Does anyone use Runzheimer for mileage?

[elsteef]

We\'re trying to come up with a better way to do mileage reimbursement. Does anyone here use Runzheimer? Does it seem like a fair way to get reimbursed? Do you get taxed on the base amount they pay?

Sorry for all the questions. I appreciate any input you have

[10871087]

I havn\'t use it but I have some friends that run it at their dealerships. All the technicians I have talked to about it think the program is very fair.

[Techlady]

We have been using Runzheimer for a number of years and general feeling is that is it very fair. You are not taxed on the base amount. They have enhanced their services in the last year or so and have many options available for setting up your accounts.

[jimharry]

Yeah, We have to use runzheimer for mileage. It only works if you have the right car/truck. I have a 1995 Toyota Tacoma V6 with 200,000 miles, and I get an average of 18mpg. Runzheimer doesn\'t pay me enough for just the gas!!!

[10871087]

jimharry wrote:

Yeah, We have to use runzheimer for mileage. It only works if you have the right car/truck. I have a 1995 Toyota Tacoma V6 with 200,000 miles, and I get an average of 18mpg. Runzheimer doesn\'t pay me enough for just the gas!!!

What vehicle doe your company say is the ideal vehicle and would get you the best payout.

[Claudio]

What exactly is Runzheimer ?
Can someone explain it.
Thanks
Claudio

[Ctl-Alt-Del]

What exactly is Runzheimer ?
Can someone explain it.
Thanks
Claudio

Vehicle Fleet Management (you can outsource your personal vehicle reimbursement system to them).

Here is the a link: Runzheimer International - customizable products and services for employee relocation, site selection, moving, vehicle and driver programs, and domestic and international travel (http://www.runzheimer.com)

[BPGTECK]

this plan dosent work well for people driving alot of miles
last years gov rate was 44.5 cents per mile iwas reinbursed
at 32 cents per mile for 25 thousand miles under the plan

[Techlady]

While the reimbursement doesn't match exact to the 'IRS allowed' for business miles, you are able to claim the difference on your tax returns. We supply our members with an end of year statement advising exactly what was paid, and total miles. Additionally, with a vehicle that meets proper criteria, you would be paid additional monies for miles driven over a specific number of miles for the year (ours is 15K miles).

[BPGTECK]

remember the straight line deduction has to equal over 2percent of your
gross income not everyone will meet that criterior. no additional money paid for over 15 k here would like to here more about that

[BondoFox]

When I was with Northrop-Grumman IT we switched to Runzheimer. The only way you could stay ahead of it was to NOT drive anywhere.

Your mileage rate changed every month and fluctuated with the cost of gasoline in the area, at the end of last year I was making around 18-19 cents/mile with a fixed rate of $420 or thereabouts. Compare that to the 45 cents/mile we WERE getting prior to Runzheimer and you'll see it's a terrible service.

[enrolledagent82]

Check out www.cardataconsultants.com (http://www.cardataconsultants.com). Better rates and better service.

[MountaineerLegion]

Asking if Runzheimer works depends on who you are.

Runzheimer only works well if you are the corporate officer trying to save your company a bunch of money and get a big bonus while you stick it to all your employees who drive a bunch.

The plan basically pays you a fixed rate for some expenses and a variable rate for others. But....

The plan allows the company to pick what their model vehicle will be. The model vehicle determines things like depreciation allowance, gas mileage, maintenance allowance, tires, etc. My great company chose a Toyota Corolla...very low depreciation, good gas mileage, very low maintenance, small tires, etc. ....sooo, all my allowances assume I have the ideal car to travel in which I don't.... sooo, I lose money for every mile I drive unless I want to go out and buy a Corolla.

Additionally, as gas goes up by say .20 a month your gas allowance per mile goes up by about .01!

The VP (from a finance background) who implemented this got a big slap on the back and a big bonus. The company had MASSIVE turnover after they switched to this plan. I guess to be fair, Runzheimer may offer a plan where a Mack truck is the model vehicle in which case if you drive a Prius then you just got a raise...somehow I don't think any VP would pick that plan.

