Truck charges/Service calls.

[Temprite]

Hello everyone.

With the rising cost of fuel, you have to be able to justify travelling long distances to some jobs.

We were not charging service calls on local jobs because being a small town some local people didnt appreciate a service call for a job that might have taken 5 minutes to diagnose a burnt out compressor for example.

For out of town jobs we charge a travel rate per km.

But I think a straight service call for every job local or not would more applicable at least your fuel costs would be covered. My thoughts would be that the service call would cover all travel plus the first 15 minutes on the job.

Just wondering whether other mechanics use a similar thing or something that may be a better idea as I am soon planning to change it.

Thanks in advance.

[botrous]

Hi temprite
Well I do charge for travelling by Km , and i charge the first hour of work . . . everybody seems happy , but they all want that i work the full hour , so when i am in a hurry , i just make them a discount , else . . .. . .

[Argus]

.

Travel cost is not just fuel.

It can take 2 hours to travel 50 miles here, plus there is a flat charge of ?8 each day to drive in London....


.
________
vapormatic vaporizer

[Temprite]

Thanks for the replies.

Ended up changing to a service call which covers all the travel and the first 15 minutes on the job. This covers any job in our "normal" service area. Anything out of this will be charged a mileage rate.

After a bit of research was surprised at how many different ways you can actually set it up. But the way I have settled on makes life simple.

[botrous]

After a bit of research was surprised at how many different ways you can actually set it up. But the way I have settled on makes life simple

La simplicité fait la beauté
simplicity makes the beauty

regards

[Abe]

Temprite

I find totting up mileage a bit cumbersome

Better, have a "flat rate"

Ie; Local say................$50
30 Kms $100

etc, etc

That way u cover for both your fuel and time which covers your analisis

[Temprite]

Thanks for the replies.

Ended up changing to a service call which covers all the travel and the first 15 minutes on the job. This covers any job in our "normal" service area. Anything out of this will be charged a mileage rate.

After a bit of research was surprised at how many different ways you can actually set it up. But the way I have settled on makes life simple.

Have to say that the service call has been a success.

People never complain about the service call but I would get regular questions about the travel charge.

Much easier working with one figure rather than noting down kilometers on every job.

We now recover more money back from travel than before.

The only downside is the local people cop it in the neck when before they didnt have to pay at all, but havent had one complaint.

[shark26]

The way i have always done this is to have a call out charge which is the same for everyone and includes the first hour on site. That way if you dont need to work the full hour the client is informed that it includes travel.
If you do a job 50 miles from base and then have a call that is only 1 mile from base you still use fuel to get there. If a job comes in that is a long long way then charge a fuel rate.

[JimmyMurphy]

I work in an area that is very spread out sometimes travelling up to 300km in a day. We charge a flat rate by the hour for travelling as well as $1.70/km. The roads in some areas are so poor that this charge covers fuel as well as wear and tear on the vehicle and more often then not windshields.

[Andy]

I work in an area that is very spread out sometimes travelling up to 300km in a day. We charge a flat rate by the hour for travelling as well as $1.70/km. The roads in some areas are so poor that this charge covers fuel as well as wear and tear on the vehicle and more often then not windshields.

Jimmy

with a name like yours you must be of Irish decent

Kind Regards Andy