Consultant travel time/charges
Discussion
Does anybody add a charge for travelling?
I have a 90 mile rule that if I am within 90 miles I travel as part of the daily charge. Over 90 miles and I add £50.
That tends to work Ok for middle distance runs but this next few weeks I have a run to darkest Dorset ( 250 miles plus and 5 hours each way if I am lucky) and I was in South Wales earlier this week (almost 4 hours there and five back in the evening traffic ). I obviously charge the mileage at 40p a mile both ways which helps a bit but it feels like I am doing 2 days for my days rate + £50.
Anybody add a sliding chrage and are customers Ok with it?
I have a 90 mile rule that if I am within 90 miles I travel as part of the daily charge. Over 90 miles and I add £50.
That tends to work Ok for middle distance runs but this next few weeks I have a run to darkest Dorset ( 250 miles plus and 5 hours each way if I am lucky) and I was in South Wales earlier this week (almost 4 hours there and five back in the evening traffic ). I obviously charge the mileage at 40p a mile both ways which helps a bit but it feels like I am doing 2 days for my days rate + £50.
Anybody add a sliding chrage and are customers Ok with it?
Edited by Brown and Boris on Monday 17th November 19:20
Mine depends on the client, but if the home to office travel time is in excess of 8 hours, then I charge another day.
Some clients prefer that I start Monday afternoon and leave Friday lunchtime instead though - although I do charge a full day for ech of those 'half days'.
Other clients will have none of it and I simply adjust my rates accordingly.
Some clients prefer that I start Monday afternoon and leave Friday lunchtime instead though - although I do charge a full day for ech of those 'half days'.
Other clients will have none of it and I simply adjust my rates accordingly.
I started with the £50 travel surcharge when I noted that one of my competitors was charging the extra hours if it was over 90 miles at £90 an hour (their day rate). As most of my clients know each other I didn't feel I could start charging them all different amounts so came up with the extra £50 idea. There used to be some margin in the travel too because the Dorset trip is 500 miles, so they will pay £200 in travel and I wil get away with a £60 tank of diesel but the 40p these days only really covers the true cost of travel by car oif you incluide the servicing, maintenabce and some of the other costs of owning.
I don't think I would charge the extra travel if I was there for the week.
I don't think I would charge the extra travel if I was there for the week.
Situated next to the M25 I don't charge for travel into London (in this case, inside the M25), then I charge petrol/rail and or parking as necessary for travel outside of London. If the journey is going to take me more than 2 hours and a 9am start is required then I charge for the time and/or accommodation if necessary.
Having said that, some jobs are charged on a day-rate but may only require me bing on-site for 3 or 4 hours, in which case I wouldn't charge the travel time but would the actual travel cost.
In short, every job is different and charged according to a general plan.
Having said that, some jobs are charged on a day-rate but may only require me bing on-site for 3 or 4 hours, in which case I wouldn't charge the travel time but would the actual travel cost.
In short, every job is different and charged according to a general plan.
We build expenses and travel costs into the day rate - what used to be called a "composite rate".
Firms are much happier knowing that there is a fixed daily cost or, even better, a fixed cost for the job.
It is SO much better not charging back expenses as you get into all sorts of pissing matches with their accounts departments wanting to have reciepts (which YOU need) or copies of them, at least, and other nonsense.
When we write a letter with Ts&Cs we specify that this is the case.
Our customers cannot compare their day rates.
Firms are much happier knowing that there is a fixed daily cost or, even better, a fixed cost for the job.
It is SO much better not charging back expenses as you get into all sorts of pissing matches with their accounts departments wanting to have reciepts (which YOU need) or copies of them, at least, and other nonsense.
When we write a letter with Ts&Cs we specify that this is the case.
Our customers cannot compare their day rates.
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