I am curious to know what other people are doing about making up for loss due to travel and gas prices? If your techs are driving their own vehicles, what are you paying them per mile?
And finally does anyone else charge trip charges?

We have added a Fuel surcharge that is incorporated when fuel prices get above $2.50 a gallon. It ranges from $3.00 to $5.00 depending on travel distance. This is for t&m calls only

We too have added a fuel surcharge to T&M customers. We are paying $3.50/gal here in Calif. so we set up a rate per town charge based on miles from the office, $5 to $90 depending on distance, $90 is for our customers about 150 miles away. This is in addition to our regular travel charges, which we bill at 1/2 our standard labor rate.

One of our competitors is charging 30-cents per mile in addition to thier standard charge. They bill thier full labor rate of $125 per hour, from time the tech is dispatched to completion of the call.

Anyone else have input?

We are not changing prices we charge just because gasoline, I figure everyone is eating the cost or everyone will raise price because over all cost of doing business not just gasoline.
I do not like employees driving personal vehicles as a rule.
Until last Nov I provided all company cars. With all cost covered no charge to employee including personal time use. I had one tech who demanded to not be controlled by me so I gave him the pink slip to his Van and $500.00 in gas gift cards and paid 6 months insurance and now pay him $.35 cents a mile right now. I figure he still is driving my vehicle I paid for so I pay lower than I would normal. As well this gives me leeway to provide another vehicle later if need be. Some people do need protection from them selves.
In the past when the few times a office person drove etc, I would pay the max the IRS allows -it changes quarterly so you need ask your CPA, EA or who ever your tax guy is.
My tech may or may-not learn the hard way it was better to be covered by the company, when his 6 months insurance bill came he really got bent. Guess he had no idea how much he was getting in hidden benefits.
I think I will be buying him a set of tires soon. Safety and reliability first is my rule.

If the employer does not pay as much as the IRS allows the difference is a tax credit for the employee. “Un reimbursed business expense”, you would be surprised how many things you can put in that category besides gasoline. For example, if you wear say button up shirts, dress slacks and black dress shoes that you normally would not buy and wear on your own time, but the company requires it, those cloths can be put in that personal tax return as uniforms under “Un reimbursed business expense”.