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Can I automatically add mileage to my invoices?

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vWork enables automatic charging of mileage

Some companies charge customers for mileage; a rate charged on a unit basis for distance traveled to complete a job. vWork can automatically calculate mileage and add this as a line item to your invoice.

vWork calculates mileage using the distance traveled and a rate per km (or mile) that you define. Mileage can be calculated for both workers and equipment.

3 Sources for mileage in vWork

vWork uses 3 possible sources to derive the distance traveled. Each of these sources can be used to calculate mileage. The three sources are:

  1. Straight line (estimated distance). This is the default source used in vWork. It requires jobs to have two or more geocoded addresses in steps. This option is useful for couriers or transport companies who charge based on straight line distance from the depot.
  2. Google Maps shortest route (estimated driving distance). This is an optional feature. This also requires jobs to have two or more geocoded addresses in steps. This is useful for customers who want actual travel distance for a job but do not use an external telemetry provider, like EROAD.
  3. EROAD GPS data (actual distance based on vehicle movement during the job). This is an optional feature. You can learn more about it in the article Connect EROAD to vWork.

The article Where does distance traveled data come from in vWork? describes these sources in more detail.

Note: Depending on how your account is configured, it is possible to have more than one source of mileage data on a job. Each source is added to the job as an individual line item and identified with a source label so that you can compare the results and delete any charges not required.

Why use automatic mileage on invoices?

Using automatic mileage improves your invoicing and reduces errors. It ensures all jobs that require a mileage charge automatically include this line item on the job invoice.  You don’t need to rely on a worker or dispatcher to manually calculate and add this to the invoice. You can also easily report on mileage for the purpose of reconciliation.

How do I enable automatic mileage on an invoice?

This section explains how to add mileage using vWork's default finance settings. The default settings apply one standard mileage rate for all workers and equipment that is used on the invoice.  

You can also set different mileage rates for individual workers and equipment.  This is an optional feature and is explained in the article How can I set up individual charge-out rates for users and equipment? If you want to find out more about this option, please email support@vworkapp.com. We'll be in touch to discuss your requirements.

Charge mileage at one standard rate (default finance setting).

To automatically add a standard distance charge-out rate that applies to all workers and equipment, enable this in your account Invoicing settings and then enter an hourly rate.

  1. Go to Settings > Finance > Invoicing. Scroll down to the Distance Traveled Calculator section.
  2. Check the box Auto add to invoice? to generate mileage as a line item on your invoice.
  3. Check the box Always update if you want the distance traveled to change if you need to re-open a completed job and do more mileage. For example, a job started and 40 km was traveled to complete the job. Then the job was re-opened and another 10km was traveled before the job was closed again. If this box was left unchecked the invoice would show 40km as the distance traveled, but if it was checked 50km would show on the invoice.
  4. Enter the Distance rate you want to charge your workers out at. In this example, it is $3.00 per kilometer.

Note: The units used for distance are set in the General settings for the account: Settings > General.

How does it work?

When a job is completed, vWork will calculate the distance traveled on the job based on the source you have chosen for your account. This is automatically multiplied by the distance rate you specified and added to the job as an invoice line item.

 

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