# Question for you Rough in Guys



## Pac Rim Plumber (Jun 23, 2010)

Well with the new employer means a change in the work vehicle.

I can get a employer vehicle, but it will be parked at the shop. This would mean I would have a 30 mile drive to/from work on top of what ever driving to get to/from jobsite.

I am leaning towards using my personal truck, with rembursement for miles during work. I would not always have to drive to shop in the AM and would be able to head straight home or go for a run or bike ride with the extra time after work. 

I am looking for you thoughts for setting the truck up, I will be doing 75% very high end residential (what I call light commercial) and commercial work.

My options areas follows:
#1 A canopy on bed with side opening windows $2000.00/7 to 10 days
#2 Weathur guard super high side truck boxes $1600.00/3 to 4 weeks
#3 Custom high side boxes with a slide out drawer over fender will/under the box $4000.00/6 weeks plus

I am building a raised deck today to hold the ladders(etc) and need to order my choice over the next few days.

I am leaning towards the weathur guard high side boxs do to leaving access to the bed open, no climbing into a canopy, we do not get alot of rain here.
I was going to use in the bed some med/lrg size job boxes to secure tools and materials

What is your thoughts for this?


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## plbgbiz (Aug 27, 2010)

What specifically will you get paid for using your own vehicle?


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## alberteh (Feb 26, 2012)

I'm with Plbgbiz. 

For some reason i don't think it'll be enough...


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## Pac Rim Plumber (Jun 23, 2010)

Mileage during working hours


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## plbgbiz (Aug 27, 2010)

Pac Rim Plumber said:


> Mileage during working hours


paid by employer? How much per mile? How many miles per year do you anticipate?


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## plbgbiz (Aug 27, 2010)

What kind of truck will you provide? What kind of truck is the company vehicle?


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## Pac Rim Plumber (Jun 23, 2010)

I would be providing my ram 2500, quad cab 4x4

My employers fleet is a a 2 or 3 vans, pickup trucks with canopys/high side boxes or flat beds. They are mostly older work vehicles with nothing special.

I know I will am loosing some on this deal, one of the reasons for the change in employers though was time=Quality of Life, to gain 1 to 1.5 hours a day is hard to put a price tag on. I also am a Tool Whore according to my wife, I am not completly comfortable with leaving my tools in town, I know they would be covered by my employer, but after having tools stolen once in my life I would rather have them near my shotgun at night.


The new employeris financially sound I check. He does not have fleet of fancy new trucks, yet he does not have the overhead paying for them either.


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## plbgbiz (Aug 27, 2010)

How much will you get paid per mile by the employer?


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## alberteh (Feb 26, 2012)

If you still think its a good idea after plbgbiz gets through with you then don't forget to change your insurance on the truck, possibly the registration (since it'll now be used commercially though i don't know the rules in your area)


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## HSI (Jun 3, 2011)

I have four guys working for me doing tube work for different hospitals around the state. I pay my foreman 20 bucks a day plus mileage when they use their truck to haul tools or material.


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## Pac Rim Plumber (Jun 23, 2010)

Biz rembursement is 56.5 cents per mile per FED 2013

I am hearing what you are saying and I may be wrong to be considering this, you know the saying there is no dumb question.

All of my work so far in the plumbing world has been with mechanical contractors. I have worked 85% service and 15% TI remodels and such. I have very little experience in the construction side itself. I see other trades driving personal vehicles to/from a jobsite and did not put enough thought into it.
There is 2 different ways to look at this too, the employee vs the employer. I think that I look at everything from the employers viewpoint. Is that wrong probably not but it does take my time and energies that are not compensated.

Here is a question for you Biz
Employer: 7 to 330 work hours
The crew shows up 615 to 645 am, general chit chat, get dispatched, drive to jobsite 30 to 50 min away. End of the day pack up and leave jobsite so back at shop around 330 to 345 pm.
Thats 8.0 hours labor cost a day:
Call it 1.5 hrs drive time
Chit chat at jobsite .50 (Has to be factored couse you know it happens)
1.0 hrs setup/clean up 
Leaving 5.0 hrs for actual work

VS: 7 to 330 work hours
Arrive on Jobsite 645 am, Ready to go at 7AM
Chit chat at jobsite .50
1.0 hrs setup/clean up
6.5 hours labor
Leave jobsite at 330 PM

Employee: (From my viewpoint) 7 to 330 work hours
Shows up 615 to 645 am, general chit chat , get dispatched, drive to jobsite 30 to 50 min away. End of the day pack up and leave jobsite so back at shop around 330 to 345 pm.
Thats 8.0 hours labor cost a day:
Call it 1.5 hrs drive time
Chit chat at jobsite .50 (Has to be factored couse you know it happens)
1.0 hrs setup/clean up 
Leaving 5.0 hrs for actual work
Personal time spent on driving to/from shop1.25 to 1.5 hrs a day

VS:
Arrive on Jobsite 645 am, Ready to go at 7AM
Chit chat at jobsite .50
1.0 hrs setup/clean up
6.5 hours labor
Leave jobsite at 330 PM
Personal time spent on drive to/from Job site 1.0 hours a day

Now dont take me wrong there is nothing wrong with the employees mindset, I just dont have it, never have and never will. My grandfather taught me right on work ethic and loyalty to a employer. Something I have learned though is that I have to be carefull on how much I give at times.

