What do you consider normal practice? Kinda long...

Just curious as to what you guys think on this. Did a job for a new customer a week or so back putting a track adjuster seal on a 331 CAT. Basically it's an older style machine about the same size as a 345 CAT excavator. Did it in the field on the customers yard. The track had been thrown and I had to get it off without breaking it apart due to the way it was setting. Thankfully the customer said he had thrown it and put it back on and so many times that he would put it back on himself without needing me to drive out the master pin. The way things worked out it was about an 8 hour day from the time I left the house until I got back, and about 90 miles round trip.

I got a check in the mail today from the guy for the full amount of the invoice, no problem there. However, included with the check was a note saying that he didn't realize that I also charged for my mileage.

As it stands I offer the same range of services as any major dealership, and then some n many cases. Other than having ten thousand dollars worth of computer equipment for the newest machines, I actually offer more bang for the buck then they do. I say this because I offer turn key service for things like line boring since I do both the mechanical part of the repair, the welding, the boring itself, and typically any outside machine work needed to accomplish the job as well. This saves the customer money in the end and usually gets them back on the job faster than having one guy taking it apart, one welding, one boring, one doing outside machine work, etc, etc.. Too I have no problem getting a part rebuilt if possible at a fraction of the cost that a dealership would put a brand new one on for, or simply patching something at a customers request to help save them money when they don't necessarily need brand new. I also try to stock really common stuff on the truck like switches, etc that, worst case, I can use to get a customer out of a jam if need be until the OEM replacement part gets in.

In most cases I charge from the time I leave the house until I get back home. Rate wise I'm currently at $60 an hour, down from $84 two years ago, just to help both me and my customers survive in this economy. Most heavy equipment dealers, like CAT, are anywhere from $90 to $100 an hour. I don't take lunch, and I work until I get done or it gets too dark to work, so the customer gets a full days work instead of someone that checks in at the office at 7 for an hour before heading your way and is then headed out to make sure they get off at 5. I run a service truck that drinks just as much fuel as any the dealerhip has, and is actually better equipped in alot of cases with a 10,000 lb crane vs most dealers at 8000 lbs or less, a 75 CFM screw compressor to handle a 1" drive impact vs a 35 CFM that won't handle a 1" without a tank, etc, etc. Now to pay for the truck expenses I only charge $1.50 a mile, and with the price of fuel, insurance, upkeep, etc that equates to about a 10% markup on the actual fuel cost, and part of that disappears when the fuel prices go up. The dealers charge about the same thing and also often have differing rates that increase the further out they go. Me I charge the same for my mileage wether it's 5 miles or 500 miles. Even then for the 500 mile out jobs I will often cut a deal with the customer for a bit less, just to help them out some, since I'll stay somewhere local and have motel expenses, etc in cases like that. On top of that I also have insurance and other expenses to pay just like any other company does.

Now my question. What do you guys consider to be normal practice, or what is the practice in your area for someone doing field repairs??? The way I see it I'm getting paid for my time and if your machine is an hour away I deserve to get paid for the time it takes to get to you just as much as I would if you were 10 minutes away. Too fuel, tires, brakes, etc aren't free so a mileage charge shouldn't be out of line either.

I know what I do, the way I charge for things is customary in this industry. Too I was told by the guy who gave this particular customer my name that he typically used the dealership for alot of his repair work. Because of that I know this guys note shouldn't bother me but him being a first time customer, in an economy where it's hard to get new customers, it does. So, am I being unreasonable or have things just gotten to the point where people think that someone who is in business for themselves doesn't deserve the same pay for the same type and quality of work they'd get from a dealer?

Like I said the whole situation just kind of got under my skin when I read the note and I was just curious as to what you guys think.
I've got a really thick skin and I don't plan to change the way I do things because of this one note. Heck to cut back any more I would put myself out of business in a hurry. Still I was just curious as to what you guys have experienced and what is NOW considered the usual practice in other areas of the country.

