Using my personal car for work is costing me money
Company reimbursement typically falls wildly short of covering the high mileage that wears a personal vehicle down until it is virtually worthless. Beyond physical depreciation, driving for business raises personal insurance rates and creates severe confusion about who is liable if an accident happens on a job.
What people tried
Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.
Found another way around this?
Share your steps and trade-offs so fellow engineers don't have to reinvent the wheel. No account required.
Using my personal car for work is costing me money
- 1Negotiate a better rate or higher mileage reimbursement with the employerDid this help you?
- 2Refuse the job or walk awayDid this help you?
- 3Look for alternative employment like home inspection gigs or getting an adjuster licenseDid this help you?
- 4Tracking miles and submitting them for reimbursement at the standard IRS rateDid this help you?
- 5Negotiating a flat monthly vehicle stipend or allowance from the employerDid this help you?
- 6Calling the personal auto insurer to add a business-use rider or switch to a commercial policyDid this help you?
- 7Having the employer pay for gas, maintenance, and the car note directlyDid this help you?
In their words
Unedited, grouped by where they were said, most upvoted first within each place, each linked to the thread it came from.
“I started using my own vehicle to go on jobs and service calls, which I didn't mind at first.”source ↗
“Kind of in passing, the one asked what I would think if the company just paid my car payment for me and I just kept using it.”source ↗
“While I like the idea of no car payment, I don't know if this is a good idea. Even as it stands, I'm not sure what would happen if I got into a car accident while driving to a job and how the insurance would be handled.”source ↗
“If they add my car to their policy, how would that affect my personal insurance? Or would it not at all?”source ↗
“They are wildly under-compensating for the use of your vehicle.”source ↗
“You are incurring way too much expense for this job.”source ↗
“My concern is I wear down my car to worthless with high mileage and they aren't paying enough for the car use.”source ↗
“And here's this little fact, this means I'm using my car for business and need to tell my insurance company and they will increase my rates.”source ↗