Reading and delivery errors
Wrong stick or gauge readings, or delivery tickets that do not match what reached the tank.
Do thisRe-take readings and compare each delivery ticket with the tank increase.
Free report generator
Fuel Inventory Reconciliation Report Generator
Enter your opening and closing tank readings, deliveries and gallons sold for each tank. See the variance for every tank as you type, then print a signed reconciliation report.
Free to use
Variance updates as you type
Saved in your browser
Print or save as PDF
1 Store and period
2 Tank readings
One row per tank, in gallons. Opening and closing are the inventory readings at the start and end of the period.
How to fill this in
- Opening: the tank reading at the start of the period (last period's closing).
- Deliveries: gallons received, from your delivery tickets (bills of lading), not your estimate.
- Gallons sold: metered sales for the same tank and period, from your POS or fuel controller.
- Closing: the tank reading at the end of the period, taken at the same time of day as the opening.
Book = opening + deliveries − gallons sold. Variance = closing − book. Example: 8,000 + 6,000 − 9,500 = 4,500 book; a closing reading of 4,430 gives a variance of −70 gallons.
| Tank | Product | Opening | Deliveries | Gallons sold | Closing | Book | Variance | Var % | Status |
|---|
3 Limits, notes and sign-off
%
Default is the U.S. EPA inventory-control standard: 1.0% of flow-through plus 130 gallons per month. Your state may differ.
gal
Added to the percentage limit, per tank.
Report preview
This is exactly what will print. It updates as you edit, and signature lines print blank for you to sign by hand.
Your report
A formatted report with all tank rows, totals, notes and signature lines. Your numbers stay in this browser.
This report is a working document, not an official release detection or compliance record.
Get your PDF report
Enter your details to print or save this report as a PDF. Our accountants may follow up to offer a free review of your numbers. No obligation.
Behind the numbers
How this report works
- 1
Book inventory
For each tank: opening inventory plus deliveries minus gallons sold. This is what should be in the tank.
- 2
Variance
Closing inventory minus book inventory. A negative number means fuel is missing. A positive number means more fuel than expected.
- 3
Variance percent
Variance divided by gallons sold, which shows how large the gap is compared with throughput.
- 4
Three levels
Within the limit and under 0.5% is OK. Over 0.5% but within the limit is Watch. Beyond the limit is Investigate. The default limit is the U.S. EPA inventory-control standard of 1.0% of flow-through plus 130 gallons per month, and you can change it.
Common causes
When variance is negative, check these first
Meter calibration
Dispensers that deliver slightly more than they record put fuel out of the tank without a sale.
Do thisCheck that meters were calibrated recently and keep the certificates.
Temperature and timing
Fuel expands and contracts, and readings taken at different times of day disagree.
Do thisTake readings at the same time each day and note temperature on large deliveries.
A real loss
A leak or theft shows as a steady negative variance that does not fix itself.
Do thisIf checks do not explain it, stop and call a tank technician. Follow your state rules.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
What is a fuel inventory reconciliation?
It compares what your tanks should hold (opening inventory plus deliveries minus sales) with what they actually hold at the end of the period. The difference is your variance.
What variance is acceptable?
Small differences are normal because of temperature, measurement and meter calibration. A common benchmark is under 0.5% of throughput. The U.S. EPA inventory-control standard for tank release detection is 1.0% of flow-through plus 130 gallons on a monthly basis. Your state or tank regulator may set its own rules.
Is this report an official compliance record?
No. It is a working report. Official release detection records must meet your regulator's requirements, and some methods require specific equipment, daily readings and certified procedures. Check with your state tank program.
Should I do this every day or every month?
Daily readings are best for catching problems early, and monthly totals are what you review and keep. You can use this report for any period by changing the dates.
What causes a negative variance?
Leaks, theft, meter or stick errors, temperature changes, unrecorded drive-offs, or wrong delivery volumes. Investigate in that order of seriousness, starting by re-checking readings and delivery tickets.
Keep going
Related guides and services
Guide
Wet stock reconciliation guide
Wet stock reconciliation is the process of comparing physical fuel in your tanks against what the books say sh...
Read more → ResourceWet stock variance calculator
Free calculator that checks whether your fuel shrinkage and variance are within a normal range.
Read more → ServiceFuel inventory reconciliation service
Match what's in your tanks to what your books say - every day. Catch fuel shrinkage and loss before it bleeds...
Explore service →More free tools: All free resources
A report cannot fix bad data
The variance is only as good as the readings and delivery tickets behind it. If your fuel keeps coming up short, we can reconcile it for you every month.
Get your free books reviewFinTruction · Construction Clients
Proof from our construction brand
Real US-based contractors. Same team, same operational discipline that we now bring to gas stations. Construction is a different vertical - but the muscle (multi-stream books, cost reconciliation, niche specialization) is the same one stations need.
"They didn't just record transactions and call it a day. They built a custom chart of accounts around how a remodeling company actually runs, did a full catch-up on years of bookkeeping inside QuickBooks Online, and now stay on top of my monthly bookkeeping and payroll."
Oniel CampbellFounder, Moonz Contracting
"Sahil and his team have been handling the bookkeeping and job costing for my painting business. They've done a great job cleaning up my books, using integrations to give me accurate, timely job costing and solid weekly data. Reliable, and the team is very detailed."
Dalton MayberryOwner, ProperCoat Painting
"They rebuilt the whole thing from the ground up, with real job costing, WIP, and retainage."
Carl Moore
Owner, Hearth & Haus
"They set the accounts up properly first, then cleaned up everything I never entered."
RolianOwner, Overtime Electric
"When I came to them I had no financial structure in place at all. No job costing, no WIP tracking, books were behind, no real way to tell if any job was actually making money. They came in, did a full cleanup, and set up job costing and WIP tracking inside QuickBooks."
Clay PearsonOwner, C. Pearson Contracting Corp
Book a Free Books Review
Find out what your numbers are really telling you.
Book a free books review. We'll look at your setup, show you what's missing, and tell you exactly how we'd fix it. No pressure, no obligation.
- 30-minute call, your time
- We look at a sample of your books
- Clear scope & pricing afterward
Prefer to skip the form?