Weekly savings = scheduler hours saved × scheduler cost per hour + drive hours saved × (technician cost per hour + miles per hour × cost per mile). Multiply by 50 working weeks and compare with the software’s yearly cost. With the defaults (10 technicians, 4 scheduler hours and 6 drive hours saved a week), that’s about $437 a week, or about $21,800 a year, against $5,880 a year for Crewtide Core.
Work out your numbers
How to estimate the inputs honestly
- Scheduler hours: time a typical week from the first copy of last week’s sheet to the last phone call about a change. Include re-entering changes in other systems.
- Share saved: software won’t remove judgment calls. 30–50% is a reasonable starting assumption; test it with a real week in a trial.
- Drive hours saved: the most uncertain number. The only reliable way is to rebuild a real week with route optimization and compare total drive time with what you actually ran.
- Costs per hour: use your own loaded labor costs if you know them; the defaults use public figures.
Don’t count savings twice: if a shorter route lets a technician fit another paying visit, that’s revenue, not a saving on this page.
Where the default numbers come from
| Input | Default | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduler cost | $31.50 an hour | $24.20 US median hourly wage for dispatchers (BLS 2025 wage data via O*NET) plus about 30% for payroll taxes and benefits |
| Technician cost | $30 an hour | An assumption; replace with your loaded rate |
| Vehicle cost | 72.5¢ a mile | IRS 2026 business standard mileage rate |
| Average speed | 30 mph | Typical mixed urban and suburban service driving; an assumption |
| Working weeks | 50 a year | Allows for holidays |
What to do with the result
If the savings are several times the cost, it’s worth a trial: import your customer list into Crewtide, build next week, and compare the drive time and the hours it took. If they’re close to the cost, a tidy spreadsheet with the free template may be the better choice for now. Either way, see spreadsheets vs scheduling software.
Questions
How do I calculate the cost of drive time?
Multiply drive hours by the technician’s cost per hour plus the vehicle cost for the miles driven in that hour (average speed × cost per mile). At $30 an hour, 30 mph and 72.5¢ a mile, an hour of driving costs about $51.75.
What is the IRS mileage rate for 2026?
The 2026 business standard mileage rate is 72.5 cents per mile.
How much time do schedulers spend on weekly routes?
It varies widely. Teams that rebuild the week in a spreadsheet often spend most of a day on it, plus time fixing changes. Time a real week to get your number.
Is scheduling software worth it for a small team?
Run the calculator. With three to five technicians and few changes, a well-kept spreadsheet can be enough; as cycles, windows and crews multiply, the hours add up quickly.
Sources
Checked October 25, 2026. Plans and prices change; the vendor’s own page is the final word.