The fact remains that the customer is going to get charged mileage one way or another. Either theypay a mileage charge or they pay more per hour to offset the mileage. Just some people are always trying to get a little better deal and wouldn't be happy if you hung them with a new rope. This is also a chance to maybe try to make it a point to tell them up front that you do charge mileage even if they don't ask. I know it sucks getting that kind of a note and not a thank you, but he paid and didn't complain about your service either

i do part time backhoe work and around here i charge for the trip one way. but you said 90 miles one way so to me it not unreasonable to charge both but a new customer with maybe a whole lot more work could have given a break?

I wouldn't worry about it,sounds like he's a cheapskate and you're the cheapest he could find or he wouldn't have called you in the first place.He'd go to the bottom of my list in order to get to his breakdowns.

Perspective-----not uncommon to see $60 shop rate to fix a lawnmower. Seems like you're slighty better equipped than most mower shops. LOL

They are going to pay you mileage, or load it on a low boy and bring it to you!

I'd expect to pay mileage. Your hourly rate is better than my 'local' dealers', too. Only time I've complained about charges like that was when I was charged hourly rate + trip charge + mileage AND was charged for 2 trips because he didn't have some parts he needed. (knew the make, model, and problem...)

On elevators, HVAC service techs, Fire alarm and Sprinkler guys I am charged mileage, don't think you're out of line, Johnson controls charges I think $1.50 on a friggin 1/2 ton service van. The only time mileage really torques me off is when the elevator company is here for their monthly service visit under contract, they make a small repair (1/2 hour or so) then charge me for a full hour and the mileage (guess you can do that when the state requires your service)

From what I read about yourself I wouldn't give it much thought. With the economy the way it is, even the guys that have money are watching what they spend nowadays. He obviously was satisfied with your work since he paid the invoice in full. My feeling would be he knew he got a good deal, and I expect you will hear from him in the future, should the need arise. If he feels as though he can depend on you for future repairs you will hear from him again. Quality work at a fair price nowadays is hard to find, and he should appreciate that.

I used to do custom fencing, mostly driving posts, and I decided the most fair way for me was to charge everybody a flat travel charge. In my case, it was to charge half an hour at the same rate as when I was working. That didn't add a lot to their bill, but it still helped me out. I chose this way because I didn't feel it was their fault that I lived the distance I did from where their fence was needed. If their job was big enough so I needed to come back to finish then the other travel was on my time, because it was not their fault I wasn't fast enough to finish the first time. A job that big generally made for more profit, anyway.

I think you are being reasonable!
I used to do residential kitchens and baths on my own. I would always add a percentage to materials and subcontractors. Some people would get upset, I would tell them that covered the book keeping and 'cash at risk', as I had to pay the bill whether my customer paid me or not.

If he paid the whole invoice, it couldn't have offended him too much. Many times you can only get travel time one direction if you are charging mileage both ways. The rate seems low enough that he knows the dealer would have cost more even if the dealer was only 5 miles away.

you are NOT out of line at all. i get that shi- all the time spend 1 hour on the road to do a 1 hr job with the backhoe and they think it should cost for the hour of work only WRONG thats why i have a minn. charge 400.00. get calls all the time and they say it will take all day to do the job and a hour and a half latter i'm done someone is going to pay thats why in minn.

You may want to send him a note acknowledging you read his note, and that it is what you charge. This will keep him from thinking you are just blowing him off. Stan

"..he didn't realize that I also charged for my mileage."

I'm thinkin you didn't tell him up front that there was going to be a milage charge.
That's why he's saying that...
I'd make it part of the preliminary conversation to mention it at the same time you are telling them your hourly rate..just so the customer is aware of it, and isn't suprised to see it on the bill.

I used to work for an independent Deere mechanic with a similar set up. Most of the work was tractors but we did a lot of heavy equipment also. Small jobs we did from the pickup & larger ones from the big truck. Both were fully equiped for their purpose. We didn't charge a milege fee, just the houly rate per person from the shop back to the shop. There was a minimum of two hours & customers were told this up front. The minimum was waived if they brought it in to the shop.

