Blog • IFTA Basics

GPS Tracking vs City-Based Mileage: What’s Better?

IFTA requires accurate miles by jurisdiction. You can get there with constant GPS tracking or with city-based (map-based) routing. Both can be compliant, but they differ in privacy, data volume, and operational overhead.

GPS tracking: pros and cons

• Pros: Highly granular, captures real detours and stops, easy to automate.
• Cons: Privacy concerns, larger data storage, device/battery burden, and noisy data cleanup.

City-based mileage: pros and cons

• Pros: Privacy-friendly, lightweight data, predictable and reproducible routes for audits.
• Cons: Doesn’t capture every small detour; needs a solid routing engine and boundary splits.

Auditability & compliance

• Auditors want reproducible miles by state and reasonable MPG.
• Map-based routes are easy to replay; GPS data can be noisy but highly detailed.
• Whichever you choose, keep routes, timestamps, and fuel links for at least 4 years.

When to use which

• GPS-heavy fleets: If you already run telematics and need near-real-time visibility.
• Privacy-first drivers/fleets: City-based routing for predictable, audit-ready miles without constant tracking.
• Hybrid: Light GPS cadence (e.g., every 30 minutes) plus map-based mileage to balance visibility and privacy.