Potential new job doing 30k miles PA
Discussion
Hi all, after a bit of advice from people more experienced and wiser than me 
I have an interview tomorrow for a job as a surveyor, which I've been advised the employer expects to involve driving all over the country doing approx 30k miles in a year. I'm currently working in an office based role as a draughtsman and living a couple of miles from work so commuting expenses are tiny. The head office of the new role wouldn't be far away but I have a feeling I wouldn't be spending much time there.
This new job does offer car allowance + mileage allowance (I don't have the figures yet). It's not something I'm too familiar with as I've never had either one before but I understand the principles of it. My main concern is the car I'm using - I have a Leon Cupra on lease with another year left on the contract @5k PA miles (15k over the contract term). Obviously, I'd exceed this and then some, I'm currently sitting on around 8k so I'm looking at 38k miles by the time it goes back, with 10p charge per mile that I exceed my contract.
I am considering 6 months or so in the Cupra and then buying a second (more economical) car to take over from there. Obviously I'd love to do that now but money is way too tight at the moment.
Apologies if this has been a bit long winded. I think my questions are:
1. Anyone who has experience doing this kind of mileage - what's your experience of this? How long do you find it takes to become tedious? I've had the same job since I left education and never had far to travel so this is a new world to me.
2. Does my idea of buying a second car after a few months sound sensible or does anyone have a better idea? The thought of paying £2300 at the end of contract + the fuel cost for the Cupra doesn't sound appealing.
The new job does offer between £6k - £11k extra PA basic wage depending on how much I can negotiate + the above bonuses and profit sharing so it does seem worth it in that sense.
Just a quick edit to add a little extra info: Single, living alone, no kids. I've been told staying away overnight is fairly common (once or twice a week or occasionally a full week).
I have an interview tomorrow for a job as a surveyor, which I've been advised the employer expects to involve driving all over the country doing approx 30k miles in a year. I'm currently working in an office based role as a draughtsman and living a couple of miles from work so commuting expenses are tiny. The head office of the new role wouldn't be far away but I have a feeling I wouldn't be spending much time there.
This new job does offer car allowance + mileage allowance (I don't have the figures yet). It's not something I'm too familiar with as I've never had either one before but I understand the principles of it. My main concern is the car I'm using - I have a Leon Cupra on lease with another year left on the contract @5k PA miles (15k over the contract term). Obviously, I'd exceed this and then some, I'm currently sitting on around 8k so I'm looking at 38k miles by the time it goes back, with 10p charge per mile that I exceed my contract.
I am considering 6 months or so in the Cupra and then buying a second (more economical) car to take over from there. Obviously I'd love to do that now but money is way too tight at the moment.
Apologies if this has been a bit long winded. I think my questions are:
1. Anyone who has experience doing this kind of mileage - what's your experience of this? How long do you find it takes to become tedious? I've had the same job since I left education and never had far to travel so this is a new world to me.
2. Does my idea of buying a second car after a few months sound sensible or does anyone have a better idea? The thought of paying £2300 at the end of contract + the fuel cost for the Cupra doesn't sound appealing.
The new job does offer between £6k - £11k extra PA basic wage depending on how much I can negotiate + the above bonuses and profit sharing so it does seem worth it in that sense.
Just a quick edit to add a little extra info: Single, living alone, no kids. I've been told staying away overnight is fairly common (once or twice a week or occasionally a full week).
Edited by _Rob_ on Thursday 25th August 14:10
30k miles plus hotels 2 or 3 nights tells me you will be away from home all week. Travel Monday, come home on Friday.
If you fancy driving a new car run the mileage on the leasing sites to give you an idea on the monthly cost, big number compared to 5k a year. For me at the time, with 2 kids with a 3rd on the way I took the shed option. A generous car allowance and a somewhat reliable shed meant I was bringing home lots of extra cash each month with the car allowance plus £0.45 for 1st 10k miles.