It's your buisness & you're the only one that know's what you need to charge, but all charges should be discussed up front. Keeps everyone happy that way.

Guy here has a pretty similar set up to yours. He charges 4.00 a mile and 50.00 an hour. I charge either travel time at my billable rate or mileage if its less than my minimum for the job.

90 miles round trip isn't exactly right around the corner and $60/hr is cheap for an experienced HD mechanic. Lots of places charge by the hour from the time they leave the shop till they get back. He may have just made note of the mileage charge and there is nothing more to it. If he expected you drive there for free, he should have came and picked you up. When I did bobcat work if the job took at least half a day I didn't charge mileage but most of my jobs weren't too far away. It's not like he hired you to drive out in a Jetta diesel to use all his tools to do the job. It costs money to insure and maintain your truck and also gives you everything you'll need to do the job as efficiently as possible. I guess you could have charged him $65 or $70/hr and not charged mileage but it all works out about the same in the long run. If he was happy with the job is the most important. If the job would have taken an unusually long time or was being real stubborn, then maybe you could give a bit of a break.

Considering the distance you had to go to do the fix, I think you are justified in your charges. Would be different if you were a mile or two away. Local dealer got some heat on a JD warranty thing- where he charged individual service calls from the dealership, while all calls were made in one around the area trip.

I charge hourly from the minute I leave my driveway. That way, no visible mileage charge on the billing. Clients don't see an extra that way. From a customer point of view, why should they pay a premium just because they don't live/do business right next door to me? It's all about perception.

I use to work for a nation wide generator company. We charged for labor and mileage.From the time we left the shop until we returned.If it was less than ten miles we did not charge mileage.

As I explained to a customer one time. The mileage charge helps pay for fuel,insurance and repairs on the truck. If they don't like the mileage charge. Tell them to bring it to you.

Plus you are working cheap compared to one's around here

Don't sweat it, there's always some nitpicker who ain't gonna be satisfied, can't please everybody!

It sounds to me like he just wanted to express surprise. Your hourly labor rate sounds low to me. You could ask him if he charges for mobilization. You can bet that every time one of his machines gets moved a customer is paying for it.

You have to charge for Mileage. I dont think you mentioned what the MPG is of your service truck. If I was you I would charge a flat $50 for a "show up fee" if they are within a 20 mile radius of you, whatever. Then the prices go up from there, farther away more money.

He should of hired someone to haul it in to any place to get worked on,if they even could of ? Then he would really have a big bill !

Your rates seem fair to me. I think all charge time plus mileage because you could of stayed home and work in your shop makeing money for your hourly time instead of wasting seat time in the truck.

My tire guy charges a $50.00 service run whether does anything or not. He is a friend, but I consider this fair. I can't take the tractor to him. Ellis

Your rates sound more than fair to me. I would make the customer aware of my charges though before hand. That way there should be no questions afterwards. I know I would have asked beforehand myself if I was your customer. That way I pretty much know ahead of time what to expect to pay.

I agree with the previous comment that the problem is not that you have a charge for mileage, but that the customer was unaware of it. Sounds like he has no problem with your work or your price. When I'm a customer I know it tweaks me to see charges I didn't expect even if in the big scheme of things they are reasonable. I'd contact him and let him know you've read his note (customers that pay reliably are worth keeping happy), and in the future make it a point to make sure new customers are aware of exactly what you charge for.

Your rates are more than reasonable. I would contact the customer and explain the charges, if he is a reasonable person I am sure he will understand if not he may not be the kind of customer you want. In my area someone equipped like you gets far more than 60 per hour.

Your $60/hour seems more than fair BUT, you state that you charge from the time you leave home till the time you get home, AND charge for mileage(the way I read it). As a customer, that would bug me. I would expect one of them, but not both.

