Travel Costs

[Nick Griffin]

It’s typical to charge for expenses and half your normal rate for time spent in transit. Here in the states the accepted federal deductable tax rate for auto mileage is 50.5 cents per mile and that’s what we charge clients. We then do not charge for things like gas, but do for highway tolls. Hope this is helpful.

[Scott Sheriff]

Scott C.
“In addition to charging for the mileage, do I charge for the travelling time, perhaps a reduced rate? It is using my time even though I am an in transit.”

Absolutely. Mileage (whatever the standard rate is where you are), plus travel time, counting load in/out, plus reasonable expenses.
Or mileage and per diem, which would be better for overnight travel.
Some (non media) businesses that travel to the client is a regular part of the job, often incorporate travel time into their mileage charge so it is easier for the client to anticipate their costs.
I usually go with mileage/travel/expenses.

Scott Sheriff
Director
https://www.sstdigitalmedia.com

I have a system, it has stuff in it, and stuff hooked to it. I have a camera, it can record stuff. I read the manuals, and know how to use this stuff and lots of other stuff too.
You should be suitably impressed…

[Scott Carnegie]

Thanks for the input. I am going to charge a one full day per deim (drive 4 hours, shoot for 5, drive home for 4), mileage (covers gas and wear), half my normal rate for the travel time and my half day rate for the shott, plus gear of course 🙂

http://www.MediaCircus.TV
Media Production Services
Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada

[Nick Griffin]

Two of our clients who send out machinery service people, bill travel time at a reduced hourly rate — reduced but more than half — and charge for this “door-to-door”: in other words from the time they leave their office until they return, plus per diems, plus travel expenses. We don’t go that far. Wish we could, but I live in a different reality.

[Grinner Hester]

I’m a simple man. I base my bids on my day rate. Period. It includes travel days. Not the norm, I know, but when I’m sitting on a runway, I can’t bill for editing. In a nutshell, what I sell is my time and none of it is worth less than other times.

[Patrick Ortman]

Agree with the rest- basically a 50% rate, unless the journey’s special.

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PatrickOrtman, Inc.
Los Angeles Digital Agency and Video Production Company

[Bob Cole]

Travel day: half rate plus actual expenses or mileage.

Often when I get there early enough, the client wants to start shooting – which turns the half day rate into a full day rate.

Bob C

[Mike Cohen]

We build travel costs into our project cost – time, mileage, airfare, hotel, meals, tips, tolls. We use mileage rates for internal reimbursement only unless the client wants that level of oversight. We generally do not do day rates – we do projects. So if I know that a shoot is in LA vs Atlanta, I can estimate the travel costs and time required to get there and get back.
I also know whether to make reservations at Gladstones or Dante’s Down the Hatch!

Mike Cohen

[Patrick Ortman]

mmmm Dante’s Down The Hatch… every Atlanta project I’ve been a part of has had a celebration there, it seems.

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PatrickOrtman, Inc.
Los Angeles Digital Agency and Video Production Company