Delivery Driver Mileage Calculator — guide

The calculator lets delivery and gig workers model one or more workdays with their actual miles driven, platform earnings, and variable costs such as fuel, maintenance contributions, and platform fees. It produces totals and per-mile metrics that help you understand your actual take-home after costs.

Where mileage is involved, the tool applies the current IRS standard business mileage rate as a reference — showing what those miles could be worth as a potential deduction. Not every mile driven for a delivery platform is automatically deductible; the tool shows a reference figure, not a confirmed tax saving.

Delivery drivers for platforms such as DoorDash, Uber Eats, Amazon Flex, Instacart, or similar gig services.

Independent courier and rideshare drivers who want to understand their net earnings per mile.

Self-employed gig workers preparing to file Schedule C and wanting an estimate of their mileage deduction potential.

Anyone curious how mileage costs relate to their platform payout.

Required — Miles per day: the distance driven for delivery or gig work on each day.

Required — Earnings per day: gross platform payout (before tips if tracked separately) for each day.

Optional — Fuel cost per day: your out-of-pocket fuel expense for that day.

Optional — Other variable costs: maintenance contribution, platform fees, parking, tolls, or any other per-day costs.

Optional — Tax year: used to select the IRS mileage rate for the reference deduction estimate.

Multiple days can be added to model a full week, fortnight, or any custom period.

Total miles = sum of miles across all days entered.

Reference mileage value = total business miles × applicable IRS standard business mileage rate. This is a potential deduction reference, not a guaranteed saving.

Gross earnings = sum of daily earnings entered.

Total costs = sum of all daily expenses entered (fuel, maintenance, other).

Estimated net earnings after costs = gross earnings − total costs. (Mileage deduction value is shown separately as a potential tax benefit, not subtracted from net earnings, since it is a tax-time adjustment rather than a cash outflow.)

The results panel shows: total miles, total gross earnings, total costs entered, estimated net earnings after entered costs, earnings per mile (gross and net), and the IRS reference mileage value.

Earnings per mile is a useful efficiency metric — a higher number suggests you are covering distance profitably; a lower number may signal that fuel and costs are eating into payout.

The IRS mileage reference value is shown separately. Whether you can claim that amount as a deduction depends on your tax situation and whether you are categorized as self-employed. Consult a tax professional.

Five-day delivery week (2025, IRS rate $0.70/mile):

Mon: 62 mi, $118 earnings, $14 fuel. Tue: 71 mi, $134 earnings, $16 fuel. Wed: 58 mi, $109 earnings, $13 fuel. Thu: 75 mi, $142 earnings, $17 fuel. Fri: 69 mi, $128 earnings, $15 fuel.

Total: 335 miles, $631 gross earnings, $75 fuel costs.

Estimated net after fuel: $631 − $75 = $556.

IRS mileage reference (potential deduction): 335 × $0.70 = $234.50.

Gross earnings per mile: $631 ÷ 335 = $1.88/mile. Net per mile after fuel: $556 ÷ 335 = $1.66/mile.

The tool does not verify whether your specific driving pattern or platform arrangement makes all entered miles deductible. Mileage deductibility for gig workers depends on tax categorization and the nature of each trip.

Platform fees and expenses entered reduce the net earnings estimate but are not applied to the mileage deduction reference — those are separate calculations at tax time.

The calculator covers one vehicle type. It does not model electric vehicle charging costs or multi-vehicle operations.

Platform payouts are not a mileage log. MileLedger's phone app tracks for-hire miles and related costs throughout the year so your mileage record is IRS-ready when you need it, without reconstruction at tax time.

Learn more at /solutions/rideshare.