After reading the first four paragraphs of your post, you convinced me you didn't over charge him. I'd send him the exact same message. He'll understand.

Only thing I'll say is,I don't like it when somebody close by,say within 10 miles,charges for the service call plus time on the road. Had that happen with a tire repair one time. Soaked me RAW on that repair.
The kid was fairly new on the job,came in the house and called his boss to figure the bill. It was OUTRAGEOUS. I got on the phone and talked to the guy. He was charging me for the next hour that hadn't even happened yet. Said "well,it'll take him a while to get cleaned up and loaded up". I told him it was all done,I had helped him load up. Didn't matter,that's what the bill was.
Never called them again and never will. Same place sent a guy out one time,he pulled a valve stem off and let all the chloride out of a loaded tire run right down the driveway,then charged me for new chloride. I never did pay for that. Just subtracted it off the bill and paid the rest.

Just try calling a wrecker if you want to a high bill. Or have the EMTs come out. Had my heart attack and the ride in the back of there little van with the flashing lights. Was 21.00 a mile. Total bill just for the ride was 585.00.

As you know to stay in a business of any kind you have to pay your expenses and have a little left over to pay yourself a living wage. You have to recover the cost of getting your vehicle to and from the job it just a matter of how you bill it out.

People watch 60 minutes and are always looking for a scam from a service person, another problem is that in almost any trade they can get on the internet and look up the cost of any part you can imagine and often that price is lower than you can buy it through your local sources. Never mind that they would have to pay shipping, wait for a number of days, and many time parts bought over the internet carry no manufactures warranty. They will still use that cost as a comparison so it is hard to make money on parts markup these days.

We use to hide some of the mileage, vehicle and inventory costs in parts markup just because it was easier than trying to explain to a customer about your vehicle insurance, fuel, maintenance, inventory, and eventual replacement cost as an actual cost that you incurred to just park your service vehicle in their driveway.

I think your way is honest but each customer will perceive it differently, regardless of who services this guy’s stuff he is paying the cost of setting that service vehicle in his drive way. The cost may be hidden in parts markup, in hourly labor charge, it may be hidden service call charge but the customer is going to have to foot that bill. Trying to get the customer to understand this is sometimes difficult.

Your mileage rate might be better charged at a higher rate...that said... paying hourly for your time traveling AND a mileage rate will be seen as double dipping, no matter how reasonable it is. Tire service trucks for the big chain truck stops are famous for overcharging just to show up, don't follow their practices if you can help it. (at least if you want repeat customers..)

Why don't you just give the guy a call and find out if it's really a problem and explain to him why you do it?

Seems to me to be a better way to figure out whats going on.

Rick

I agree with many of the other comments - your rates seem fair and its your to charge what you want/need/require to make being self-employed worthwhile. As many others alluded to , maybe it is simply a matter of the customer not expecting the added charge. You mention this issue "got under your skin". Maybe an unexpected charge got under his skin too. Perhaps he didnt expect to pay travel time both ways and mileage both ways. If you want to work for this customer again I would follow up. Remember he paid the whole bill, and promptly. As mentioned I would follow up with a call or note that you recieved the note and only charged him your standard rates, and regret if there was any unintended misunderstanding on these rates. Good luck and Happy New Year.

I think you"re way cheap , mileage and hourly. You are highly skilled labor, doing a job fewer people want to , or are capable of doing well.Your truck cost money to equip, and operate; and, you need to be paid for your time while driving: otherwise you would be back at your shop working, making money there.
I also agree with 37 chief: acknowledge his note politely.
MARK

THANK GOD i dont have to deal with the public anymore! I dont believe your doing wrong,and it also sounds to me like your too low on your charges.Charge way more than that here anyway,but thats your buisness. The only thing i tried to do back in the day, when dealing with a new customer,was to make sure they always knew the charges before hand. Ive been in the same boat as you so many times,and argued with so many customers,that i simply insisted that our secretary/dispatcher quoted all the prices everytime she took a call.Nothing would make me madder than having someone sit and watch you work all day and then argue about the bill. Thats the only advice I can offer,except that if you stay in buisness long enough,you will run accross folks who will argue about the bill EVERYTIME REGARDLESS!Those are the ones who i always hated to see call. Funny thing is,they were always the ones who said they had used everyone else in town also, much like your fine gentleman! LOL for some reason it always made me curious when a guy called for service from a town 30 miles away, and you knew there were several folks who were perfectly competent working closer....

