Back to Base - Costing the Journey Home
A schedule can look profitable until you remember the vehicle still has to get home. Back to base adds the journey from the schedule's final drop back to your yard into the schedule's mileage, driving time and costs, so the profit you see is the real one.
How it works
- Each depot is given a Home location - normally your yard. When Back to base is switched on for a schedule, the route from the final drop back to that location is worked out, and its miles, driving time and running costs are added to the schedule's figures.
- If a driver parks up somewhere different, you can set a Home location on their profile, and that takes priority for their schedules.
- While the day is still running, the return leg is an estimate. Once the driver ends their shift, the recorded mileage becomes the truth and the estimate steps aside automatically, so the final figures reflect what actually happened.
Set a home location for each depot
Do this once and the switch is ready on every schedule from then on.
Step-by-step
- Go to Settings and open Depots.
- Open the depot. On the Details tab, find Home location.
- Start typing and pick the location from the list, then save.
Set a home location for a driver (optional)
Only needed when a driver's day ends somewhere other than the depot - their own parking spot, for example. Left blank, the depot's home location is used.
Step-by-step
- Open the driver's profile.
- In the Employment section, fill in Home location and save.
Turn it on for a schedule
Where to find it
Open the schedule. The Back to base switch is the last row of the route - it shows where home is and, once worked out, the extra miles.
If the switch is greyed out, there is no home location to return to yet - set one on the depot or the driver first.
What happens next
- The schedule's total distance, driving time, costs and profit now include the journey home. The figures take a few moments to work out - reopen the schedule if you don't see them straight away.
- Switch it off and the return leg is removed, and the previous figures come back.
- When the driver ends their shift, the estimate is replaced by the recorded mileage automatically - there is nothing you need to do.
Related
- The Redesigned Schedule View - the new schedule screen, where the Back to base switch sits at the end of the route.