The Traveling Engineer

[lunatic]

I've been asked to put together a cost proposal for me to do a live recording about 20 hours from here... Indiana right on the Lake Shore.

For those of you that travel, how/what do you charge for travel time and expenses? This project would require me to bring our mobile rig, stand, mics, etc., and is a two night gig. I would then bring the tracks back here for mixing.

I'm sure some of you travel to other locations/states for audio work. Just looking for a little advice and insight.

Thanks!

[Gregg Juke]

Haven't travelled as an engineer, and the "travelling production work" that I've done has been for friends, usually coinciding with a vacation anyway. But, I have done a lot of travelling as a musician, and the same precepts apply. In fact, I imagine they would apply to any business... Make at least your standard hourly or per project wage, _above and beyond any costs that will be incurred due to travel_. So you've got to figure in gas, tolls, food, lodging, and some kind of wage (either full hourly or some type of stipend) for the time you're on the road going to and from the gig as well. Travel by other means (train, plane, bus, steamship)? Apply the same principles. Also consider things like, do you have insurance on your gear that will cover such circumstances (roadwork)? Will you miss any other jobs while you're away?

Bottom line, you should make _more_, all things considered, not less, for the travel and the risk you'd be taking. But, as with any gig, you've got to weigh the pros and cons, and decide how badly you want the job. Also, _very important_ -- Get it in writing (contract), and get a deposit_!!!!

Hopefully, those engineers that do take roadwork (paging Chris Garges?) will chime in/corroborate my approach...

GJ

[JGriffin]

Indiana right by the lake shore is close enough to Chicago that you might be able to rent some gear locally if it's too pricey to ship it or travel with it. Just a suggestion.

[kslight]

The most I usually travel is 5 hours 1 way for tracking work. Sometimes this is for friends so I'm not necessarily charging my hourly rate for driving...but for others as long as it is a multi-day affair not a one night stand, my "travel expenses" are gas @ 250% (without an hourly drive rate) and I am padding my regular hourly rate to make it worthwhile... The gigs I do though are because I want to do them more than I have to, so I am keen to work with the artist on a pricing scheme that is logical for their project.



I personally would figure your actual expenses (including truck/van rental and hotel if necessary) and multiply them however you feel appropriate (do you need the job?) to reasonably cover you, and figure your day rate for the project (as you will be gone two days...even if it a two night gig you could have been making money during the day). If what you land at makes it seem worthwhile to you...then bid away.

[lunatic]

DWLB - Yup... 40 mins from Chicago.

I don't *need* the gig but I *want* the gig. He's a great musician and we hit it off really well when he was here as a session musician.

My wife and I thought we'd drive there and just take the gear with us and then have a small vacation afterwards; maybe add on 3 days or so. Also, to answer Gregg's question, yes the gear is fully insured for full replacement no matter where we take it.

Expenses and my day rate seem a no brainer and I'm pretty sure we'll be staying with the artist when we are there. I guess the big question in my mind is do I charge for travel time? The answer would seem to be "yes" but I just have to decide how to charge for that. For some reason it doesn't seem right for me to charge my full rate for simply driving to his location. So maybe a reduced rate while driving plus expenses?

[Gregg Juke]

It doesn't seem fair to charge your day-rate for driving-- _until_ -- your car breaks down, the hotel you booked doesn't accept cash, the hotel ou booked doesn't accept credit cards, or any number of things that could go wrong when you're out there, and it's too late to go back! If you're day-rate seems high as a driving-rate, make sure you cover expenses plus extra, as kslight has indicated.

>>>>I don't *need* the gig but I *want* the gig. He's a great musician and we hit it off really well when he was here as a session musician.<<<<

Those are the intangibles that only you can decide. Maybe you'd do the gig for free. Maybe you'd go in the hole slightly to work with this guy. That's all up to you, but try to keep the fact that others are out there trying to make a living as well in the back of your mind. When one of us gives it away, it can hurt everybody else too ("A diminishing tide sinks all boats?")...

GJ

[The Scum]

If you're looking for ways to rationalize or justify costs that look like they're too high, consider the following:

The IRS says the vehicular operating cost for the trip is about $1200. IRS per diem is in the $150/day range for Indianapolis.

That's also 32 hours driving. What's the opportunity cost of those hours? What could you make if you spent that time on card-rate bookings? Are you dismissing those bookings by taking this gig?

When people book your studio, how much of the hourly rate is for the engineer, and how much is for the facility? Simple math based in your website suggests that the facility is $25/hr, and the engineer is $15/hr. That leads me to think that the simple math doesn't entirely pan out...but maybe slightly discounted driving time is worth that?

These numbers also seem to indicate that flying & renting (or sending your rig freight) is a sensible option.

Of course, this is art. Rationality isn't always a factor. If you really want the gig, you'll figure out how to make it happen.

[lunatic]

Byron - Great points and good questions and you are correct... the simple math isn't that simple.

Thanks everyone for all your input. As of a few hours ago, the artist changed his mind and will now be coming here. That's probably cheaper in the long run for him anyway.