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#20770 01/20/03 08:55 AM
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 1,457
E
Member
I am working on a job that requires two hours of travel each way. I can (and have) stayed overnight at the job reducing my travel. What is an acceptable charge for my travel time. It hardly seems fair to charge my normal hourly rate just for driving. I was thinking of using a mileage rate. The rate used by the feds is $.36 per mile. This seems a little low for my gas guzzler. Any thoughts?

#20771 01/20/03 09:39 AM
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 2,056
R
Member
I have been reimbursed by my day company at the fed. rate. It adds up pretty quick, but that was just for mileage. You will need to add some percentage (50% ?) of your standard rate for your time.

#20772 01/20/03 09:42 AM
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 59
S
Member
I have to travel 2-4 hours away from home quite a bit for jobs. I always charge normal hourly rate for travel time. Also charge per diem if I stay over night.

#20773 01/20/03 10:19 PM
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 2,527
B
Moderator
Might be worth researching if the "...rate used by the feds is $.36 per mile" applies to passenger cars, average-sized pickups or 3/4-ton trucks with tools and meterials.

#20774 01/20/03 11:04 PM
Joined: Dec 2001
Posts: 300
M
Member
We use a commercial laundry service company to repair several pieces of equipment where I work. All of these companies I've worked with charge the same way. The customer pays travel at the regular hourly rate from the last stop to your site.

So if the guy happens to be working in my town, travel is cheap. I've had him drive 4 hours before to get to me and I paid the 4 hours travel. I asked the mechanic how much time is spent in a day traveling.

He figured he billed about 5 hours for travel time and 3 hours for work time each day. But all at the same rate. So traveling was fine with him.

#20775 01/20/03 11:28 PM
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 210
S
Member
I think it is common practice to bill for the time it takes you to get there at full rate. The time coming home is debatable.

#20776 01/21/03 12:08 AM
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 85
C
Member
Spyder brings up a good point, does anyone actually eat the travel time in order to get a job. I know our guys sometimes travel 45mins to 1 hr away to a site and only bill one hour travel a day. I didn't think that this was too bad a deal for everyone concerned.

#20777 01/21/03 04:44 AM
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 2,723
Likes: 1
Broom Pusher and
Member
At the last Company, I charged normal Hourly Rate for Travel Time when one-way distance exceeded 30 Miles.

Fuel and PerDiem (plus other out-of pocket expenses) were reimbursed according to job number and pay period (pay check / time card).

Sometimes PerDiem allotments were issued on a check and given to the traveling person prior to out of town work (central or northern California travel). This included Motel and personal expenses (excluing fuel) anticipated for the period of travel (per day).
What was not used got reimbursed to the company, what was paid out by the employee got reimbursed by the company.
Receipts were included with time cards to verify expenses.

Since this was working very well and made too much sense, it of course had to be ended!
The key clown involved with this great idea was the same joker responsible for numerous other dumb things (like writing a book on "What NOT to do as a Prog. Mgr."!).
[Linked Image]

This became known as "Curtis' Brainchild #100". [Linked Image]

Man I am sooooooooooo glad to be away from that bonehead! [Linked Image] [Linked Image]

Scott35 s.e.t.


Scott " 35 " Thompson
Just Say NO To Green Eggs And Ham!
#20778 01/21/03 02:48 PM
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 83
P
Member
I'm glad someone brought up this topic.

How do the rest of you charge for the time it takes to pick up materials??

#20779 01/21/03 05:11 PM
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 680
W
Member
I charge hourly rate and .40$ a mile to and from but my job is more service related than construction. It also helps that my customers are all oil companies [Linked Image]


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