MulchSpot / Arborist business tools

What does a tip run
really cost you?

Compare the full cost of disposing of a load with a MulchSpot delivery. Count the kilometres, the crew and the time your truck is off the job.

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1. Your operation

Start with the example, then use your own figures. These are illustrative inputs, not industry averages or promised savings. All amounts are AUD. Use the same GST basis throughout.

Trucks in this comparisonLoads per truck / weekWorking weeks / year

Loads you expect to redirect to MulchSpot (%)

An editable planning assumption, not a measured success rate. Start conservatively. Loads you cannot redirect stay on your usual disposal route; only redirected loads count towards annual savings.

Loaded labour cost / person / hour ($)Diesel price / litre ($)

Labour rate includes wages, super and employment on-costs. Use an average per person, not your customer charge-out rate.

2. Compare the two trips

Use total extra travel from the same job to the drop and back—or on to the same next job—for both routes. Include the return leg. Do not enter one-way travel for one option and return travel for the other.

Your usual disposal

Total extra driving (km)Total extra driving (minutes)Queue / waiting (minutes)Unloading (minutes)Other downtime (minutes)People tied up for this timeDisposal / access fee ($)Tolls & other trip charges ($)

MulchSpot drop

“People tied up” includes the driver and any crew who cannot work while the truck is away. If the rest of the crew keeps working, count only those affected. Other downtime is additional time not already included in driving, waiting or unloading.

Enter the actual access fee shown on the listing. The $27.50 example is not a universal price. Only include a homeowner payment if it is agreed and payable to you; check who collects it and any deductions.

3. Fuel, tyres & vehicle wear

Driving fuel use (L/100 km)Fuel use while stopped (L/hour)Tyre wear ($/km)Servicing & repairs ($/km)Distance-related depreciation ($/km)

Tyre cost per km = fitted replacement cost ÷ expected tyre life. Servicing and repairs exclude tyres and fuel. Use only distance-related depreciation; fixed registration, insurance and finance costs generally continue either way. Set any irrelevant cost to zero.

Stopped fuel use applies to waiting, unloading and other downtime. Enter an average allowing for engine-off time; zero excludes it.

Optional: value of recovered work time

Estimate the extra contribution from work you could actually fit in. Use revenue less additional job costs and exclude labour or costs already counted above. This is uncertain earning potential, shown separately and never added to the main saving.

Extra contribution / recovered hour ($)Recovered time usable for paid work (%)

Example comparison

Estimated cost reduction per load

—

—lower cost per year

—lower cost per week

—truck-hours recovered / year

—fewer kilometres / year

Includes the value of paid crew time and wear allowances. It is not all cash saved or additional profit. Availability, access and actual delivery costs vary.

Find a mulch drop on MulchSpot →

What makes up the difference?

Per redirected load: usual disposal minus MulchSpot. Positive amounts favour MulchSpot; negative amounts favour your usual route.

Fees, fuel & delivery income

Value of paid crew time

Tyres, repairs & depreciation

The first line excludes wages and wear allowances. Recovering paid time does not automatically reduce your wage bill.

Where the money goes

Estimated net cost per load, after any delivery payment.

Usual disposal—

MulchSpot—

Per-load cost breakdown
Cost	Usual	MulchSpot
Net cost

Winning work as well? Compare your cost per tree job won →

Understand your disposal costs

How is the comparison calculated?

For each trip: fees + tolls + paid crew time + fuel + tyres + servicing and repairs + distance-related depreciation − delivery payment. Crew time is driving, waiting, unloading and other downtime combined, multiplied by affected people and hourly labour cost. Fuel includes driving consumption and the optional stopped-fuel allowance.

The difference per redirected load is multiplied by loads per truck, trucks, the percentage of loads redirected and working weeks. Other loads continue on the usual disposal route and cancel out of the comparison. Time recovered is truck-hours, not person-hours. Negative savings are shown as a higher MulchSpot cost.

Does saved time mean money back in my pocket?

Not necessarily. Wages may remain payable and depreciation is an allowance rather than a bill for that trip. Time recovered can let you finish sooner, reduce overtime or fit in work. The optional contribution calculation is separate because extra revenue is not guaranteed.

What should I use for trip distance and costs?

Use your actual routes, fuel records, invoices and payroll costs. Include any queue, access delays, trailer tyre wear and equipment costs attributable to the journey, without counting the same cost twice. Compare an equivalent load that the receiving site can accept. Run separate comparisons for trucks with materially different costs.

Calculations run in your browser. This calculator does not submit your entered figures. Use Copy comparison or Print to keep your estimate.

Example comparisonCost difference per load

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