[blackcat4866]

The thing that our our people noticed was that the mileage rate varied so radically based on zip code. My buddy Steve, who lived in one of the richer zip codes got 25% more than I did our in the country.

Personally I did very well under Runzheimer. My vehicle of choice was the Ford Festiva. I drove four of them until they would go no more. Over 185K miles on each one, and 35 to 41 mpg right up to the end. Better mileage with the stick shift. =^..^=

[supercopier]

I used to dread logging my mileage and expenses but now by being on the Runzheimer plan it is so easy, fair and accurate. We used another company for this is in the past and I am soooo happy that we switched over to Runzheimer.
I am fairly reimbursed, the support is top notch and the products/services are the best in the business. My company also uses Runzheimer for travel and entertainment expenses, relocation and with my working from home I really like their support for virtual office workers.
A really cool thing is that Runzheimer has a route optimization tool to get me where I am going faster and with less gas. Runzheimer also has GPS enabled products that automate all of your mileage/trips straight into their system and notify me of where I need to go. I just turn on my Blackberry and head on my calls for the day. I can then just click a button in their portal, my mileage populates into their system and get paid accurately! You do not have to keep paper logs or miss trips anymore. I live in California and my reimbursement rates are calculated for my specific location, not some general inaccurate number. I am provided with tons of valuable information, so I visit their website everyday to use the tools.
Everyone who is mobile, travels or drives can use these tools whether you are on the road daily or only once in awhile. I highly recommend Runzheimer and they are constantly making it easier for me to concentrate on my job and make my life easier. Have your company contact them and you will be happy you did! www.runzheimer.com (http://www.runzheimer.com) :D

[ZeusGT]

Yeah, I was under runzheimers plan and I lost about 200 to 300 dollars a month driving to service calls. It's a system that keeps you in debt making you purchase a new or newer car every 3 to 4 years. You get very little in milage reimbursment and it's paid out once a month..yuk! So, if gas shoots up a dollar a gallon cause a hurricane hit Texas and then two weeks later gas went back down a dollar.. guess what, you just lost big time and you will not get reimbursed all that you are owed.

I didn't care for it nor did 90% of the other techs. You can beat it though.... If you pay cash for a new car, bargin it down well below market value. Configure the MSRP into their system and not drive it much, you will come out... wait even... huh. It is only designed to pay you back 70% of the MSRP of the vehicle the company chooses. Anything that you buy that is over the suggested cost is money out of your pocket. Good luck.

[pspahr]

Absolute crock of crap system.....I've seen it implemented by several companies, including mine, and it does not ever match your actuall expenditure, ever. Ever. Nope, not now, either. Still waiting? Uh-uh, still a plan "full of fail".

[pspahr]

I used to dread logging my mileage and expenses but now by being on the Runzheimer plan it is so easy, fair and accurate. We used another company for this is in the past and I am soooo happy that we switched over to Runzheimer.
I am fairly reimbursed, the support is top notch and the products/services are the best in the business. My company also uses Runzheimer for travel and entertainment expenses, relocation and with my working from home I really like their support for virtual office workers.
A really cool thing is that Runzheimer has a route optimization tool to get me where I am going faster and with less gas. Runzheimer also has GPS enabled products that automate all of your mileage/trips straight into their system and notify me of where I need to go. I just turn on my Blackberry and head on my calls for the day. I can then just click a button in their portal, my mileage populates into their system and get paid accurately! You do not have to keep paper logs or miss trips anymore. I live in California and my reimbursement rates are calculated for my specific location, not some general inaccurate number. I am provided with tons of valuable information, so I visit their website everyday to use the tools.
Everyone who is mobile, travels or drives can use these tools whether you are on the road daily or only once in awhile. I highly recommend Runzheimer and they are constantly making it easier for me to concentrate on my job and make my life easier. Have your company contact them and you will be happy you did! www.runzheimer.com (http://www.runzheimer.com) :D

No, please, really...Tell me what it is you are smoking?? Or is it in the Kool-ade?

[supercopier]

Runzheimer does an average of fuel costs for the month to avoid spikes, high or low so you are paid fairly. Also, your insurance costs, car washes, oil changes, and depreciation etc. etc. are all included to you tax free if you follow a few simple IRS rules.
There are tools to use to help you do your job easier as well. If you are a Runzheimer customer, ask your boss for these!!