Not really double dipping at all as my time is dedicated to the customer wether I'm working in my shop of going to their jobsite. That being the case I charge by the hour wether I'm actually turning wrenches or a steering wheel headed to their machine. If I have to go out in the field to their machine then I also charge mileage to pay for what it takes to keep up the truck I use to get there. Given the size of the equipment I work on the customer is getting a deal because they don't have to pay to move their machine to get it to me.

Basically they can pay me a little bit to help me keep up the equipment I need to come to them or they can pay a trucking company alot more to keep up the equipment they use to move around the larger machines, along with paying for any permits, etc needed for the move. Often toe parmits alone are more than my fuel charge to and from a job. Not to mention the customer then has even more lost revenue on their end because the machine is down longer due to having to be moved twice, possibly dissasembled to move, etc, etc.

So, not double dipping at all, just fair compenstion for the guy doing the work.

Replied to Truck above, but left this little tidbit out. I expect to get paid for my time just like anyone else does, wether I'm working at the shop for a customer or driving to a customers job to work for them.

Think about it this way. There have been times I had to drive nearly 4 hours to do a job for a customer that only took me an hour to do. Based on your idea that would mean that I'd dedicate 9 hours to that customer but would only get paid for one of them. On top of that with fuel being at $3.75 a gallon I'm not making that much profit off of the mileage anyway, just enough to cover expenses. Heck just a set of rear brakes and drums on my truck run me over $400, and when it comes time for a set of tires there's another $2000 plus, insurance at nearly $1200, plus any unforseen problems like the $3000 plus transmission that went out some years back.
Basically if I didn't charge for all of my time, and mileage to cover my truck expenses, I'd be better off to tell the customer that it wasn't worth my time to work for them as running a business like that would do nothing but run it into the ground in a hurry.

We charge $75.00 per hour and trip charges are $35 minimum, usually up to 10 mile.

Sounds like you were fair to the guy. The public is always unpredictable. Just tell the guy why you are worth the charge. Good communication generally works and remember this so you won't have the same problem again. It's happened to us all. Good Luck!

Things like that I understand. I work for a little junk yard here local that I charge the lowest rate I can get by with charging and don't hit him up for mileage as he's within 5 miles of me. In his case he never fusses about when I get around to working on his stuff, and I just get to it when I have a spare minute. Too he pays for all the parts, as well as pays the bill in cash when I get done with the job. Customers like that I try to keep as happy as possible since I like cash...LOL

Too I don't charge for things like getting stuck in traffic caused by a wreck, etc, etc. Going to this job I was talking about here the other week I left home a bit later than expected and wound up setting in rush hour traffic on the way to the job. It actually took me more than an hour and a half to get to the guys jobsite but I only charged for an hour of my time since it wasn't his fault I left late and hit traffic. Had another one the other week where I had to leave at 4:30 to pick my daughter up from school and didn't get done. I didn't have but maybe 45 minutes of work left and could have easily finished it that day had it not been for having to leave like I did. Since it wasn't the customers fault that I had family obligations that prevented me from finishing the job when I had more than enough daylight left to do it, I went back out the next day and finished the job for him and only charged for the 30 minutes it actually took me to do the work. And that job was a 45 mile round trip for me so with a truck getting an average of 5 miles to the gallon and the average cost of fuel at $3.75, I actually took a small loss that day. Still I kept my customer happy and that's important if I want to make a profit the next time.

