Fuel & Maintenance Logs, How Much Do You Keep Up With?
 

Ok so maybe I've become a little anal with this truck, but I started logging darn near EVERYTHING. I bought the truck in late summer '06, but didn't start logging stuff until a little while after.

I've logged every single fuel stop since August 12, 2006, and here's what I've learned:

Monthly fuel spending, 2006:
$262.00 August
$260.55 September
$233.00 October
$161.25 November
$220.00 December

Monthly fuel spending, 2007:
$202.00 January
$218.00 February
$247.45 March

2006 total: $1,136.80
2007 total: $667.45 (so far)

My fuel log, which is handwritten in a "journal" style book in my truck, gets transferred to an Excel file whenever I feel like it, in this format:

Date, Mileage, Average MPG, Gallons filled, Price per gallon, Total amt. spent, Location of fuel stop (not shown here)
Then, there's maintenance. That one's easier.

Date, Mileage, Price, Location, and Description. For example:
1/5/2007...$40.90...Geno's Garage...VENTVISOR - 2 PC KIT ('94-'02 DODGE)

How much do y'all keep up with?

Oh, and I came over here from CumminsForum.com, I'll get around to an intro post eventually, along with filling out my signature and some pics. Same name over there.

-Taylor

I kept a log of everything on my truck the first couple of years, it was like a new religion or somthin. If I put in washer fluid I wrote it down. Then it died and now I don't even know where that little note book went.

I don't log washer fluid, but I did log the stickers on my back glass, lol

I didn't even have the heart to put stickers on my window back then. I cut a piece of plexi glass to size and put the stickers on it and then hung it in the window with suction cups. Oh how far I've come in not taken care of my ole truck.

Service Record Spread Sheet
 

BE Sure to click on tabs at the bottom to see the entire Style Sheet

Click here

What I do keep up and keep in the truck at all times is a binder I put together that has all the paperwork including directions and receipts for all the mods on it, A section for some important how to articles in it, a section with lubes and torque charts in it and a section that I keep a list of maintenance things that I want to do just to keep my memory jogged when I feel like working on it. All this is for when I'm on the road and have problems. I have everything handy and if it ever goes into a shop and the mechanic gives me a funny look when he see's my toys, I just hand him the binder and it gives him any info he needs know.

I have a couple of binders of good stuff that I print out. I generally keep track of the milage but not so much the $ figure.

I also keep track of every receipt but wish I was a little more disciplinced when it comes to keeping track of the maintenance log...

hey, buddy glad to see you made it over!!

it's nice to keep a log espicially when you go to sell the truck.
you can show that you had it maintained and such..

My method is a little more spartan than using spread sheets.
I write mileage, miles driven and mpg on all my fuel receipts and keep them. When I do maintenance I write that down on the corresponding fuel receipt along with any related receipts which are later put into a folder. It sounds stupid but has actually come in handy more than once.
My monthly fuel bill is more like $600.00 :w: