Dead time and the approach: the cost nobody counts
They are the most expensive kilometres of your day, because the others pay for them.
Updated on August 13, 2026
What are empty kilometres for a private-hire driver?
Every kilometre driven with no passenger on board: reaching the customer, heading back to an area with demand, driving home at the end of a shift. They burn fuel, wear the vehicle and take time, but appear on no invoice.
How do you fold empty kilometres into your cost?
By carrying their cost on the billed kilometres alone. If 40% of your kilometres are not billed, your total costs spread over the remaining 60%. Mechanically, your cost per billed kilometre climbs by two thirds against your cost per kilometre driven.
On 45,000 annual kilometres with 40% empty, total costs of €19,800 give €0.44 per kilometre driven — but €0.73 per kilometre billed. The second figure is the one that decides.
Can you reduce the share of empty kilometres?
Partly, by working areas and hours rather than accepting everything. But it never reaches zero: reaching a customer is structurally unbilled. The goal is not to remove it, it is to know it and have your rate pay for it.