It is all down the value of the car allowance and what they give you for mileage. 30k is loads of miles if you are used to driving 5k a year. Insurance could cost you more for business use, extra maintenace, replacement tyres from wear and if you are on building sites punctures (load of them) , time away from the day job while your motor is in for service. Our firm expected you to hire a car to cover when personal car was off road for service or repair so I was spannering at weekends. Lease car will pickup some dents and scratches that will need paying for at the end of the lease.
If you do lease, consider a smaller mileage option and compare costs for paying additional mileage at the end. If the job doesn't work out you are covering a far higher monthly cost you won't need in the future. Likewise if you end up based in the office instead of on the road. The employer is putting the risk on you so offset in any way you can.
Any restrictions on the car you can use for work. Ours was driver front air bag and seat belts which was easy. No restrictions on fuel or engine size.
Expenses... company credit card or yours. If personal you will need a decent credit limit to cover the fuel, hotel and food bill, how long for company to settle expense claim.
If you fancy driving a new car run the mileage on the leasing sites to give you an idea on the monthly cost, big number compared to 5k a year. For me at the time, with 2 kids with a 3rd on the way I took the shed option. A generous car allowance and a somewhat reliable shed meant I was bringing home lots of extra cash each month with the car allowance plus £0.45 for 1st 10k miles.
It is all down the value of the car allowance and what they give you for mileage. 30k is loads of miles if you are used to driving 5k a year. Insurance could cost you more for business use, extra maintenace, replacement tyres from wear and if you are on building sites punctures (load of them) , time away from the day job while your motor is in for service. Our firm expected you to hire a car to cover when personal car was off road for service or repair so I was spannering at weekends. Lease car will pickup some dents and scratches that will need paying for at the end of the lease.
If you do lease, consider a smaller mileage option and compare costs for paying additional mileage at the end. If the job doesn't work out you are covering a far higher monthly cost you won't need in the future. Likewise if you end up based in the office instead of on the road. The employer is putting the risk on you so offset in any way you can.
Any restrictions on the car you can use for work. Ours was driver front air bag and seat belts which was easy. No restrictions on fuel or engine size.
Expenses... company credit card or yours. If personal you will need a decent credit limit to cover the fuel, hotel and food bill, how long for company to settle expense claim.
At that milage I’d be asking for a company car and a fuel card. I couldn’t get the figures to work at 25k plus miles by taking the allowance.
30k a year isn’t that bad. I used to do more and didn’t mind it. The long journeys, Manchester to Aberdeen, Plymouth and similar I used to dread. It was the boredom of sitting in a car for 7+ hours that drove me mad.
30k a year isn’t that bad. I used to do more and didn’t mind it. The long journeys, Manchester to Aberdeen, Plymouth and similar I used to dread. It was the boredom of sitting in a car for 7+ hours that drove me mad.
Thanks both I appreciate the feedback. The thought of the driving doesn't bother me at the moment, I enjoy it and it's a good time to listen to music/podcasts.
I definitely need some more information in the interview later about how the expenses work. That's the biggest sticking point for me currently. I thought about the company credit card thing too, it pretty much has to be setup like that for me otherwise I won't be able to take it on at the moment. A company car would be brilliant but I have a feeling that won't be an option.
My insurance is actually due for renewal next month funnily enough so I'll get some quotes to take into account the business side being included too. In terms of maintenance, my lease cost includes maintenance but that's obviously based on the 5k PA miles so I think it would be a lot more if I asked them to base it on 30k instead. The first set of front tyres on my car lasted about 7k but that's with virtually no motorway miles so I'd expect a bit more. Shouldn't have to worry about nails as I'll be visiting hospitals, mental health facilities, schools etc. mostly I think.
I guess we'll see how things go later on, hopefully I get some positive answers. Thanks guys
I definitely need some more information in the interview later about how the expenses work. That's the biggest sticking point for me currently. I thought about the company credit card thing too, it pretty much has to be setup like that for me otherwise I won't be able to take it on at the moment. A company car would be brilliant but I have a feeling that won't be an option.
