What it does
Your IFTA return needs the miles you drove in each state and the fuel you bought in each state, quarter by quarter. Fort Route keeps both while you work, so the end of the quarter starts with a worksheet instead of a shoebox of receipts.
Miles by state come from your phone's GPS while you navigate, or from a planned route you add. Fuel receipts are read from a photo and saved once you confirm the numbers. The quarterly worksheet puts miles and gallons by state next to the rates from the IFTA rate matrix, and you can export it as CSV or print it to PDF.
How it works in the app
Miles by state
While you navigate, Fort Route logs your miles by state from GPS. State lines in the app are accurate to about 1 km (a little over half a mile). For a trip you ran without navigation, add the miles from the planned route instead.
Fuel receipts
- Open the Money tab while parked and choose receipt scan. The first time, your phone asks for camera access.
- Take a photo of the receipt. Fort Route reads it on your phone and fills in gallons, price, total, date, state and truck stop.
- Check the fields and correct anything it misread, then confirm.
The photo is stored on your phone with the record, so you can pull up the original receipt later.
Quarterly worksheet
Open the IFTA report and pick the quarter. You see miles and gallons for each state with that state's rate from the IFTA rate matrix. Export it as CSV for your accountant or filing service, or print it to PDF for your own records.
A worksheet, not a filing service
Fort Route helps you prepare the numbers. It doesn't file your IFTA return or pay the tax, and the return you send your base jurisdiction is still yours to check.
A few limits to keep in mind:
- Miles are logged while you navigate with Fort Route open. If the app is closed or in the background, those miles aren't recorded, so add them from the planned route.
- State lines are accurate to about 1 km, so a short stretch near a border can be credited to the neighboring state. Compare the quarter's totals with your trip records before you file.
- Faded or crumpled receipts can be misread. That's why nothing is saved until you confirm the fields.
- Tax rates can change each quarter. Check the worksheet's rates against the current matrix published by IFTA, Inc. at iftach.org.
- The first receipt scan downloads the text reader to your phone, so do it with a data connection.
For how the quarterly return works, read IFTA fuel tax basics. The per diem log sits in the same Money tab and keeps your days away from home the same way.
Frequently asked questions
Does Fort Route file my IFTA return?
No, Fort Route prepares a quarterly worksheet but doesn't file returns or pay fuel tax. Export the worksheet as CSV or PDF and file with your base jurisdiction, yourself or through your accountant or filing service.
How accurate are the miles by state?
State lines in Fort Route are accurate to about 1 km, so a short stretch near a border can land in the wrong state. Check the quarter's totals against your trip records before you file.
What does the receipt scanner read?
The scanner reads gallons, price, total, date, state and the truck stop from a photo of the receipt. The reading happens on your phone, and nothing is saved until you check the fields and confirm them.
Do I have to navigate for miles to be logged?
GPS miles are logged only while you navigate with Fort Route open. For a trip you drove without it, add the miles from a planned route so the quarter stays complete.