How Are You Handling Gas Prices

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frogneck77 said:
I almost bought a Sprinter 2 years ago-The price of diesel here@$4.50+ makes me wonder if the extra MPG would be cost effective. Who out there knows the MPG of the Sprinter vs. Chevy Express 2500 and is good at math?
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I think you need to figure in the cost of the vehical and maintenance also. any way I am figuring gas by the MP$ my Astro get 4.5 Miles to the $ and my 2500 gets 3.2 miles to the $. This makes it more realistic in terms of what you spend in a day traveling 50+ miles doing service work.
 
Ford super duty diesel 06 to 10 mpg empty or loaded.Need the big truck to haul my equipment but I'm seriously considering selling it all and going to rental stuff they will deliver and pick up for 40 bucks up to 75 miles
 
$1.229 /L here (that's $4.65 /gal)

At least they supply mints along with our company gas card...

I say we trundle down to the gas station with a 10' trailer-mounted derrick and drill for oil. Better yet, take a page from Mr. Burns and set up a slant-drilling operation at the Timmy's next door.




While looking for a slant-drilling picture I stumbled across this gem. "Bending cables and tubing at right-angles is both difficult and inadvisable. The 3D-bit simplifies installation work by giving the hole an appropriate curvature."
 
So to all the contractors - you've CYA for the spike in gas prices so that your business remains profitable. Have you also increased the wages to your employees, they have to fill their tanks too...
 
LarryFine said:
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?
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the same logic that makes it standard for customers who actually hire us to pay more so we can provide "free" estimates to people who are price shopping....
 
LawnGuyLandSparky said:
So to all the contractors - you've CYA for the spike in gas prices so that your business remains profitable. Have you also increased the wages to your employees, they have to fill their tanks too...
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They can ride their bike to work or take the bus (I have a bus stop one block from my shop) or car pool that isin't the case for my truck going down the road to the job, or picking up material.
 
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LawnGuyLandSparky said:
So to all the contractors - you've CYA for the spike in gas prices so that your business remains profitable. Have you also increased the wages to your employees, they have to fill their tanks too...
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You're more than welcome to ask for a raise when gas prices go up just like a contractor can ask for more per hour when gas prices go up. Either way the person that is paying you has to feel like you are worth the price increase just like the customer has to feel like the contractor is worth the price increase.

There's nothing stopping you from asking for a raise when the costs of things increase. Doesn't mean you'll get it. Just because a contractor raises his rates to cover gas expenses doesn't mean he'll get it either. Some customer's may take their business elswhere just like some employees may seek employment elswhere if they don't get a raise.

Does the contractor really control how much money you make or do you?

As far as I know an employee is free to sell his services for whatever he can get for them. If you feel you're not paid enough you have the option of finding someone else to work for who will pay your price, just like a contractor has the option of finding other customer's that will pay his price.

If you can't get your price maybe it's time to look into another line of work that will pay the price you want or become a contractor. No one dictates how much money you make but yourself.
 
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I started charging an extra fuel cost when it hit $3/gal. Now I charge .3/mile, I estimate the mileage for the job and add it to it. My vehicle wear and tear is already figured into the hourly rate, I bury the extra fuel cost in material, I don't specifically list it on the invoice as fuel, that tends to p.o. people, especially the ones who are ignorant as to what it takes to run a business.
 
I use a Montanna mini-van for my own service vehicle. My help ride around in a 4x4, 10mpg service truck. Most of my work is small service calls, testing, locates and PR. It easily gets 22 mpg and will handle small bundles of conduit when layed between the front seats. I wish the mfgs that make bins for vans would start looking at providing equipment for these smaller vehicles.

Still, I just purchased an 07 Chevy work truck that will eventually have a service body installed. Sometimes you just need more.
 
The cost is getting too high..

The cost is getting too high..

I am having a bit of a struggle with it here, as I do a lot of travel every week.

I used to spend about $40/week, now well over $95 and climbing.

Current "cheap" price for Reg. Unleaded is $3.85
 
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