Free vehicle log book template
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Free vehicle log book template (PDF). Record date, driver, odometer, kilometres, business or private use and fuel for the ATO 12-week logbook.
Commercial Director
Key takeaways
- A vehicle log book records each trip: date, driver, odometer start and end, kilometres, business or private purpose and fuel added.
- For the ATO 12-week logbook method, keep the book continuously for 12 weeks to set a business-use percentage usable for up to 5 years.
- Recording fuel alongside trips lets the same book double as a usage and running-cost record, not just an FBT document.
- Enter each trip at the time of travel from the actual odometer reading; reconstructing a log book from memory will not survive an ATO review.
Updated 4 June 2026
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What is a vehicle log book template?
A vehicle log book is a trip-by-trip record of how a vehicle is used. For each journey it captures the date, the driver, the odometer reading at the start and end, the kilometres travelled, whether the trip was for business or private purpose, and the fuel added. A period summary totals business and private kilometres and calculates the business-use percentage. It is the canonical 'log book' that supports the ATO logbook method for vehicle deductions and Fringe Benefits Tax, while doubling as a plain record of who used a vehicle, when and how far.
Fleet managers, sole traders and tradespeople use a vehicle log book to substantiate business use, monitor utilisation and keep an honest record of driver activity, fuel and distance. In Australia, the ATO logbook method requires a continuous 12-week log book that establishes a representative business-use percentage, which can then be applied for up to five years if the pattern of use does not change. The WHS Act 2011 also expects work vehicles to be kept safe, and odometer records from the log book support distance-based service scheduling. In MapTrack, trips and odometer readings can be captured against each vehicle on a phone, so the log book builds itself and a business-use report can be produced for any date range without rekeying paper.
Learn more about gps and fleet tracking in MapTrack.
Benefits of using this vehicle log book template
- ATO logbook ready: a continuous 12-week record substantiates the business-use percentage for the logbook method and FBT.
- Trip-level accountability: date, driver and purpose against every journey show exactly who used a vehicle and why.
- Usage and cost in one place: recording fuel alongside kilometres turns the book into a running-cost and efficiency record.
- Accurate distance: start and end odometer per trip gives a defensible kilometre figure rather than an estimate.
- Service planning: odometer readings captured in the log feed distance-based service intervals for the vehicle.
- Audit confidence: a contemporaneous, signed log book stands up to an ATO review where a reconstructed one will not.
- Private-use visibility: classifying each trip exposes unauthorised private use and supports fair cost recovery.
Benefits of digitising forms in MapTrack
When you move your logs from paper to MapTrack, you get:
- Field users can easily scan a QR code to complete a form on mobile. Unlimited users.
- Automatically get alerts when faults are identified.
- Link every form digitally as a PDF to the relevant asset, location or person.
- Receive a digital PDF copy with every submission to your email.
- Ability to share forms digitally.
- Build conditional logic (show or hide questions based on answers).
- Take pictures or attach photos. Not possible with a paper-based form.
- Electronic signatures.
- Edit forms later without reprinting.
- Restrict permissions (who can view, complete or approve).
- Build forms with AI (describe what you need and MapTrack suggests the form).
- Monitor odometer and service-interval triggers across your entire fleet.
- Capture fuel receipts and trip logs alongside vehicle inspection data.
- Compare vehicle downtime and repair costs to inform replacement decisions.
Book a demo to see how MapTrack handles logs.
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Intuitive for field crews
“MapTrack's a great platform - intuitive for the guys out in the field and also has fantastic support.”
Matthew Anderson
Maintenance Planning Supervisor, Supagas
What to include in a vehicle log book template
This vehicle log book template covers 11 key areas:
- Vehicle details: registration, make and model, fleet number and the assigned driver.
- Log book period: the start and end dates of the continuous period being recorded.
- Trip date: the date each journey took place.
- Driver: the name of the person who drove the vehicle for that trip.
- Odometer start: the reading taken before the trip begins.
- Odometer end: the reading taken on arrival, used to derive the distance.
- Kilometres: the distance for the trip, calculated as end minus start.
- Purpose: the destination or reason for the trip, in enough detail to justify it.
- Business or private: a classification of each trip for the business-use calculation.
- Fuel added: litres and cost where fuel was purchased during or for the trip.
- Period summary: total kilometres, business kilometres, private kilometres and the business-use percentage.