[pspahr]

Runzheimer does an average of fuel costs for the month to avoid spikes, high or low so you are paid fairly. Also, your insurance costs, car washes, oil changes, and depreciation etc. etc. are all included to you tax free if you follow a few simple IRS rules.
There are tools to use to help you do your job easier as well. If you are a Runzheimer customer, ask your boss for these!!

Again, I ask....Are you crazy? It is not in the least bit fair. Even their own brochures/pamphlets to company management state that is designed from the beginning to save the company money by minimizing the payouts to those being managed by the program. There is no way that a system designed to penalize those it manages can ever fairly be implemented. Of course, corporate greed is just as responsible for looking at the plan and touting it's wonders of efficiency knowing full well that it is only a benefit to them becuase it unjustly rapes the technician.

Of course, lot's of plans and programs look great on paper. For instance, Social Security. Hmmm, now that I think about it they are very similar. Both take money out of your pocket and only give a portion back if you meet the perfect requirements (which may change at anyones discretion but that of the recipient).

[ZeusGT]

Again, I ask....Are you crazy? It is not in the least bit fair. Even their own brochures/pamphlets to company management state that is designed from the beginning to save the company money by minimizing the payouts to those being managed by the program. There is no way that a system designed to penalize those it manages can ever fairly be implemented. Of course, corporate greed is just as responsible for looking at the plan and touting it's wonders of efficiency knowing full well that it is only a benefit to them becuase it unjustly rapes the technician.

Of course, lot's of plans and programs look great on paper. For instance, Social Security. Hmmm, now that I think about it they are very similar. Both take money out of your pocket and only give a portion back if you meet the perfect requirements (which may change at anyones discretion but that of the recipient).

He he he.. now that's funny...

[mrgoodcopy]

Company car with gas card, no worries for my techs.:)

[RunzheimerBaller]

Thanks for the discussion on the Runzheimer plan.

Our company is switching from the "here's the keys submit the bills" plan to the Runzheimer plan. Welcome to 2008......

From what I see the only folks that can "make" are the folks driving a little amounts of business miles. Mile per mile, two identical cars, same personal and business miles. If you drive over 1000 miles per year business you'd be better off using your own vehicle. You'd be way better off if you kept you car for 5 years instead the 4 that Runzheimer limits. If you did, you'd need to only drive 800(biz) miles per year.

The added bonus is you'd be reimbursed through the company and not some outside consultant. And you wouldn't have to report crap to anyone other than the IRS (if requested).

IMHO the plan sucks balls for the users. I took my job with the agreement that I had a "free" vehicle to use personally as much as I want. I moved where I did because commutes were "free".

Not to sound like a whiner but I've got a beautiful car that's getting traded in so that I can drive something decent as a daily driver, instead of the $hit boxes they want us to drive. A Camry? Really? Oh an Accord? Can I just take estrogen instead? Why would I want to be forced into driving some crap box that has "safety saranwrap" for air bags and passenger compartments that has so much plastic in it, that the static electricity in you hair sets off the dome light.

Anyways, whoever is promoting Runzheimer as a great plan can go fluff (you know what I mean) the CFO's of the companies because the real money makers (us) know you're squeezing us, not "making money, or saving money" for everyone. You're a Runzheimer lacky.


Sorry for my first post to be this. (Should be my last too.) But the more I look into this, it sucks. Big time.

I do have to say if you haven't had a company plan prior to getting on the R plan you might feel differently. But if your brain partially works and can touch your index fingers together two out of five times. You'll realize the plan is designed by accountants that are most likely still virgins and hated sports in high school due to the barbarianism.