Back to the orignal discussion though, how many construction guys get a company truck? Vs how many drive there own, from the questions Biz is asking I am wondering if I am thinking crazy. 
Also the employer started making trucks be left at the shop after a old employee had a accident while drunk.


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## suzie (Sep 1, 2010)

My proposal then is this, if I put my tools on the truck what compensation will I get? Around here gas reimbursement is .547/mile. Look at options and use company truck versus your own. I don't believe you will be ever compensated for using your own vehicle no matter what...just saying. How do you equate and owner agree?


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## redbeardplumber (Dec 4, 2012)

I have used my own vehicle for 3 different employers... 2 were mileage.... One was an hourly rate...

In hindsight both mileage jobs was not worth it.

The hourly one was great, he gave me 5$ an hour...

Driving the company van home would have been my choice, but I lived 30 min away, and he wouldn't let me


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## Plumberman (Jul 7, 2008)

I drive my own rig to the job site and that's where it sets all day. 

My tools are bought by the employer and they are on site unless I am told to go to another site the next morning.

I did have a company truck running service before I went to Miss in July. Now that I am back I told them no truck and no cell phone. To me it's more of a headache than its worth, I've got my own ride there and if I get fed up, I've got the keys and I don't have to clean out a vehicle to drag up.

If they need me to run material for their jobs, that's fine but they will be supplying the vehicle.


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## plbgbiz (Aug 27, 2010)

I am still needing to be more specific. Are you getting reimbursement from your employer or is the only thing you get the federal reimbursement text return?

Sorry to be so picky with my questions but it really does matter.


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## Pac Rim Plumber (Jun 23, 2010)

Rembursement, I will have to track my mileage


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## plbgbiz (Aug 27, 2010)

Pac Rim Plumber said:


> Rembursement, I will have to track my mileage


 I know you are getting reimbursed. My question is are you getting it just as a tax reimbursement or also from your employer?


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## Pac Rim Plumber (Jun 23, 2010)

From my employer,


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## Pac Rim Plumber (Jun 23, 2010)

Sorry for slow response, my yard has been badly neglected for last six weeks


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## plbgbiz (Aug 27, 2010)

From a dollar for dollar standpoint, you are getting screwed big time by using your truck. Your employer doesn't stand to gain near as much as you might think. Stay tuned. Details on the way.


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## Pac Rim Plumber (Jun 23, 2010)

I case I did not stat it this was my idse not my employers, would like to see the details.

TY
PRP


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## plbgbiz (Aug 27, 2010)

First of all, the mileage between your house and where you start work is not deductible. It is considered commuting. The IRS will not consider that as direct cost of the job. It is an unaccountable expense. According to them and as such it becomes wages to be reported on your W2 form. The only mileage you get full reimbursement for and that your employer can deduct as an expense is from the shop to the job site or job site to job site. He will never knowingly pay you for driving from your house because he would also have to pay payroll taxes on top of the reimbursement.

For my numbers, I am going to assume:
you drive 20 miles from the shop to the job (40 mile daily round trip) 
you pay about $4.00per gallon of gas,
your 3/4 ton truck will get "maybe" 12mpg fully loaded, 
241 work days (52 weeks-2 weeks vacation-6 holidays-3 misc sick days off)

9,640 miles
803.33 gallons of fuel
$3,213.32 fuel cost to you
$5,446.50 reimbursement (9,640 * $.565)

$2,233.38 annual gross profit in your pocket 

Now you have to subtract the additional maintenance required by the additional 10K miles and the wear/tear on your truck. Even the most conservative depreciation amounts from the IRS would be higher than $2,200. You will have additional insurance costs to insure the vehicle commercially as well. You are losing money and I haven't subtracted for the toolbox upgrade you want.

Then there will be damage to your truck at the job site. There always is. If you don't believe me, just look at the condition of your employer's fleet.

All of this record keeping now has to be put in place by you and your employer to make it all legitimate and from a drive time standpoint you will not gain one minute. The only perk to you is that you get to have more of your tools at risk on the job site. Not only is this a lose / lose for you and the employer, you will be the biggest loser.

If you go straight to the job from home, all bets are off because the reimbursement becomes wages and you both have to pay taxes on it. In that case you would probably get less than $.41 per mile depending on your tax bracket. You go from biggest loser to more biggest loser. That seems like a terrible price to pay to gain at times, only 15minutes of your drive time.

Sorry to rain on your parade but this is a really bad idea.


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