sjones Posted October 14, 2015 Report Share Posted October 14, 2015 Is it ok to charge a client for gas along with lesson price when going to their place to give a lesson. I will be doing so in the near future. I enjoy helping others, and don't charge much for a lesson, but its also wear and tear on my car which isn't getting any younger. The place I would be going is about 75 miles one way. I usually give lessons on my own stock so not sure when it comes to travel. Just looking for some suggestions. Samantha Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RemsMom Posted October 14, 2015 Report Share Posted October 14, 2015 I think you should charge extra. There is a huge difference between walking out your back door to teach a lesson and driving 150 miles round trip. Also, keep in mind that the time you spend driving you can't be doing anything else, that is worth something too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CptJack Posted October 14, 2015 Report Share Posted October 14, 2015 Is it ok to charge a client for gas along with lesson price when going to their place to give a lesson. I will be doing so in the near future. I enjoy helping others, and don't charge much for a lesson, but its also wear and tear on my car which isn't getting any younger. The place I would be going is about 75 miles one way. I usually give lessons on my own stock so not sure when it comes to travel. Just looking for some suggestions. Samantha As far as I have seen based on instructors of various sorts in my area, it is not only okay it is expected and standard. Now, those sorts don't include stock - just behavioral modification, obedience, etc. - but it's very much part of the package deal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tess's Girl Posted October 14, 2015 Report Share Posted October 14, 2015 I have a pet dog training business and I charge .50 cents a mile for anything more than 30 miles away from my home. That's slightly less than the federal mileage reimbursement rate. Especially for 75 miles one way, I think they would expect some sort of travel fee. And you won't just be paying for gas that reimbursement goes towards other vehicle maintenance so I would make it more than the going price of gas. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
juliepoudrier Posted October 14, 2015 Report Share Posted October 14, 2015 I will be traveling to a student's farm in the near future to give a lesson there largely because the issues she's having with her dog are directly related to her stock. In my case, I won't charge mileage, but instead I will be taking dogs to work (45 acre pasture, largely non-broke stock) because that will be a benefit to me and them. If not for that special case, I probably would charge mileage, but it's something to consider. That is, if you can get something out of it (besides the lesson fee) that's good or useful for you, then you can always do that instead of charging mileage, but it should be one or the other (mileage or some other perquisite). J. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sue R Posted October 14, 2015 Report Share Posted October 14, 2015 Sounds very sensible to me. Either charge mileage or build the cost into the cost of the lesson. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tommy Coyote Posted October 14, 2015 Report Share Posted October 14, 2015 It's more than just the cost of the gas. It's also considerable time on the road. I have to figure in those costs when I'm trying to decide on whether to take a pet sitting job. I just turned down a job where I would have gone every day because it was 40 miles round trip. I would have had to be on the road for an hour every day. Not worth it for a $12.50 pet sitting job. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sue R Posted October 14, 2015 Report Share Posted October 14, 2015 Time, gas, wear and tear on the vehicle, insurance, etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sjones Posted October 15, 2015 Author Report Share Posted October 15, 2015 Thank you everyone for the suggestions, this will give me some things to ponder. I took this on because the person wanted help getting their young dog( little over a year) started on cattle but didn't know how to go about training a dog. They raise cattle so a useful dog would be a huge benefit. They came for a lesson, the dog was very sensible on my sheep, and they were willing to watch, listen and ask questions as I worked the dog. They wanted to know how they could continue at home, so I suggested a few ideas. I also mentioned sending the dog off to be trained or attend some clinics that the Wisconsin club offers to help gain more understanding of how to work with a dog. Sending out to a trainer was not an option at this time so I gave info on the club. I was asked if I would be willing to go to their farm to help them out and I said yes. I also said if they get stuck/have questions to e-mail or call and I'll try my best to help. Thanks again! Samantha Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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