Hurdlr is a mileage tracking app geared toward helping solopreneurs, freelancers, and rideshare drivers stay on top of their income and expenses. If you’re considering this app and are wondering whether it suits your needs and preferences, we took the app for a spin to discover its strengths and weaknesses.
In this Hurdlr mileage tracker review, we’ll tell how the app performed during our hands-on testing. We’ll get into the details of how the key features, such as mileage, expense, income, and tax deduction trackers, work to help you make an informed decision. We’ll also disclose the best Hurdlr alternative for businesses.
Looking for a Reliable Mileage Tracking App for Your Business?
Timeero tracks mileage accurately to improve employee reimbursement and tax deductions.
Hurdlr is available on Google Play and the Apple App Store in the U.S. and Canada.
Hurdlr is a mileage, income, and business expense tracking app created with freelancers, rideshare drivers, real estate agents, sales representatives, and solopreneurs in mind. Beyond tracking income and expenses, it helps monitor potential tax deductions and refunds. The app is currently only available in the U.S. and Canada.
How Does Hurdlr Work?
Everyone’s expense and income tracking needs are unique. Knowing how Hurdlr works will allow you to decide whether it suits your business needs and preferences. This section delves into how Hurdlr's unique features work, starting with the mileage tracker.
Mileage Tracking
Hurdlr offers three mileage tracking options:
Manual tracking: This is the most basic way of tracking business mileage. With this option, Hurdlr lets you manually enter mileage driven with details like the date, arrival time, start/end locations, and duration to meet IRS mileage log standards. To capture mileage data, you will need to use your vehicle’s odometer.
Semi-automatic tracking: With this option, you control when the app tracks mileage. Click the “start tracker” to prompt the app to log miles or “stop tracker” to end the trip. The app tracks mileage using drive detection technology. Trips tracked via semi-automatic options are automatically tagged as business and can’t be classified otherwise.
Automatic tracking: This is Hurdlr's unique feature that isn’t available in the free version. When you turn “auto-tracking” on, the app runs in the background, tracking mileage when the vehicle moves.
Hands-On Testing With Automatic Tracking
Hurdlr Premium supports automatic mileage and expense tracking.
In the automatic tracking mode, Hurdlr uses drive detection technology. The phone's accelerometer automatically logs miles when the vehicle is moving and stops tracking when the vehicle is stationary or after several minutes of inactivity.
We took Hurdlr out for a test drive and tried it alongside a digital odometer to determine its accuracy and effectiveness. Hurdlr recorded 5.17 miles during our testing, while our odometer clocked 6.32 miles. Why the discrepancy?
First, the odometer is meant to track every distance the vehicle covers, and the higher odometer figures aren’t surprising. Second, some mileage trackers don’t just track miles when the vehicle moves. Instead, they track miles when a vehicle exceeds a predefined speed threshold.
Hurdlr is no different. It has a 10 Mph speed threshold. In other words, the app logs miles only when the vehicle exceeds 10 Mph. It’s not surprising, then, that Hurdlr missed some miles. Does this mean Hurdlr is accurate?
It depends. The best trackers impose a threshold that’s high enough to prevent them from logging miles when the driver is walking. The speed limit should also be low enough to ensure the app captures every relevant business mile. The sweet spot is usually between 4 - 5 mph.
Hurdler's speed threshold is a bit high, and there’s no way to change it. As a result, you might miss parts of your trips, such as when driving on rough roads or slow-moving traffic.
Drive Classification
Hurdlr supports manual and automatic drive classification.
The IRS has different reimbursement rates for businesses (67 cents per mile), medical/moving (21 cents), and charitable organizations (14 cents). Classifying drives helps you claim your rightful tax deductions. You don’t want personal drives to end up on your business mileage log or vice versa.
Hurdlr supports manual and automatic drive classification. It automatically classifies drives logged via semi-automatic tracking as a business. If you opt for automatic mileage tracking, you’ll have to classify all drives manually.