How to use this vehicle log book template
- Record the vehicle details and the start of the log book period.: Enter the registration, make, model, fleet number and assigned driver, then note the date and opening odometer reading that begins the period. For the ATO logbook method this is the start of the continuous 12-week record, so set it deliberately.
- Read the odometer before each trip and record the start figure.: Take the odometer reading from the dashboard before the vehicle moves and write the exact figure in the start column. Doing this at the time of travel, rather than reconstructing it later, is what makes the log book defensible if the ATO reviews it.
- On arrival, record the end odometer and calculate the kilometres.: Enter the odometer reading at the end of the trip and subtract the start figure to get the distance travelled. Record it in the kilometres column straight away while the reading is in front of you rather than estimating it from memory afterwards.
- Note the purpose and classify the trip as business or private.: Write the destination or a clear reason for the journey, such as client site visit or depot to job, and mark it business or private. The ATO requires this classification for every trip to support the business-use percentage under the logbook method.
- Record any fuel added against the trip.: When fuel is purchased, record the litres and the cost in the fuel column. Keeping fuel in the same book means the log doubles as a running-cost and efficiency record, useful well beyond the FBT calculation it was started for.
- At the end of the period, total the kilometres and calculate business use.: Sum all trip distances for the period, separate business from private kilometres, and divide business kilometres by the total to get the business-use percentage. The driver signs the completed book, the fleet manager reviews and countersigns, and the record is retained for the required period.
In MapTrack, you can track your fleet with gps and digital pre-starts. Each submission is stored as a timestamped PDF against the asset record.
Get the free templateEnter your email above to download the full vehicle log book template as a PDF.Back to download formHow often should you complete this log?
Record every trip at the time of travel, not from memory afterwards. For the ATO logbook method, keep the log book continuously for a representative 12-week period; that percentage then applies for up to five years unless the vehicle changes driver, primary use or location, in which case a new 12-week period is needed. Total the period and calculate business use at the end of each logbook period, and retain the record for at least five years from the relevant return. In MapTrack, trips and odometer readings are captured against the vehicle automatically, so a logbook report for any date range is available without rekeying.
Frequently asked questions
Applicable regulatory standards
This template aligns with the following regulations and standards:
- ATO - Logbook method (continuous 12-week vehicle log book to set the business-use percentage, valid up to 5 years)
- Fringe Benefits Tax Assessment Act 1986 - operating cost method (log book records substantiating business use of vehicles)
- WHS Act 2011, Section 19 - Primary duty of care (work vehicles kept safe, supported by accurate odometer records)
Embed this free template on your website
Run an industry blog, trade association site, or training resource? Drop a preview of this free vehicle log book template straight into your page. The snippet is self-contained, needs no scripts, and links readers back to the full free template.
<div style="max-width:480px;font-family:system-ui,-apple-system,'Segoe UI',Roboto,sans-serif;border:1px solid #E5E7EB;border-radius:12px;padding:20px;background:#ffffff;">
<p style="font-size:12px;font-weight:700;letter-spacing:0.05em;text-transform:uppercase;color:#0E7490;margin:0;">Free template</p>
<p style="font-size:18px;font-weight:700;color:#071D49;margin:6px 0 0;">Vehicle log book template</p>
<ul style="margin:12px 0 0;padding-left:18px;color:#374151;font-size:14px;line-height:1.6;">
<li style="margin:4px 0;">Vehicle details: registration, make and model, fleet number and the assigned driver.</li>
<li style="margin:4px 0;">Log book period: the start and end dates of the continuous period being recorded.</li>
<li style="margin:4px 0;">Trip date: the date each journey took place.</li>
<li style="margin:4px 0;">Driver: the name of the person who drove the vehicle for that trip.</li>
<li style="margin:4px 0;">Odometer start: the reading taken before the trip begins.</li>
<li style="margin:4px 0;">Odometer end: the reading taken on arrival, used to derive the distance.</li>
</ul>
<p style="font-size:13px;color:#6B7280;margin:14px 0 0;padding-top:12px;border-top:1px solid #E5E7EB;">Free <a href="https://www.maptrack.com/templates/vehicle-log-book-template" style="color:#071D49;font-weight:600;text-decoration:none;">Vehicle log book template</a> by MapTrack</p>
</div>Please keep the “by MapTrack” attribution link in the snippet.
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