generate professional fuel log reports upon template completion. A good digital fuel log template does more than just eliminate paper forms; they help fleets streamline their entire fuel logging process.
Track Your Fleet’s Fuel Consumption and Improve Cost Efficiency with a Mobile App
Why use SafetyCulture?
The importance of a good fuel tracking process for fleet management cannot be overstated. The costs of operating a fleet continue to increase in tandem with fuel prices, compelling fleet operators to optimize their practices in order to stay profitable.
With SafetyCulture, fleet drivers and managers can make fuel logging easier through paperless tracking and reporting. Streamline your entire fuel tracking process through the following features:
- Download ready-to-use digital fuel log templates for fleet drivers and fleet managers through our public library.
- Convert your paper fuel log templates into our digital format through smart scan, or create a smart form from scratch through our simple, drag-and-drop template builder.
- Automatically share fuel log reports with key stakeholders through the app to save time, energy, and resources.
- Save fuel log records via unlimited cloud storage to ensure that data is secure and accessible only to authorized personnel.
- SafetyCulture integration allows you to connect with other BI tools such as Outlook and Google Sheets so data is automatically transferred as you complete fuel logs; making your overall process more efficient.
Featured Fuel Log Templates
Driver's Daily Log
This Drivers Daily Log is designed according to the guidelines of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) under the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT). Use this checklist to record on-duty and off-duty status, mileage, fuel receipts, toll tickets, and other documents required for complete, accurate driver logs.
Heavy Vehicle Inspection Checklist
This heavy inspection checklist can be used by a certified technician to identify problems and mechanical issues of heavy vehicles and to prepare for the DOT annual vehicle inspection.
Driver Assessment Training Checklist
This Driver Assessment Training Checklist can be used by safety officers and fleet managers to ensure that fleet drivers are aware of and follow safe and recommended driving practices. This checklist can be used to assess prospective fleet drivers, as well as reevaluate current drivers to ensure that they follow driving SOPs.