The process is easy, though. All unclassified drives are listed under “New” on mobile devices, whereas classified drives are in the “Reviewed” column. You swipe the drive card left to tag it as personal or right for business trips. On the web portal, select a drive and click “tag as business” or “tag as personal” to classify it accordingly.
Hurdlr Work Hours
The app also lets you set work hours or time frames when it should track mileage to simplify drive classification. But unlike other mileage trackers, Hurdlr doesn’t auto-classify drives within work hours as a business. You still have to classify them manually.
However, work hours enable you to classify multiple trips at once. For example, you can select all your drives during the day and auto-classify them as business with a single click of a button.
Mileage Rules
Hurdlr also suggests automatic drive classification rules based on how you classify specific trips. Suppose a sales rep often classifies a drive from the head office to Jenny’s (a client) office as business travel.
After a few trips, Hurdlr will suggest a rule to auto-classify this rep’s trip as business related. If the rep accepts the suggested rule, Hurdlr will auto-classify future trips from the office to Jenny’s location as a business trip.
Hurdlr also lets you create favorite places to quickly classify drive types. You can create a rule to have Hurdlr classify trips from favorite place A to destination B as business or personal.
Income and Expense Tracking
Hurdlr lets you link to PayPal, Stripe, Square, and FreshBooks accounts to automate income tracking.
Hurdlr's expense tracker allows you to track income and expenses in real-time so you can have an estimate of your take-home profit. You can track expenses such as parking and tolls, gas, car washes, food and drinks, and more.
You can link your bank account and credit cards to automate expense tracking. You can also accept suggested expense rules to simplify expense tracking further. With the expense rule, Hurdlr automatically tags expenses from specific vendors as they trickle in from the linked account. This saves you time since you don’t have to spend hours reviewing the expenses.
The app also supports manual expense and income tracking. In this case, you have to enter every expense manually with details such as amount, vendor name, category, frequency, and date. You can attach a receipt in the form of an existing photo or take one with the smartphone camera.
Once you enter your income and expense data, Hurdlr will automatically balance your ledger. It automatically deducts your expenses from the total income to compute your earnings.
Tax Calculation and Estimation
If you’re a freelancer, rideshare driver, or solopreneur, figuring out how much you owe the IRS can be a headache. With so many things taking place during the workday, some drives might slip through the cracks, denying you the rightful tax deductions or reimbursement.
Hurdlr's tax engine calculates self-employed, state, and federal taxes based on your mileage, expense, and income. For example, when you classify trips as business, the tax engine calculates your tax deductions based on the miles covered and current IRS mileage rates.
The app also lets you set up a tax profile to see your real-time tax estimates. Creating a tax profile entails selecting your state, the appropriate state and federal filing status, and salary.
Once you set the profile, Hurdlr automatically calculates your tax estimate. You can open the annual or quarterly view to stay in the loop about tax deductions, liability, and total earnings after tax. The tax estimates don't represent what you owe to the IRS, but they help you set enough funds aside to settle tax liability come tax season.
Note: Hurdlr taxes overview is for informational purposes only and is meant to provide an estimate of your tax liability. These are estimates only and shouldn’t be interpreted as accurate financial or tax advice.
Hurdlr Pricing
The Hurdlr pricing model has four pricing tiers: Free, Premium, Pro, and Enterprise. The pricing varies based on the available features.
Timeero: The Best Hurdlr Alternative
Hurdlr is a simple app for self-employed entrepreneurs, small business owners, and individuals who want to stay on top of their taxes, finances, and bookkeeping.
While it serves the purpose, the speed threshold is too high to capture every business mile. The manual drive classification can also be time-consuming and tedious, particularly for drivers who make multiple short trips in a day, like sales reps or real estate agents.
If you’re looking for the best mileage tracking app for sales reps, rideshare drivers, truck drivers, or real estate agents, try Timeero. We compiled a detailed Timeero review, but if you’re short on time, here are some of the reasons why it outshines Hurdlr:
Automatic Mileage Classification
Timeero Android and iOS apps are easy to use for all employees, including those who are less tech-savvy.
