Travel Charges

After reading a bunch of searched postings, I thought I'd just start a new posting on this topic of what to charge a client for my travel distance/time.

So... What to charge?

I've been trying to get a client to find at least one other neighbor in the area (farm areas) that needs a tune up.

I sure appreciate your input weather it's from the client's or Technician's standpoint.

I used to charge a little more outside of a certain area, and charge a little extra for some things. Instead, I raised my price a little and now just give better service in a little larger area. My area has about a 30 minute radius. I haven’t been called to tune further. I guess I would charge more in that case, but would probably suggest they find someone closer.

Hi Jeff,

I think that's a good plan. It hides the trav charges and blankets the charge over the client base.

What, if I may, do you you charge for a PR and a FT? (you can pm me if you want with this to keep it off the post)

Thanks much for the reply.

I charge so that I make about the same per hour as I do at my regular job, plus 1 hour as a service charge to cover transportation. I take my time. 1/2 hour per pitch raise, 2 hours for tuning. I pay a great deal of attention to stability.

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When I first went self-employed, I would chase work anywhere I could find it -

and not charge any extra for travelling 30 miles than I did for 1 mile.

These days, 99% of my clients are within a 5-mile radius (I live in a densely-populated area).

If someone from outside of that radius 'phones me, I simply explain that, due to the extra

travelling time, a small extra charge will be made.

It doesn't have to be excessive, but should cover your additional time & petrol costs.

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We travel a fair amount (45K miles yearly) around a rural, and small city area in SW Michigan, and also to deliver rebuilt pianos around the country as well.

For tuning/service work, I don't charge for mileage, but others who are very well respected in our area do, and it probably makes sense to do so.

What I have found is that, with pre-scheduling and filled days, the travel in my small Yaris (40MPG) is basically a non-issue since I'm visiting 4-6 homes in the area that day.

For emergency, or one-off appointments that are more than a short ride, I do charge an extra $25 or so to cover the gas and some of my time...but otherwise our policy is just a straight fee.

I'm in the middle, cost-wise, with my friends in the industry, FWIW

RPD

I thank you all for the valuable input. I think I'll end up combining all these ideas in some form or another to make sure I don't loose my proverbial "shorts" over this.

Thanks

I have a travel area. Usually about....15 minutes one direction. After that, I tack on an extra $20 per tuning to cover my gas and vehicle expenses. If it's to far, I will also charge mileage as well. I know of no companies that do extra traveling for nothing out of town other than piano tuners but, I suppose there is an exception to every rule. In my eyes, it is a business that needs to be treated as such and deserves to make a profit like any other business.

I figure this way. I tune 4-6 pianos a day regardless of where I am servicing. To me, traveling 90 minutes round trip just took away 2 tunings and cost me a lot of money in traveling expenses. At a cost of 70 cents a mile (about) if you traveled 100 miles which is very easy to do when traveling out of town, it just cost you $70 to only drive out there and back not including your time.

Of course, when I travel out of town, I will not go there unless I have enough tunings to make it worth my while. I might as well just stay here and work then for a lot less over all expense and miles put onto the vehicle.

Thanks Jerry,

Trouble is, the hotel/motel charge for those one or two day stays.. oh, and food bills. It all adds up.

Yup, charge, and if they don't like it, let them find another tuner. A business attitude.

Jerry. What model of car do you drive for your tuning service?
I recently switched to a very fuel efficient car and man is it great. Most of my appointments are within 30 min. but now I don't mind going farther. My other vehicle only got 17 MPG. Ouch.

...hmmm....food for thought, that.

I guess it makes sense, but we also rebuild here, and THAT part of the industry requires travel more than my tunings.

But, I can't always differentiate the two on first calls...and it just seems simpler here (in a smallish city and surrounding area, unlike Grand Rapids) to have a straight and inclusive fee. It might be a holdover from our musical booking...it was always easier to be "self contained" and inclusive, without the lengthy riders and extra needs to confuse clients...)I find that many times we sell enough additional product (Dampp Chasers, regulations etc) that it isn't a big deal.

...but yeah, your way of doing it does make sense too...