My insurance is actually due for renewal next month funnily enough so I'll get some quotes to take into account the business side being included too. In terms of maintenance, my lease cost includes maintenance but that's obviously based on the 5k PA miles so I think it would be a lot more if I asked them to base it on 30k instead. The first set of front tyres on my car lasted about 7k but that's with virtually no motorway miles so I'd expect a bit more. Shouldn't have to worry about nails as I'll be visiting hospitals, mental health facilities, schools etc. mostly I think.
I guess we'll see how things go later on, hopefully I get some positive answers. Thanks guys
Ask them if they offer an electric car scheme; my employer has just introduced it and the monthly, all-in rates are pretty favourable so that might work out as another option for you, instead of you going and finding something privately.
Running your Cupra until it reaches the mileage cap would just mean it's sitting on your drive for the remainder of the term? I guess you could sorn it, but it would still be costing you in terms of insurance (although if you've already paid the annual sum I guess you can write that off effectively).
Good luck with everything though.
Running your Cupra until it reaches the mileage cap would just mean it's sitting on your drive for the remainder of the term? I guess you could sorn it, but it would still be costing you in terms of insurance (although if you've already paid the annual sum I guess you can write that off effectively).
Good luck with everything though.
Edited by parabolica on Friday 26th August 11:59
I used to do 30- 40k miles a year - my solution was to buy a 4 or 5 year old high mileage (100k or so) car such as a mondeo for a couple of grand then run it until it blew up. Usually got at least 80k miles with very little going wrong which meant that the car allowance quickly paid for the car and the mileage allowance pretty well covered the running costs. It worked well - I saved enough for a deposit for my first house!
If it's car allowance, expect to be given company car rates for fuel reimbursement. The government recommended rates have recently gone up but not by much.
Less than 2000cc diesel is 17ppm from September.
Less than 2000cc diesel is 17ppm from September.
_Rob_ said:
I definitely need some more information in the interview later about how the expenses work. That's the biggest sticking point for me currently. I thought about the company credit card thing too, it pretty much has to be setup like that for me otherwise I won't be able to take it on at the moment. A company car would be brilliant but I have a feeling that won't be an option.
If it’s not something familiar, good to ask, but nowadays Company Credit cards are much reduced, many organisations use systems where you take a pic of your receipts upload to App, your boss approves it & you’re paid within a week or so into your nominated bank account, usually before you have to pay your personal credit card bill. You shouldn’t need to claim a car allowance it would just come in with your salary. Just your mileage (If your situation at the moment means you don’t have sufficient personal credit facility to pay hotels etc there can be work around with getting organisations to pay directly but this is a hassle , it might be an idea to ask what sort of levels you’re expected to fund (it’s not all bad as regular credit use may help your own rating & you get airmiles/cash back etc)Edited by AndyAudi on Saturday 27th August 23:52
Thanks for the replies everyone Interview went well and I was offered the job on the spot! Still deciding what to do but I'm leaning towards taking it.
The 30k miles estimate I was told originally was a little on the high side, especially as I'll be training towards the start of the job so much more likely to be 20k, maybe even a little less. The car allowance more than covers my lease with just over £100 a month extra and the mileage allowance they offer has just been raised 32p per mile (I know it goes down after the initial 10k miles).
In terms of them covering accommodation and other expenses apparently I'm given a company card (which I can't remember the name of) that they top up when needed, so occasionally I'll have to cover the odd bill myself for a bit but I'll get reimbursed shortly afterwards if that happens.
They didn't mention any stipulations in regard to what car I used but I wouldn't want to go for anything that was too much of a shed or super impractical anyway. Definitely no company car option, they used to do it but they much prefer offering a car allowance now.
