How Are You Handling Gas Prices

[Bob Kraemer]

Are you adding a surcharge to service calls, increasing O/P % or......
Gas hit 3.659 here in Cincinnati, Ohio today.

 

[480sparky]

My hourly rate went up at the first of the year. So far, that's covering it.

 

[LawnGuyLandSparky]

My shop issued new credit cards.

 

[roger3829]

Are you adding a surcharge to service calls, increasing O/P % or......
Gas hit 3.659 here in Cincinnati, Ohio today.

Wow. That's a bargin!!! It's $3.79 over here....

Just going to push up hourly rate.

Oh yeah. Diesel is $4.50

 

[LarryFine]

It might seem fairer (if you tell customers about a fuel-cost increase) to add it to the 1st hour/trip charge. If you're at one place all day, why should they cover gas by the hour?

 

[macmikeman]

I review my important ratio's every Saturday morning. Increases in my costs show up and are dealt with in the following week by an increase in proposal price for any short term job to be done that week. Its the long term jobs that have the bigger effect on things when prices spike, especially gas price increases and copper spikes. When copper was doing the rapid rise, I included verbage in all contracts to cover for it. I'ts leveled off now so I admit I haven't been adding the clause much as of late. Been thinking about putting in a gas spike clause.

 

[tmbrk]

It might seem fairer (if you tell customers about a fuel-cost increase) to add it to the 1st hour/trip charge. If you're at one place all day, why should they cover gas by the hour?

That's what we do. Service charge to dispatch covers gas and travel.

$ 3.75 here in suburbs and beyond. I hear average price in Chicago is $3.85.

 

[LarryFine]

My last fill was at $3.429 at Costco.

 

[badabing]

Haha, regular unleaded was $4.09 at Westport, CT today as I drove by. Actually saw someone comming outta that station too. I bet they just went to the convenience store

 

[bikeindy]

It might seem fairer (if you tell customers about a fuel-cost increase) to add it to the 1st hour/trip charge. If you're at one place all day, why should they cover gas by the hour?

Raise your hourly rate and if they are still willing to pay it and it covers higher gas today it will cover higher gas nextyear when it is $10 a gal. Drill the oil and but the animals in the freezer they taste better than they look.

 

[frogneck77]

Greenwich,CT-$4.15 a gallon for regular- Good thing I get rewards points with my AMEX

 

[mh183]

i am looking in to a compact pick up for small service calls does any one do this

 

[peter d]

Greenwich,CT-$4.15 a gallon for regular- Good thing I get rewards points with my AMEX

CT has one of the highest state gas taxes in the nation, so that's no surprise. That's right up there with California prices.

 

[frogneck77]

We have a GMC Safari for service calls-At 12-15MPG its better than our cargo vans and its AWD-good for snowy days. I have been considering getting a regular passenger minivan i.e.Honda Odyssey. I hear they get 25+MPG. Plenty of storage space and drives like a car

 

[MAK]

i am looking in to a compact pick up for small service calls does any one do this

We are looking into the same thing right now but it probably won't be a pickup. I think the big wigs were looking at some down and dirty SUV.

 

[frogneck77]

CT has one of the highest state gas taxes in the nation, so that's no surprise. That's right up there with California prices.

I dont understand the drastic difference between cities-Where I live its $3.79-20 miles south its $4.15

 

[peter d]

Frogneck, good point. With these gas prices we may start to see some interesting changes to fleets.

 

[peter d]

I dont understand the drastic difference between cities-Where I live its $3.79-20 miles south its $4.15

Well, Westport is not exactly a down-and-out town, so that may have something to do with it.

 

[frogneck77]

I almost bought a Sprinter 2 years ago-The price of diesel here@$4.50+ makes me wonder if the extra MPG would be cost effective. Who out there knows the MPG of the Sprinter vs. Chevy Express 2500 and is good at math?

 

[peter d]

I almost bought a Sprinter 2 years ago-The price of diesel here@$4.50+ makes me wonder if the extra MPG would be cost effective. Who out there knows the MPG of the Sprinter vs. Chevy Express 2500 and is good at math?

I know the Express vans are 10-12 mpg depending on the size of the V8. That's pretty much half the mileage of the Sprinter, so even at current prices the math is still in favor of the diesel.