How do I reconcile fuel for a truck trip in Kenya?

Add the litres in all included tanks at the opening reading to the external fuel added during the measurement period, then subtract the closing litres. Match the readings, fills and distance to the same period. Review missing readings, transfers and unexplained changes before accepting the result.

Is fuel purchased the same as fuel consumed on a trip?

No. A truck may begin with fuel bought earlier and finish with fuel still in its tanks. Purchase records explain litres bought and money spent; opening and closing tank readings help explain the litres that left the tanks during the journey.

Should a reserve-to-main tank transfer count as a new fuel purchase?

A transfer between tanks already included in the same balance is an internal movement, not an external addition. Record both sides of the transfer so the same litres are not counted twice. Fuel entering from a tank outside the balance needs to be accounted for separately.

Does a higher-than-expected trip fuel balance prove theft?

No. A tank balance can include fuel burned, leakage or other fuel leaving the included tanks, as well as measurement error. Check reading quality, fills, transfers, route conditions and corroborating evidence before drawing a conclusion about the cause.

Trip Fuel Reconciliation in Kenya: Account for Every Litre

Trip fuel reconciliation answers a different question from a fuel receipt: how much fuel left the truck's tanks during the journey? Start with opening litres, add fuel received from outside the included tanks, and subtract closing litres. Then check the evidence behind each number before comparing the result with the work completed.

The trip fuel balance formula

Opening fuel + external fuel added − closing fuel = fuel accounted for as used. This is a tank balance, not a direct measurement of engine combustion. A leak or an unexplained removal can sit inside the result. Keep those events visible when investigating a difference instead of calling every litre engine consumption.

Define the boundary first: which truck, which coupled equipment and which tanks are included? A main tank alone cannot explain a journey supplied from a reserve tank unless the fuel entering from that reserve is also recorded.

A worked example in litres

In this hypothetical example, the same truck and included tanks have reliable readings at both ends of a 600 km measurement period. There is one external fill and no unresolved fuel movement. These figures illustrate the calculation; they are not a Kenyan truck benchmark.

Opening total across the included tanks: 420 litres.
External fuel added during the period: 180 litres.
Closing total across those same tanks: 300 litres.
Fuel accounted for as used: 420 + 180 − 300 = 300 litres.
Distance per litre for that balance: 600 ÷ 300 = 2.0 km/L.

The receipt accounts for 180 litres purchased, while the balance accounts for 300 litres used. Both can be correct because the truck used some fuel it already carried. A purchase-only calculation would misstate this journey's fuel use.

Keep internal transfers out of external additions

Suppose 80 litres move from an included reserve tank into the included main tank. The combined fuel has not increased. Counting the main-tank rise as another purchase would inflate the balance by 80 litres. Retain the transfer record and check that the corresponding fall and rise refer to the same movement.

This treatment only holds when both tanks are inside the balance. If fuel enters from another vehicle or a depot tank outside it, that is an external addition to this truck's balance, even if the company already owned the fuel. Record the source without creating a second supplier purchase in the financial records.

Align tank readings, fills and distance

Use comparable, settled readings and their actual times. If the useful opening reading was taken after departure, the distance and fills must cover that same shorter period. Do not combine a full-trip distance with fuel measured over only part of the trip. Roadside movement, a fill in progress and a missing tank reading all need attention.

Confirm the vehicle, trip dates and tanks included in the review.
Check that opening and closing litres are available for every included tank.
Match each external addition to its time, litres and supporting record.
Identify transfers and review any fuel leaving the tanks outside normal running.
Use distance from the same period and a consistent, credible measurement source.

An absent reading is unknown, not an empty tank. If closing fuel exceeds opening fuel plus recorded additions, look for a missed fill or a measurement issue. Leave the result unresolved rather than inventing a balancing entry.

Investigate a difference before assigning a cause

Compare the truck with its own similar work: load condition, direction, route, waiting and operating conditions matter. A Nairobi–Mombasa loaded run and an empty return are different comparison groups. A result above the usual level is a reason to check the evidence, the operation and the vehicle; it does not identify who or what caused it.

Keep purchase evidence in the trip expense reconciliation and review measurement options in the fuel monitoring guide. Money spent, fuel added and fuel used should connect without becoming interchangeable figures.

Bring the evidence into the office review

Kora's completed-trip fuel balance brings tank readings, detected additions and distance together for authorised office users where supported telemetry is available. Coverage depends on the installed equipment and usable readings; some trips cannot produce a reliable balance. Vehicle-health comparisons are available on Pro and eligible Enterprise packages. Confirm your setup during a fleet walkthrough.

Close the review with the finding, its evidence and the next action: correct a record, check the measurement setup or open a maintenance job. Keep an unresolved case visibly unresolved until the evidence supports a conclusion.