Free tool
Travel cost calculator for tree crews
By Umair Nawaz, founder of Lirevon Updated How we test tools
Find out what it really costs to send your crew and trucks to a job and back. Enter your miles, vehicles, fuel price and crew cost. You get the cost per trip, the cost per mile, a minimum trip charge at your margin, a distance table and what travel does to small jobs. Every number is yours to change.
Related: Job costing · Service area · Help for growing tree companies · Quick answers
1. The trip
2. Vehicles going
Tick each vehicle that goes on this trip. Wear per mile is tires, oil, brakes, repairs and lost value, not fuel. For a towed chipper or trailer, set mpg to 0 so it only adds wear, and use the towing mpg on the truck that pulls it. The numbers below are starting points only, change them.
3. Crew and margin
Travel cost per trip (estimate)
Travel cost estimate
Travel cost per trip
–
Cost per mile, all-in
–
Vehicle cost per mile
–
Minimum trip charge at your margin
–
Estimate only, built from the numbers entered. Not a quote.
Distance table
Same vehicles, crew and tolls, at different distances from your yard. Drive time grows at the same average speed as your trip above.
| Miles from yard (one way) | Drive time (round trip) | Travel cost | Trip charge at margin |
|---|
How travel changes small jobs
Your travel cost for this trip, set against different job prices. Margin left assumes the job price already holds your target margin and travel was not charged.
| Job price before travel | Travel share | Margin left if travel is free | Price with trip charge |
|---|
How the math works
- Fuel = for each vehicle going, round-trip miles ÷ its mpg × fuel price. A row with mpg 0 uses no fuel of its own.
- Wear = for each vehicle going, round-trip miles × its wear cost per mile.
- Crew drive time = crew size × round-trip drive hours × loaded cost per person per hour.
- Travel cost per trip = fuel + wear + crew drive time + tolls and parking.
- Cost per mile, all-in = travel cost ÷ round-trip miles. Vehicle cost per mile = (fuel + wear) ÷ round-trip miles.
- Minimum trip charge = travel cost ÷ (1 − your margin), rounded up to the next $5.
- Distance table: round trip = 2 × miles from the yard. Drive time = round-trip miles × (your drive hours ÷ your round-trip miles). Tolls stay the same.
- Small jobs: travel share = travel cost ÷ job price. Margin left = (job price × your margin − travel cost) ÷ job price.
Questions about travel costs and trip charges
Should a tree service charge a trip fee?
Many do, especially for small jobs and far-away addresses. Whether you show it as its own line or build it into the price is your choice. What matters is that the cost of getting there is covered. This tool shows that cost so you can decide.
How do I work out what a trip costs my crew?
Add four things: fuel for each vehicle that goes, wear on each vehicle per mile, the paid drive time for the whole crew, and any tolls or parking. This tool adds them up from your own numbers and shows the formula.
What is a wear cost per mile?
It is what each mile costs you in tires, oil, brakes, repairs and the value the truck loses as miles go up. It does not include fuel. Your best source is your own repair and replacement records divided by miles driven. The numbers in the form are only starting points.
What miles per gallon should I use for a truck towing a chipper?
Use what the truck really gets while towing, which is usually lower than its empty number. Fill the tank, note the miles on a normal towing day, and divide. Put the chipper on its own row with mpg 0 so it only adds wear, since the truck burns the fuel.
Do I pay my crew for drive time?
Many crews are paid while they drive between the yard and jobs, so it is a real cost. The exact pay rules depend on your state and how your crew is set up. Short explanation, not legal advice: check your state's wage rules or ask a payroll professional.
What is a good minimum trip charge?
There is no single right number. A trip charge that covers your travel cost at your own margin is a sensible floor. This tool works that out and rounds it up to the next $5. Check it against what is normal in your area before you use it.
Should the trip charge go up with distance?
Many companies use zones: one price inside a set distance and a higher one beyond it. The distance table on this page shows how your travel cost grows at 10, 20, 30 and 50 miles from your yard, which is a simple way to set zones.
Why do small jobs feel like they lose money?
Travel costs about the same whether the job is a $300 trim or a $3,000 removal. On a small job that cost eats a big share of the price. The small job table shows how much of your margin is left if you do not charge for travel.
How far should my tree service travel for a job?
Far enough that the job still pays after travel. Use the distance table with your typical job size. If a 50-mile trip wipes out the margin on a normal job, that is a sign to add a zone charge or tighten your service area.
Is anything I type sent to Lirevon?
No. The math runs in your browser. Your numbers are only kept in this browser on this device so the form is filled in next time. Clear your browser data to remove them.
Every trip should be a booked job
Know your trip cost. Then catch every call.
Lirevon sets up missed-call text-back, an AI receptionist, follow-ups and online booking for tree companies, so more of the calls in your service area turn into jobs worth the drive.