Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Company Car vs. Mileage Reimbursement???

Had it both ways and you should let them give you a car. The first time you blow a $3500 transmission away from home and you also have to pay the $450 tow to your mechanic, that $0.55 a mile seems pretty slim.
George

Well on a few contracts I was given an old airport car to haul myself around in. Last year it was a Buick, I kind of liked the car. I never had anybody provide anything near what you are all talking about. I used my own car on on some jobs and got paid for milage but that was always a zero sum gain. You just wear out your car at a faster rate. Any job that requires me to do excessive driving or driving to do the job and in my own vehicle I pass on. I learned the hard way what a loosing deal it can be.

Take the company car but make sure it is not listed as an income on you. Some will try. Use your own vehicle for private use, hench the IRS connection

+2. Not interested in trying to manage such [bleep] to a profit.

I've done both. I'm with Steelie, take the company car.


maddog

I have done both, and it really depends on a lot of factors.

From '92- '03 I did mileage with an average of 165-180k per year.

Yes, 165k - 185k per year.

For most of that time I drove Toyota, 4x4, extended cab, long bed, 4cyl, fiberglass shell with 2,000lbs. overload springs.
My normal load was around 1,100lbs. 1/3 of the time I was pulling a trailer totaling another 1,000 lbs.

I got a new Toy every year. My trades were usally withing $1,500 of what I paid new. Ky. coon hunters were waiting for my trade ins.

I made good money on the deal. As most of it was freeway miles the cost per mile was pretty low.

The company provided an insurance rider to cover me on the way to and from jobs.

If doing it now, with the current costs, I'd go company car everytime.

I could of had a company vehicle, but i went with my own. As we get 950 a month flat rate, .54 cents a mile and a fuel card the co provides! We come out smelling like a rose. We pay for tires, oil changes, etc.

+1001

I also have done it both ways with company use cars. Much prefer that the company own the car.

Dear God, I'm being chastised by a bus driver... don't know if I'll ever recover from the shame.

A bus driver that can multiply.

A bus driver that can get a billion dollar ship built on schedule.

Yep. I've done both and would much rather have the company car unless my personal veh. was a junker and I'm making money on it.

I luckily have a company car and gas card. If I need something I make a phone call or toss it on the card.

I had a company vehicle for almost 4 years, someone in our accounting department decided it is cheaper to rent vehicles from week to week. I switched to using my own truck, it works out that I get back about double what I spen on gas in a week. For now it seems to be working out for me, it saves a lot of hassle moving stuff in and out of the rental vehicles every Monday and Friday. I would rather have the company vehicle but the extra $250-$300 a week does help, granted I have not had any major breakdowns either.

If it were me I would take the company provided vehicle though.

I'm traveling quite a bit for work this past year. Knew it was only going to last a year and debated about buying something different to gain some MPG over my reg. daily driver or just putting the miles on it.

Ended up finding/buying a Chevy Cavalier dirt cheap. Did a complete tune up on it. Found some like new tires on Craiqs list and in the last six months I've put close to 11,000 miles on it.

Car paid for itself already, gets 33-34 mpg on avg. and when I'm done with my travel in a few months I'll probably make 50% on what I paid for the car. Other than the tune up, I've changed the oil a couple of times.

Money in the bank as far as I'm concerned

I did it both ways many, many times. It just depends on the deal. I do like driving my choice of vehicles and at the end of the day, have the vehicle paid for by someone else. Now you have equity in a - albeit depreciating - asset.

No comparison. I drove a county vehicle to work as part of my job. Wasn't a long commute, only about 30 miles one way, but the road went over steepest curviest mountains anywhere. Wore three vehicles out from a Dodge truck, to a Jeep Cherokee to a Ford Explorer over 12 years. Needed the vehicle due to being a district supervisor that required emergency and communication radios and emergency equipment. Mileage reimbursement at the time was $0.32 per mile ONE WAY for using a private vehicle, they only paid for half the mileage. The real expense was brakes and suspension, the wheels were seldom going straight, brakes wore out quickly. The Cherokee did the best, although I was left with no front brake pads on one call. Motor pool did all repairs and maintenance, oil and gas were available at the office or by county credit card when traveling out of district. I would have had to buy at least one vehicle on my own during that time if not for the 'company" car. When I retired I bought a new diesel pickup for cash with the money I saved.