Nope, I can back every bit of it up. I didnt claim it though, as to not get audited. It wouldn't have given me any more money than the standard deduction of $11,400 for filing jointly. That more than covered what I payed in. But if you pay more than the standard deduction in ($5,700 single, $11,400 joint), then it would be wise to itemize.
I drove ALOT for my job. All over the east of the country, and you can deduct that if you use your personal vehicle. I did, and the standard is .55 a mile. I put 25k on my car last year, of which about 20k was work related. You can write off meals, lodging, and laundry while away on work as well. So long as you weren't reimbursed for it.