With the base wage I've been offered and the bonuses available I'd be on at least £10k more per year, potentially even more than that, so I'm finding it pretty hard to argue against lol
Thanks again for all the help and advice guys It's always helpful having help from so many people that know what they're talking about.
Interview went well and I was offered the job on the spot! Still deciding what to do but I'm leaning towards taking it.The 30k miles estimate I was told originally was a little on the high side, especially as I'll be training towards the start of the job so much more likely to be 20k, maybe even a little less. The car allowance more than covers my lease with just over £100 a month extra and the mileage allowance they offer has just been raised 32p per mile (I know it goes down after the initial 10k miles).
In terms of them covering accommodation and other expenses apparently I'm given a company card (which I can't remember the name of) that they top up when needed, so occasionally I'll have to cover the odd bill myself for a bit but I'll get reimbursed shortly afterwards if that happens.
They didn't mention any stipulations in regard to what car I used but I wouldn't want to go for anything that was too much of a shed or super impractical anyway. Definitely no company car option, they used to do it but they much prefer offering a car allowance now.
With the base wage I've been offered and the bonuses available I'd be on at least £10k more per year, potentially even more than that, so I'm finding it pretty hard to argue against lol
Thanks again for all the help and advice guys
It's always helpful having help from so many people that know what they're talking about.I do 33k a year. I bought a 2005 C200cdi estate, got it mapped for economy and so far after around 40k all is well. Bought it for £1695 did some preventative maintenance including tyres and it now owes me around £2400 including the map.
It was on 63k, it's now on 103k. The 45p per mile easily covers running it and in silver avantgarde spec it looks presentable to customers.
Spending 10-20k didn't add up for me as after 3years the depreciation will be massive. My old Merc hasn't got far to drop even at 200000 miles.
I would only lease electric but I need a 300 plus mile range as in the winter that would drop to around 220 which would just about do me. Trouble is they are 6-700 a month for the mileage I need.
It was on 63k, it's now on 103k. The 45p per mile easily covers running it and in silver avantgarde spec it looks presentable to customers.
Spending 10-20k didn't add up for me as after 3years the depreciation will be massive. My old Merc hasn't got far to drop even at 200000 miles.
I would only lease electric but I need a 300 plus mile range as in the winter that would drop to around 220 which would just about do me. Trouble is they are 6-700 a month for the mileage I need.
_Rob_ said:
In terms of them covering accommodation and other expenses apparently I'm given a company card (which I can't remember the name of) that they top up when needed, so occasionally I'll have to cover the odd bill myself for a bit but I'll get reimbursed shortly afterwards if that happens.
If you’re away a night or two a week, definitely check out their policy on hotels/expenses (they should have a written one) and make sure it works in more expensive parts of the country. For example, you don’t want to be tied to a specific chain (that you grow to hate or isn’t where you want to be) or a £ budget that’s too stingy, otherwise you’ll find that travelling can get expensive quickly. Don’t forget that it needs to be enough to cover the extra cost of all your meals at eating out/convenience store prices. The other gotcha with high mileage jobs is that if you lease a car on the basis of that mileage and your role changes/you decide to move on then you can be faced with the ongoing bills or buying yourself out of it. Go too low on expected mileage and your payments will be lower but you can get stung with excess mileage charges. Have seen friends get bitten by both of these.
Frik said:
If it's car allowance, expect to be given company car rates for fuel reimbursement. The government recommended rates have recently gone up but not by much.
Less than 2000cc diesel is 17ppm from September.
Not in my experience with a number of employers. Receive a car allowance but still able to claim 45p per mile for the first 10k miles.Less than 2000cc diesel is 17ppm from September.
Kermit power said:
Do they expect you to do all this driving in your working day, or are they expecting that to come out of your own time with them getting a full working day once you're on site?