On the flip side though I can semi understand the situation your were placed in, if I'm understanding things right. Sounds to me like since the job was done and you wanted the bill, they were also charging for the estimated time it was going to take for the guy to get back to the shop. That's standard practice and I do the same thing if someone want's a bill before I leave. in my case though I err on the side of the customer and charge only for what time I think it will actually take to get home. Just like going to the job I mentioned took an hour and a half, going home might be the same way but I'm only gonna figure in an hour on the bill.

I retired 9 years ago at that time the Compnay that I worked for got $76 an hour Portal to Portal for my labor plus 23 cents PER mile. the other Compamys doing the same work got over $100 an hour. If you are going to stay in busness you have to make wages over expenses.

I understand what you are saying BUT....it sure appears like you are charging them 1.50 a mile to drive out there and then your hourly rate as well to drive out there.To your customer that appears that you are charging twice for the same thing. I understand your reasoning, but it is the perception by the customer you need to change. Figure out your actual cost to drive out there INCLUDING YOUR LABOR RATE
and charge ONE set per mile charge. It will eliminate any appearance of double dipping. Do you really want to spend valuable time dealing with explaining this on every service call?

For example, say you drive 60 miles an hour on average to your job....Your labor is $1 a minute, plus your truck costs you $1.50 a mile to drive there...so up your mileage charge to $2.50 a mile to cover you AND the truck. Numbers are for explanation only as they work out to a mile a minute, your actual costs and charges will be different and I would assume a bit higher than my example. We used to charge $1.50 a mile for wrecker service in the late 70's with a one ton.

We are on the same side here, I am trying to show you a way that will be more palatable to the customer. The fact that your customer had an issue tells you you need to address this in the future.

On the worst day this guy was only 15 minutes from the shop though,and if he had more service calls to make that day and he was headed right from my place to one of those........
You can understand why I didn't want to pay for another hour,especially after the other employee of theirs let all that chloride go. It was just the straw that broke the camels back.

its like the people who still believe that a truckload of gravel cost 50 bucks, since it did in 1972, if you in business which involves you being mobile, you have to charge for millage, if you dont your going broke, if you want to see how bad, take a day, keep track of the miles drivin, [ you need to know your trucks gas milage] also your time to drive them, factor in vehicle cost, licence tires, oil changes ect, the figure will shock you, and unless you charge a milage charge thats all out of your pocket!

Charging for milage has been customary from time immemorial. As seen by the posts above, it's charged differently. Charging one way seems to be usual around here. Possibly the the theory is that you charge going to the job because you may go to another job after leaving the first one. Not a hot button issue with me, it's unreasonable not to have some charges for travel time.

KEH

Wayne you did nothing wrong your rates may be cheaper or more than others depending on areas of the country. Around here there is almost no one that does mobile work.
A few suggesting 1. tell the customer up front that my rate is XX plus XX milage. 2. consider charging a flat rate and drop milage?? Customers hate to be nickled dimed (milage phone postage this and that supply or tool) 3. Some jobs you just cant seem to charge by hour and make people happy you have to do flat rate (IE $250 to put track on dozer) 4. last some customers you will nevr satisfy and wouldn't if you worked at $10 an hr Get rid of them and remember: YOU CAN STAY HOME AND MAKE NOTHING!!!

I have found that if you are upfront with charges misunderstandings are minimised.

It seems that if you are charging $1.50 a mile you must be losing money. I was charging $1.68 a mile for a 10,000 lb truck (bucket) and was just breaking even when fuel was $3.50 a gal. Your service truck must weigh twice that.

I was charging $58.00 per hour for Installer and $50.00 for helper. This was for sign installation in 2010. For travel I cut the per hour in half.

I have always found that it is much easier to estimate any job on the higher side than explaining why the bill is higher than the quote.

Good luck on ya,

Brad

This guy thought he wouldn"t be charged for time and mileage for a 90 mile round trip?! Where"s he from? Mars!

