Gasoline Prices, etc.

It amazes me that MS Companies continue to pay nothing other than your reimbursement for various shops. Gas per gallon here (CA) is $4.25+. Doesn't appear that the MS Companies have taken the increased fuel costs in their shop payments.

Currently, there's a taxi scenario which, in itself, is convoluted, the shop reimburses for fare and $1.00 tip! I wrote to the scheduler and noted that $1.00 is barely enough and I personally wouldn't do it unless they offered $5.00 min.

Others offer a $2.00 reimbursement - especially at a big box electronics stores - a pack of gum? soda? PULEEZE

Another one is a demanded purchase/return. Maybe it's time to cull my MS Companies.

Just ranting...it's the end of the month and 'Bonuses' are rampant. I feel there would be little need for a 'bonus' if the shop pay was comensurate with the work involved.

Lainerz

Going for a Root Canal - no novacaine - I think it will be less painful.

Lainerz
10 Year Veteran Shopper

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Don't like the pay, stay away from the shops, hopefully enough shoppers do the same so they will raise the rates.

I don't do most shops unless gas is included either as an additional amount per a shop, or as a single add-on payment.

If im already going to be in an area for one of my regular msc's, and I like the shop fee, then I won't ask for gas money since im already there.

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There are no stupid questions, but there are a lot of inquisitive idiots
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When you try to please everybody, you end up pleasing nobody

Some of these shop fees are crazy low. I just avoid them. I generally only take shops within 5 miles of home, or in areas I'm already going to anyway. I'm shamelessly picky.

I cherry pick shops that are not part of my regular monthly/quarterly routes all the time.

I know in almost every state in the Eastern U.S. which areas are "hard to shop" areas. If im going to one of these areas for one of my regular routes, and I see another msc has a new project or shops in this area, I will generally email the scheduler and tell them ill go to this hard to shop area and do the shop for x dollars.

Which will be less then I would charge to go outright but more then their offering. Some say yes, others insist "im wrong" and its not hard to shop. Couple weeks later, they contact me, can you go to that area? and most of the time it's no, because I already went thru that area and am not going back, unless their offering substantially more then I originally said I would do it for.

Some schedulers never learn!

Gasoline prices have been systematically sliding over the past month. There are places at $3.38 even while some are at $3.54. It all comes off the same trucks pretty much. Oil prices per barrel are down almost 20% below a few months ago, so prices should continue sliding.

That being said, the fee issue is still important and I am not going to be concerned about what others think their time is worth, I will only be responsible for my own. A few cents difference in the gas costs one way or the other is relatively immaterial except for long treks. If the fee is not worth my time I won't do it. If the fee and the job I feel are worthwhile, 5 or 10 extra miles make only a buck or two difference even with my gas guzzler.

I've been surprised this week since the norm would be for big jumps starting Memorial Day and going throughout the summer. I was able to fill up for $3.39 yesterday. Rents are high in my neighborhood so gas is as well. One nice thing about going to other parts of town for shops is taking advantage of better gas prices. If I had waited until getting home yesterday it would have been 20 cents more.

Equal rights for others does not mean fewer rights for you. It's not pie.
"I prefer someone who burns the flag and then wraps themselves up in the Constitution over someone who burns the Constitution and then wraps themselves up in the flag." -Molly Ivins
Never try to teach a pig to sing. It's a waste of your time and it really annoys the pig.

I tanked up a couple of hours ago at $3.31. Two weeks ago the price of gas was around $3 when trading as a commodity. Last week it was around $2.86. Today it was around $2.67. It is still coming down and I expect the $3.31 I paid today will seem high by my next tankful. (Generally the commodity price of gas + various taxes + some shipping + station profit = pump price.)

techman01 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I cherry pick shops that are not part of my
> regular monthly/quarterly routes all the time.
>
> I know in almost every state in the Eastern U.S.
> which areas are "hard to shop" areas. If im going
> to one of these areas for one of my regular
> routes, and I see another msc has a new project or
> shops in this area, I will generally email the
> scheduler and tell them ill go to this hard to
> shop area

Maybe they aren't hard to shop areas. Maybe they are savvy shoppers who were waiting or the fees to rise before they picked them up?

This has happened more than once to me. My jobs ripened and I went to choose them and every job in my area was snatched up. They took like 12 gas stations and everything else around them. Grrrr! Tech is that you!

~~*~~*~~*~~ kal ~~*~~*~~*~~
Everyone has a photographic memory. Some just forget to load the film.

Gas has cracked the $3.00 mark as of 3 hours ago in a couple of states I shop! How low will it go!!!!!!!!!

Not one MSC has asked me to lower my gas basis yet though I'm expecting a couple of them will. I currently base it on 4 a gallon when figuring it. Guess i will reduce it to 3.50 soon.

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