RPD

Like Mr. Scofield, when I first started out, I needed to take whatever I could get. I have ended up with pockets of clients up to 45 minutes away from my home. I don't charge for mileage as long as I can schedule a cluster of them in a certain area on the same day. Like Jerry, I see the drive time as lost tuning time. But I also see it as an opportunity to experience a change of scene from time to time. I go to San Francisco about once a month and schedule 3-4 tunings within a 4-5 mile radius. Though the drive is 45 minutes in each direction, it's well worth the trip. Also, it gives me a good chunk of time to listen to audio books or music for an extended time.

I start tuning usually between 9 and 10 am, and normally don't finish until 7 or 8 pm. This allows me to miss nasty traffic at both ends of the day, and I can squeeze in a bike ride before work in the morning.

Check this out. http://www.commutesolutions.org/calc.htm

I am a big guy and drive a Caddy. It's an older car, a 1994. I paid cash for it 5 years ago so, no car payments. It gets 18 MPH in the city and 26-28 on the highway so, I can't complain about the gas mileage for sure. Plus, hehehe, it goes like a bat out of hell when you need it!

I read an article that I can't find for anything about 3 years ago or more. It talked all about business vehicle driving expenses. It added up the costs of running a business vehicle. It included everything from car insurance to car payments and if you don't have payments how much a month we should be setting aside for the purchase of our next vehicle depending on how many miles we drive per year. This does not include driving for vacation time or elsewhere only to work and back or something business related.

The article included things like how much we spend on gasoline per year, the average cost to operate the vehicle per mile, normal wear and tear, replacing tires more often because of additional mileage. It included continual oil changes, (I change mine on average, once a month or more often because of my traveling about 25-30,000 miles per year) transmission flushes, unexpected mechanical break downs, routine mechanical maintenance. You name it, it was in there.

At that time, they figured that it cost the average business owner regardless of what vehicle they chose to drive, about $700 a month "on average" to maintain their business vehicle. This of course, includes everything I listed above and more.

It emphasized how with a business vehicle, because we put on more mileage than the average person does, it costs us more to maintain things such as additional tire replacement for example because of our additional mileage.

It didn't seem to matter much to them if a person drove a smaller car with better mileage or a larger one. Mostly because with either vehicle, about the only basic difference is the amount of money saved in gas. Over all, we still have to replace and/or repair the items on these vehicles at about the same rate as with any other.

That's a great site Jerry. thanks

I'll play around with some numbers there.

I think my truck gets about 12-15 mpg and my 2000 Bonneville gets anywhere from 18-32 mpg (depending on wind and other little factors) I once came home from Billings in a terrible snow storm and got 35 mpg! I was only moving 30 to 35 mph. wow!- what a long 6 hour trip that was!

Thanks again

You betcha Scooters!

My vehicle that I just replaced had a very high cost of ownership simply because it required things such as fuel filters, flushes, lubes, alignments, far more frequently than the car I replaced it with. The replacement car has a very low cost of ownership due to the lower regular maintenance that it requires for the amount of miles driven, as well as much better MPG.

I went through the numbers very carefully and realized that one can save A LOT of money with the right vehicle. Plus, I find it very inconvenient to bring my car to the shop every two months. It gets old fast.

That's very true. We have car payments or car repairs but either way, it costs money to operate which is why I personally think we should be charging additional for traveling time and service calls but, to each our own!

My 2005 F-150 has 108,000 miles on it.

My 2007 Toyota Yaris has 105,000 miles on it.

Purchased both, new.

Never will buy new again. Spanking myself on a regular basis.

The Yaris will, if it obeys me, go another 100K. The truck will probably be traded/sold in a couple years and I'll take a financial hosing.

There's no way to win, but Jerry's idea above to purchase a well used car for cash is the Dave Ramsey way, and that's what we'll do next. Probably a Rord Taurus or something equally un-sexy.

RPD

I agree. Jerry did the right thing. I was planning on doing just that until my van that I bought new in 03 went T. U. the same exact month it was paid off. I'm still reeling from the massive financial hosing that I received on that one. Problem is I didn't have enough cash put away for a decent used car yet. Live and learn I say.

Hi Guys,

To me, it doesn't mater if I buy new or used. I usually get hosed. I just take it as a mater of fact. My 92 GMC 3/4 ton pickup I bought in 2002 only had 35k miles on it as it was owned by a guy who was very ill for years. I had it two months and the transmission went out!

Stuff happens. I would like something I could carry an action in and secure it well, like a mini van.

This has been a very educational Topic, thanks to all!