Those are "usual and customary charges" that any mobile equipment repair business has to charge especially wih gas at $3 +per gallon. I had some work done on the wife"s washing machine and they charge those kind of fees. No one in this business today can afford to eat those charges or they have to bury them in the hourly rate. Dealers charge for pickup and delivery so that"s nothing new. If i do any custom work with our tractor, my time starts when I turn the key to start up at my place and stops when i"m back home with the tractor.
I wouldn"t loose a minutes sleep over this issue. You can call the customer and calmly explain to him your cost structure and point out that your hourly "shop rate" is less than a dealer. Tell him you"re sorry if there was a misunderstanding but travel time and mileage are standard charges in this business. If his nose is out of joint over this then you"re better not having to deal with him in the future.

Buddy of mine has a buisness much like yours, minus the computer and has a smaller truck. He does repair and welding on any type of big equipment. Most of his jobs are with in a 30 mile circle. Many times he takes a smaller half ton v6 truck to look a job over and then run to town to get parts. Most of the time parts needed are a few hundred lbs or less and it just cost less to drive the little truck up and down the road. He was charge'n $1 mile for big and little truck just to help cover expences then $60 an hour while he was on the job site. Some folks didn't like him charge'n $1 for run'n parts so now he charges $60 an hour any time he is on site, on road, or stand'n in line at the part's place.

You done good and there are just some folks you can't keep happy.

Dave

Personally... if I charge someone mileage I will not charge them labor rate while I'm travelling. That said, most shops do. Most charge more than you're charging. If somebody gave me a bill similar to what you gave him... I don't think I'd be surprised...
My opinion... I think he's just looking to see if he can get something out of you and that's about it. Nothing ventured, nothing gained. Does anyone seriously run a fleet of equipment today of the size your talking and NOT expect to pay mileage on a big service truck?
I mean... I run around with my tool chest in a Ranger and charge a commercial mileage rate appropriate to the vehicle... so I don't feel too bad about not charging labor as long as it covers my costs and a bit... but you're in a different league there. I see nothing wrong with what you charged him.

Rod

Heck , if that's the only complaint he had given the scope of the job , then I would call him up and ask him if he was happy with the overall job an when he answered yes , I would explain your policies , thankl him and tell him it was a pleasure doing bussiness with him , now and in the future. Smother him with diplomacy and friendliness. He knows what a deal he got. He will be back. Keep the ball in your court!! "but ya can't blame him for trying"

He got an old machine that is being nursed along. He wants it fixed on the cheap. (He will put the track on, and its wore out or it would not be thrown so many times...) He asked around for someone who does good work inexpensively and your name came up.

Was it a good repair? Or will something hooked to it break and he will expect a warranty call? Did you drop everything and break your schedule to accommodate him? Did you have everything with you or did you have to chase for parts?

A "cheap" repair is paying for something that does not stay fixed. A "fair" repair is something where everyone came out ahead.

Your truck is your shop, and you need to take it with you. At some point you will need to repair or replace it. Its life is so many thousand miles at the end of which you need the cash to replace it. You do not do your customers any favors by driving yourself poor to out of business giving them a deal.

Do you sit waiting for work or do you have work out the door?

Only you can answer these questions.

Write him a note back explaining that next time you will not charge him for your travel time, but you will have to charge $80/hour then. Really though, it wouldn't hurt to explain it in polite terms that you offer a rate well below competitors for hourly work and charge mileage to make the billing more fair to all of your customers.

People often look at itemized bills and immediately start thinking of every item as a perk that was a charge above-and-beyond the regular service. They will look past the hourly rate and try to think of ways to cut the costs by eliminating line items It's just being fair on your part, but it's easy to see how he felt if you're charging for something his other service provider doesn't charge for (even though they really are).

Really, he's probably just reaching for a discount the next time he calls you. If you're the cheapest game in town, you know a man who thinks like he does will keep on calling you.