WheelsAndAxle Blog
Practical tips, IFTA deadlines, and guides for independent truckers.
1–10 of 11 posts in IFTA basics
Why Your Taxable Gallons Don't Match What You Bought
You bought 310 gallons in Texas and the worksheet says 184. Nothing is broken — here is how fleet MPG turns miles into taxable gallons, and what to check when the number looks wrong.
WheelsAndAxle TeamOctober 11, 20264 min readWhich Miles Count for IFTA: Deadhead, Personal and Off-Highway
Empty miles count. So do personal miles and shop runs. Leaving them out does not lower your bill — it distorts your MPG and usually raises it.
WheelsAndAxle TeamOctober 11, 20265 min readIRP vs IFTA: Two Licences, Two Completely Different Jobs
One is about your plate. The other is about your fuel. Plenty of owner-operators run a year before anyone explains the difference — and it costs money both ways.
WheelsAndAxle TeamOctober 11, 20265 min readDo I Need an IFTA Licence for One Trip? How IFTA Trip Permits Work
Under IFTA's rules, a trip permit lets a carrier pay fuel use tax trip by trip instead of holding an IFTA licence, and some states limit who may use theirs. What the IFTA rules say, and what Texas, Wisconsin, Washington, North Dakota and Alabama say about their permits.
WheelsAndAxle TeamAugust 12, 20268 min readNon-IFTA Miles: Alaska, Hawaii, DC, Mexico and the Territories on an IFTA Report
IFTA's members are the 48 contiguous US states and the 10 Canadian provinces. Here is how miles and fuel from Alaska, Hawaii, DC, Mexico and Canada's territories show up on a base state's quarterly form, and what this post leaves to those governments.
WheelsAndAxle TeamJuly 15, 20268 min readIFTA for Leased Owner-Operators: Who Reports the Fuel Tax, You or the Carrier?
Under the IFTA Articles, when a carrier that does not haul household goods uses an owner-operator on a trip lease of 29 days or less, the owner-operator reports the fuel tax. With such a carrier, on a lease of 30 days or more the lease decides, and the carrier is responsible when there is no written lease or it is silent.
WheelsAndAxle TeamMay 13, 20268 min readHow to Amend an IFTA Report: Fixing a Quarter You Already Filed
Found a mistake on a quarter you already sent in? Here is what IFTA's rules say about credits, refunds and interest, and what Texas, New York, Illinois, Washington and North Carolina say about amendments.
WheelsAndAxle TeamApril 15, 20268 min readCFTP vs. IFTA in California: When to Use a Fuel Trip Permit and When to Get the License
California gives truckers three ways to handle fuel tax: IFTA, CFTP, or the Interstate User license. Here is when each one makes sense — with the real costs and trade-offs.
WheelsAndAxle TeamMarch 3, 20267 min readIFTA for New Owner-Operators: How to Get Your First License
New to trucking? Here is everything you need to know about getting your IFTA license — what it is, who needs it, how to apply in California and Texas, what records to keep, and the 7 mistakes rookies make. Every fact sourced from IFTA Inc, CDTFA, and the Texas Comptroller.
WheelsAndAxle TeamFebruary 20, 202611 min readHow to Prepare Your IFTA Return: A Step-by-Step Guide for Owner-Operators
A plain-English walkthrough of the IFTA quarterly return — from gathering your fuel slips and trip logs to working out what you owe, jurisdiction by jurisdiction. Built for Q1 2026 (due April 30).
WheelsAndAxle TeamFebruary 19, 202612 min read