Employees have to select the job and task before clocking in. The app attributes the mileage it tracks to the job/task the employee clocked in for. It classifies the trip before the employee sets out for the day. This saves numerous hours employees would have spent reviewing and classifying trips at the end of their shift.
In addition, Timeero deducts commuter mileage from employee logs to meet IRS standards. Remember, commuter mileage isn’t tax deductible.
You only need to set the app to log miles after the employee has covered their commuter distance. For example, if you set an employee commuter distance to 30 miles, Timeero will automatically deduct 30 miles from the employee’s daily logs.
Control How and When the App Tracks Mileage
Timeero enables you to create a company profile and invite team members across a variety of fields — sales reps, real estate agents, delivery drivers, couriers, Uber drivers, Lyft drivers, and more. It lets you control and monitor team activities and mileage from a centralized dashboard.
The automatic mileage tracker uses drive detection technology with a minimum speed threshold. Unlike Hurdlr, the minimum speed limit isn’t fixed. We recommend leaving the threshold to the default speed (4mph), but you can set a preferred limit to suit your tracking needs.
Timeero is also built to sidestep intrusive tracking. The app tracks mileage when the employee is clocked in. The clock-in and out reminders help ensure employees are on the clock during work hours only. Plus, with the Quick Time clock, you can clock out any employee who may have forgotten to do so while respecting employee privacy.
Segmented Tracking
Timeero enables you to track employee mileage and time based on their stops.
Timeero segmented tracking is a smart tracking feature that is useful for sales reps, real estate agents, delivery drivers, or employees who make multiple stops during the day. For example, as the sales manager, it helps to know how much time the reps spend with each account besides their business miles.
Traditionally, the reps would have to stop the tracker when they reached a customer destination and start it as they left the premises. Even if the rep remembers to start and stop the tracker at every customer location, the disjointed trip will force you into complex calculations to get the critical details.
The segmented tracking takes the click overload off your rep’s plate. The reps clock in once at the start of their shift and out at the end of the day. Timeero tracks the reps' trip and segments it based on stops taken. You can see the total mileage covered, total time, distance between customer locations, and time spent at each customer’s location.
Suggested Mileage
Even as you focus on tracking mileage, it pays to minimize expenses. One of the best ways to do so is to ensure employees always take the shortest distance. The suggested mileage helps you achieve that goal.
The feature suggests the shortest route to a destination based on your previous drives. Ensuring employees take the shortest route shaves a few miles off their log, which can lead to colossal fuel cost savings.
Reasonable Pricing
Timeero offers an affordable per-user pricing.
Note: Segmented tracking is an add-on feature, with pricing starting at $5 per user pricing. The Pro and Premium plans support QuickBooks, Gusto, Rippling, ADP, Viventium, Paychex, Paylocity, and Xero integrations.
Is Hurdlr a Good App?
Hurdlr has done an excellent job combining mileage, expense, and income tracking functionalities in an easy-to-use app. It’s ideal for freelancers, independent contractors, and side hustlers who struggle to track business finances and estimate tax burdens.
Unfortunately, the app doesn’t suit companies and individuals with advanced tracking needs. If you need to monitor the team’s time and mileage logs from a centralized dashboard, we recommend using Timeero. The mobile app is easy to use for employees, and the web portal lets you maintain a 360-degree view of team activities from the comfort of your office.
Start a 14-day free trial today to learn how Timeero streamlines mileage tracking. No credit card is required. Create an account, and you’re good to go.
Hurdlr Mileage Tracker FAQs
Can Hurdlr Mileage Tracker Automatically Log Trips for Tax Deductions?
Yes, Hurdlr has an automatic mileage tracker that logs mileage automatically for accurate tax deductions and reimbursements.
How Does the Hurdlr Mileage Tracker App Calculate Tax Deductions?
Hurdlr calculates tax deductions based on approved mileage logs and current IRS mileage rates.
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Samson is a mathematician turned content marketer specializing in SaaS and Tech content. He focuses on the practical aspects of software systems while keeping abreast of the industry’s cutting-edge principles to create informative and engaging content. When he’s not writing, Samson spends time playing or watching soccer.