With Regards,
A fellow man. :)

[MikeLCPA]

My experience with Runzheimer is actually through my wife. As an accountant, I can tell you that this service is all about reducing the company's bottom line. The per mile figures put out by the IRS are meant to cover; 1. the cost of fuel used, 2. the cost of routine maintenance of the vehicle, 3. the systematic depletion of the vehicle's value (depreciation). The shortfall in cents per mile can be claimed on your tax return as one of the previous posts claimed, however, she neglected to mention that the section of the tax return used to claim that shortfall pays a fraction of the dollars claimed not the full amount. The original purpose of getting a set amount per mile was to offset the fact that your car will need to be replaced and the company, rightfully so since you're using it for their business, should pay additional cents per mile to help you get a new car when you need it in, let's say 4 years. Without all those additional miles, your car would've probably lasted a heck of a lot longer. That was a very fair trade-off. The government figures aren't money makers, they equitably cover cost incurred by you to do the company's business.
Runzheimer has presented a cost cutting option to companies that has short changed the employee! Anything to the contrary is company spin.
I'm an accountant and deal with this regularly. My wife loses approximately $320.00 per month. Multiply that by 4 years and it equals $15,360.00. That equals a pretty good down payment on a car that will prematurly meet it's demise thanks to those tens of thousands of miles put on in the company's behalf:(

[JustManuals]

No matter how much you get for using your own car, it's never enough.

Paul@justmanuals.com

[CRSinc]

If you're looking for an alternative to Runzheimer, Corporate Reimbursement Services, Inc. (CRS) is a good choice.

CRS runs highly flexible and customizable vehicle reimbursement programs (http://www.crsinc.com) for companies with mobile employees.

The CRS Program calculates a fair, accurate and defensible reimbursement rate for each individual driver that reflects geographic cost variances, territory conditions and the actual number of business miles driven.

[The Otrain]

Wow. I take it people hate Runz. Some of our techs use it and the majority of the them seem to like it. I personally have no problem with it. Maybe it is the plan my company is using, but I make a couple hundred dollars extra every month. Of course, 4 years from now my car will need to be junked. The plan we get covers my car payment with the exception of about $30. The mileage reimbursement is enough to pay off my monthly gas card and give me extra as stated. My average monthly mileage is around 2K and I drive an 2008 Chevy HHR. I guess I am one of the lucky ones. Also, because I fit into the IRS requirements, my car payment/reimbursement does not show as income on my taxes.

[jonhiker]

we use runzheimer, and it is a loser. part of it is what the company chose as a "base vehicle" is a more expensive car than most of the techs can afford. if you don't meet this requirement, then your base is about 1/3 the higher amount, plus mileage. at the end of the year, i get paid about 25 cents per mile. fortunatly, i can deduct the difference on the income tax, so that helps.

[gilbo]

We have been using Runzheimer for a number of years and general feeling is that is it very fair. You are not taxed on the base amount. They have enhanced their services in the last year or so and have many options available for setting up your accounts. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * The company I work for has been using it since 2003. It's horrible for employees. Every year as your car gets older, you get less money every month. Why? Because it depricates. HELLO!!!!!! My car payment hasn't gone down in price. Oil changes, tire replacement, tune-ups, brakes, etc, none of that has gone down in price. You end up spending your own money on repairs, and you are on your own. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

When the company use to supply use with comapny cars, no problems, no worries, nothing. *We had a fleet service plan for our cars, every 5,000 miles it got serviced. If you got into a accident, no problem. They set us up with a rental. The only out of pocket expense was for gas, and we submitted our gas receits and got reinbursed. We could even use the cars for personal use. *Life was sweet, and even saved money on our own car insurance.

Today, if your car needs service, it comes out of your own pocket. You get into a accident, its up to you to rent a car, or take off from work. The milage we get reinbursed for is a joke, especially when you see how gas prices have risen. And because you are using your own car for business, insurance rates go up.*

It would be different perhaps if we got much more money each month, but at the present, I am loosing money. This plan might be great for business owners, but you are going to leave a very sour tastes in your employee's mouth, and they may even quit. Can you imagine loosing your top talent over vechicle reinburstment?*

[deldew123]

My company forced all of our techs over to Runzheimer. It could be an ok program if it is administered properly and you are looking for help buying a car. I wasn't I had a company provided car for 20 yrs. Your company administor has the power to asign your mileage program and percent of business use. I 've been fighting this battle for a few months. My admin set my program to 4/35000 which is 8,750 miles per year which I drive min 3 times that. In doing this that cut what the company has to pay for your fixed amount per month. Good luck if you are forced onto a program like this.