CarpoolKing

Hints and tips

How to deal with unreliable carpoolers

Set firm ground rules before you begin:

• Make sure that everyone agrees on the rules for dealing with consistently unreliable carpoolers. This way everyone in the carpool has a clear understanding of what to expect if people aren't following the rules
• Be reliable yourself

How to plan a carpool

Once you have found your carpool buddies, arrange a meeting to sort out how you want it to work.

Some things you will have to decide on:

• How many days you plan to carpool per week
• Meeting places, both before and after work
• What times you will meet
• Who drives and on which days
• What route you will take
• How long you'll wait for late carpoolers
• What you do when someone is sick or on holiday
• How the money is sorted out (if any is changing hands)

Working out the money

If driving costs are shared equally there is no reason why money should change hands.

You simply pay for driving costs on the day you drive. If you or others in the carpool never drive, agree on the amount that should be spent per trip and pay this to the driver every time you travel. When working out the amount, be sure to factor in fuel, parking and tolls.

Below are example scenarios of how it might work:

Scenario 1.

You carpool 5 days a week with 4 other people. 3 people drive, and one person never drives.

The total amount spent per week by the three drivers is $100, or $20 per day. This includes fuel, parking and tolls.

The 3 people who drive do not pay anyone any money, they simply pay all costs on the day they drive.

The person who never drives should pay the driver ¼ of the day’s driving cost. In this scenario that equals $5 (¼ of $20).

Scenario 2.

You carpool 5 days a week with 3 other people. 2 people drive, and one person never drives.

The total amount spent per week by the three drivers is $100, or $20 per day. This includes fuel, parking and tolls.

The 3 people who drive do not pay anyone any money, they simply pay all costs on the day they drive.

The person who never drives should pay the driver 1/3 of the day’s driving cost. In this scenario that equals $6.66 (1/3 of $20).

Note. These scenarios work even if the carpool operates less than 5 days a week, or doesn’t always have return trips. As long as the same people are present every time, the same amount is paid to the driver by the non-driver.