I will sometimes have to leave my house early in the morning to drive to site, wherever that may be, so that I can beat the morning rush of traffic. But on those days I won't have to work as late. They said in the interview I'm not expected to set out at 4am and still be on site at 6pm.d8666 said:
Just another angle on it..but don’t forget how much of an impact a role like this can have on your health. Eating out 4 days a week is hard on the body.
I have considered this a little. I've recently got back into the gym but this new job will mess with that a bit so I'll just have to work around my new schedule. It won't quite be eating out 4 days a week though. I'll be in the office Monday & Friday and the other 3 days will be travelling but not always overnight stays, it just depends where the site is.I've been giving the offer a lot of thought over the long weekend and I think I'm going to end up taking it. £11k extra per year (possibly more) is hard to turn down and although it's a very different role to what I have now, I think that may actually be what I need. I'm fed up at my current job so maybe this is the solution. Worst case, it isn't for me and I have to find something else later on down the line but you don't know until you try!
Thanks once again for all the comments and suggestions guys! You've been a massive help
_Rob_ said:
I have considered this a little. I've recently got back into the gym but this new job will mess with that a bit so I'll just have to work around my new schedule. It won't quite be eating out 4 days a week though. I'll be in the office Monday & Friday and the other 3 days will be travelling but not always overnight stays, it just depends where the site is.
I've been giving the offer a lot of thought over the long weekend and I think I'm going to end up taking it. £11k extra per year (possibly more) is hard to turn down and although it's a very different role to what I have now, I think that may actually be what I need. I'm fed up at my current job so maybe this is the solution. Worst case, it isn't for me and I have to find something else later on down the line but you don't know until you try!
Thanks once again for all the comments and suggestions guys! You've been a massive help
Take a look at something like Anytime Fitness or Puregym, which have gyms all over the country that you could use. Even if you're not staying overnight, you might find you can go to the gym near your site visit and work out whilst the rush hour subsides before you drive home on quieter roads.I've been giving the offer a lot of thought over the long weekend and I think I'm going to end up taking it. £11k extra per year (possibly more) is hard to turn down and although it's a very different role to what I have now, I think that may actually be what I need. I'm fed up at my current job so maybe this is the solution. Worst case, it isn't for me and I have to find something else later on down the line but you don't know until you try!
Thanks once again for all the comments and suggestions guys! You've been a massive help
Puregym in particular is only about £20 a month, so even if you've got a nice gym at home that you want to stay with, it's a small extra price to pay from that extra £11k to give you more flexibility.
I'm a Chartered Surveyor and up until last year was doing 40k a year or so with a patch that covered UK and Ireland.
For my mileage a company vehicle was the only sensible answer once I became employed - I had a nice Custom Crew Cab, then a Ford Ranger. I often did 400 miles a day and was usually away at least two nights a week.
Initially, I used Premier Inn a lot. I got bored of the same same, and frustrated that there was no recognition of loyalty. I eventually switched to using Hotels.com, but our accountant was not happy as unless I could pay on-site we could not recover VAT. I had some really nice hotels and some awful ones.
I got bored with music and radio and ended up listening mostly to Podcasts and audiobooks. The chap who has my old role is the same.
I go to see some amazing parts of the country having traveled as for as Lands End and further than John O Groats...
It's taken a while to adjust to not traveling. I miss it.
For my mileage a company vehicle was the only sensible answer once I became employed - I had a nice Custom Crew Cab, then a Ford Ranger. I often did 400 miles a day and was usually away at least two nights a week.
Initially, I used Premier Inn a lot. I got bored of the same same, and frustrated that there was no recognition of loyalty. I eventually switched to using Hotels.com, but our accountant was not happy as unless I could pay on-site we could not recover VAT. I had some really nice hotels and some awful ones.
I got bored with music and radio and ended up listening mostly to Podcasts and audiobooks. The chap who has my old role is the same.
I go to see some amazing parts of the country having traveled as for as Lands End and further than John O Groats...
It's taken a while to adjust to not traveling. I miss it.
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