In almost every regional city there's a type of trip that doesn't show up in day-to-day metrics but weighs heavily on revenue: the out-of-town trip. It's the passenger who needs to go to the state capital, to an airport in another city, to a medical appointment in the neighbouring town or to a wedding two hours away. There are few of these trips a month, but each one can be worth as much as ten urban rides, and they're almost always quoted from memory, over the phone and with the fear of getting it wrong.
The thesis of this article is that the out-of-town trip isn't a long urban trip: it's a different product, with a different cost and a different risk. If you charge it with the same logic as a ride inside the city, either the driver loses money on the empty return or the passenger gets a price they don't understand. We'll look at why the return changes the whole calculation, how to build a fare table by destination, how to quote without improvising, what to watch when assigning a driver and how to turn these trips into recurring customers.
Why the out-of-town trip is a different product
A trip inside the city ends somewhere the driver can pick up another job within minutes. A trip to another city doesn't: the driver leaves the passenger a hundred kilometres from their working area and, unless they find a return fare, drives the same hundred kilometres without charging. During that time they also aren't available for local demand, which is what sustains the rest of the day.
On top of that, the out-of-town trip brings costs that urban rides don't have or barely show: tolls, more wear on the vehicle, hours of highway driving, sometimes a meal for the driver or a long wait at the destination. And the passenger isn't the same either: they usually plan the trip days ahead, compare options and want to know the total price before committing. Treating it as just another trip of the day is what produces the two classic mistakes: undercharging, or quoting so high that the customer goes elsewhere.
The empty return: the calculation almost nobody makes
The simplest way to understand the price of an out-of-town trip is to think about the vehicle's whole journey, not the passenger's. If the destination is 80 kilometres away, the driver will drive 160, plus the return time in which they can't work. A fare calculated only on the outbound kilometres pays for half the real work, and a driver who does that maths starts turning these trips down or accepting them reluctantly.
There are three common ways to solve it, and each operator chooses according to their market. The first is to charge the full round trip and say so clearly. The second is to charge the outbound leg plus a percentage of the return, betting that the driver will sometimes find a return fare. The third is to offer the round trip as a product: the driver waits for the passenger at the destination for a few hours and brings them back, with a waiting charge agreed from the start. What matters isn't which one you choose but that the rule is the same for everyone and that the driver knows how much they'll earn before leaving.
A fare table by destination
Most out-of-town trips from a regional city are concentrated on a few destinations: the capital, the nearest airport, two or three neighbouring towns and perhaps a tourist spot. That's why a table of fixed fares by destination makes more sense than calculating every trip from scratch. The passenger gets a clear price, dispatch answers quickly and the driver knows in advance what they'll charge. To build it, each row should cover these elements:
- Round-trip distance, not just the outbound leg.
- Tolls in both directions.
- Total time the vehicle spends outside its area.
- A waiting charge at the destination, if it's a round trip.
- A night or early-morning surcharge, if it applies in your market.
- The maximum number of passengers and suitcases included.
The table doesn't have to be perfect in the first month. It's best to start with the five most requested destinations, review each quarter whether fuel or toll costs have changed and adjust. Destinations that come up once a year can still be quoted case by case, but with the same logic as the table so you don't improvise.
How to quote without improvising
Many out-of-town trips are lost in the conversation, not on price. The passenger asks how much it costs to go to the capital, gets a figure with no explanation and never writes again. A good quote is short but complete: it says what's included, what isn't and how long it's valid. If the price covers the empty return, it's worth saying so, because a passenger understands a price better when they know where it comes from.
For high-value trips it's also reasonable to ask for a deposit or a confirmation the day before. A driver who reserved the whole morning for an airport transfer and finds that the passenger cancelled at the last minute loses more than in any urban cancellation. A small deposit, or at least a confirmation message the night before, reduces that risk without scaring off a serious customer.
We used to quote trips to the capital depending on who answered the phone, and every driver charged differently. We made a table with six destinations, counting the return and the tolls, and put it in a saved dispatch message. Drivers stopped turning those trips down and customers stopped haggling, because the price was always the same.
It also helps to agree on what happens with the unexpected before leaving: a delayed flight, an appointment that runs long or an extra stop on the way. If the quote already states how much each additional hour of waiting costs, nobody has to negotiate on the highway and the driver isn't put in the awkward position of asking for more money halfway through the trip.
Who to assign an out-of-town trip to
Not every driver or every vehicle is suited to the highway. An out-of-town trip means hours of continuous driving, sometimes at night, and a passenger who spends a long time in the car. Assigning it to whoever is free first may work in the city, but on a long trip mistakes cost more: a tyre in poor condition, a driver tired after a full shift or a vehicle without room for the luggage the customer mentioned.
Many fleets solve this with a short list of drivers cleared for out-of-town trips: those with current documents, a vehicle in good condition, highway experience and good passenger ratings. Trips booked in advance are assigned from that list, and the driver confirms they're available and rested. It's also a way to reward the best drivers, because these trips are usually among the most profitable of the month.
For safety, dispatch should always know what time the vehicle left, what the destination is and when arrival is expected. A message from the driver on arrival and another when starting the return are enough to keep control without complicating operations, and they reassure both the passenger and the driver's family.
Turning the out-of-town trip into a recurring customer
Someone who travels to another city once usually does it again: the medical appointment has a follow-up, the relative arrives at the airport again, the company sends its staff to the capital every month. That's why the out-of-town trip is one of the best opportunities to win long-term customers. A punctual trip, a friendly driver and a respected price are the best advertising a regional fleet can have.
It's worth keeping these customers' contact details, asking them whether the trip will repeat and offering to book the next one in advance. Companies that send staff frequently can move to a corporate agreement with a fixed fare per destination and monthly invoicing, which gives the fleet more predictable revenue and gives drivers long trips scheduled days ahead.
A long trip deserves a complete calculation
The out-of-town trip is small in number and large in money, which is why it's won or lost in the details: counting the return, adding the tolls, explaining the price, assigning the right driver and confirming the day before. None of those tasks requires complicated technology; they require a clear rule that everyone in the fleet applies the same way.
If you quote these trips from memory today, the first step is simple: gather your most experienced drivers, write down the five destinations you're asked for most and calculate together how much it really costs to go and come back. With that table in hand, dispatch answers in minutes, drivers accept without hesitation and the passenger gets a price they can understand and accept.
