Trip Acceptance Floor Calculator
Calculate your personal minimum $/mile and $/minute thresholds. Know what to decline.
Why You Need a Floor
- Some trips lose money. After gas, depreciation, and taxes, low-paying trips can have negative net.
- Your costs are unique. Generic rules do not account for your vehicle and market.
- Confidence to decline. Knowing your floor removes emotional decision-making.
Building Your Acceptance Strategy
The Math Behind the Floor: Your floor works backward from your target net hourly. If you want $20/hr net, your vehicle costs are $0.40/mile, and you have unpaid pickup miles, you need a higher paid-mile rate than the app offer first suggests.
Dead Miles Are Hidden Killers: A $12 trip for 6 paid miles looks like $2/mile. If you drove 3 unpaid miles to pickup, you traveled 9 miles for $12, or $1.33/mile.
Flexibility is OK: Your floor is a guideline, not a law. During surge pricing or when a trip points toward a useful destination, a below-floor trip might still make sense.
Common Questions
What is a trip acceptance floor?
It is your personal minimum threshold: the lowest $/mile or $/minute you should accept. Below this floor, the trip costs you money or does not meet your hourly goal.
Why is the "$2/mile rule" not good enough?
Generic rules ignore your vehicle costs, market, and dead miles. A driver with a paid-off Prius has different economics than someone financing a newer SUV.
How do dead miles affect my acceptance floor?
Dead miles mean your effective $/mile is lower than the trip shows. If a trip pays $1.50/mile but you drove 2 miles unpaid to get there, your effective rate is lower.
Should I have different floors for different times?
Yes. During busy times, you can be pickier because another trip is coming. During slow periods, a trip slightly below your goal floor might beat waiting 20 minutes.
What is the difference between survival floor and goal floor?
Survival floor covers your costs. Accepting below it means you are losing money. Goal floor is the minimum needed to hit your target net hourly after costs and taxes.
How do I actually use my floor while driving?
Compare the trip offer miles, minutes, and payout to your rules. If it is below your floor, decline. Over time, this becomes automatic.
Methodology & Limits
How it works
This calculator calculates a driving & delivery scenario from your inputs, then surfaces the result as decision-oriented numbers.
Assumptions
Uses current tax rates, vehicle costs assumptions where relevant.
Use it as a screen
Treat the output as a planning estimate. Share the current scenario URL when you want to revisit or compare assumptions. Validate the numbers with real payouts, costs, deadlines, and local rules before committing money.
Next action
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