Driver pay · $450/day
Billed in half-day increments with a one-day minimum. The former distance-only model paid the same total even when charging, weather, mountains, or a slow handover added working time. Day-rate pay tracks the work.
Pricing
Preliminary planning rates, clearly itemized.
Pilot can prepare a preliminary route calculation with planning lines for driver pay, gas fuel where applicable, tolls, lodging, insurance, and positioning travel. Electric charging is billed at documented actual cost with receipts. It is not a final quote, booking, or dispatch commitment. Any future interstate service and price require granted and active operating authority, trip-specific insurance confirmation, vehicle and driver approval, and a signed agreement. No interstate deposit or dispatch occurs while authority is pending.
$450 per driver day
Half-day billing, one-day minimum
AI planning estimate
Driver pay
$450
/ day
Billed in half-day increments, with one day as the minimum. A planning day is about 8 driving hours or roughly 500 miles.
Billing increment
Half day
Deposit while authority is pending
None
Possible short-notice adjustment
Preliminary +5%
Illustrative route plans
Sample routes, planning times, and cost ranges.
These examples are preliminary planning scenarios, not available trips or final quotes. Any future lower 48 interstate trip requires granted and active operating authority, trip-specific insurance confirmation, vehicle and driver approval, and a signed agreement.
| Route | Distance | Planning Time | Illustrative Range |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Phoenix → Los Angeles I-10 West |
370 mi | 1 day | $1,000 to $1,200 |
|
Chicago → Nashville I-65 South |
470 mi | 1 day | $900 to $1,200 |
|
Dallas → Atlanta I-20 East |
780 mi | 1 to 2 days | $1,400 to $1,800 |
|
Miami → New York I-95 North |
1,280 mi | 2 to 3 days | $2,200 to $2,700 |
|
Seattle → Denver I-90 / I-25 South |
1,320 mi | 2 to 3 days | $2,200 to $2,800 |
|
San Francisco → New York I-80 East / Cross-country |
2,900 mi | 5 to 6 days | $4,300 to $5,200 |
Each gas-vehicle example includes preliminary positioning travel and assumes no more than about 8 driving hours or 500 miles per planning day. EV timing and charging require the exact vehicle and battery, and charging is reconciled to documented actual cost. The model may add 5 percent for requested starts with less than 3 days notice, but that does not promise availability. No interstate deposit or dispatch occurs while required authority is pending.
Planning inputs
How a preliminary estimate is assembled.
These figures are planning assumptions only. A future written price requires active authority, trip-specific insurance confirmation, vehicle and driver approval, and a signed agreement.
Gas fuel · about $0.18/mi
An illustrative allowance for gas vehicles based on route distance. A future signed agreement controls the final treatment.
EV charging · actual cost
Charging is billed at documented actual cost with receipts, not a mileage allowance. The exact vehicle and battery affect highway range and trip time.
Toll planning · about $0.02/mi
An illustrative allowance for route-specific tolls. A future signed agreement would state how actual toll differences are handled.
Lodging planning · $120/night
An illustrative allowance for routes that may require an overnight stop, using about 8 driving hours or 500 miles per planning day.
Insurance surcharge · 8% of driver pay
Calculated as 8 percent of driver pay for preliminary planning. Any future trip requires confirmation that trip-specific insurance applies to the approved vehicle and driver.
Positioning travel · itemized
Each leg uses the cheaper feasible option between a round-trip drop-off and a flight plus ground transport, based on the exact pickup or delivery location.
Preliminary adjustments in the planning model
- Short notice: A possible 5 percent planning adjustment for a requested start with less than 3 days notice. Availability is not promised.
- Future payment model: A signed agreement may call for a 25 percent deposit and a balance at delivery only after authority is active, trip-specific insurance is confirmed, and the vehicle and driver are approved.
- Current status: No interstate deposit or dispatch occurs while required authority is pending.
Planning safeguards
What is available now, and what must happen first.
Route-planning requests are open. They do not create a booking or authorize a charge. Every future interstate trip remains conditional on the safeguards below.
| Planning item | Available now | Required before future service |
|---|---|---|
| Route and cost estimate | Preliminary planning range | Final written price in a signed agreement |
| Operating authority | Planning only | Federal interstate authority granted and active |
| Insurance | Trip needs can be discussed | Trip-specific insurance confirmed in writing |
| Vehicle and driver | Preliminary details can be reviewed | Specific vehicle and driver approved |
| Schedule and tracking | Planning preferences can be recorded | Final terms stated in the signed agreement |
| Deposit and dispatch | None while authority is pending | Only after every prerequisite above is satisfied |
Pricing FAQ
Common questions about cost.
How is the preliminary price estimate calculated?
The planning model bills driver pay at $450 per day in half-day increments, with a one-day minimum. It adds gas fuel at about $0.18 per mile, tolls at about $0.02 per mile, $120 lodging per night on multi-day trips, an 8 percent insurance surcharge on driver pay, and itemized assigned-driver positioning travel. Electric charging is handled separately at documented actual cost with receipts. Requests under 3 days notice add 5 percent. Pilot can build a nonbinding line-item estimate, but the signed agreement controls any approved trip.
What does the preliminary driver travel line cover?
The model prices each positioning leg as the cheaper feasible option between a round-trip drop-off and a flight plus ground transport. Exact pickup and delivery locations determine the itemized amount. Any future amount requires granted and active operating authority, trip-specific insurance confirmation, vehicle and driver approval, and a signed agreement.
How is charging handled for an electric vehicle?
Electric charging is billed at documented actual cost with receipts, not a mileage allowance. An electric vehicle usually takes longer than the same route in a gas vehicle because charging stops add time. The exact vehicle and battery matter because highway range varies greatly between models, so SelectDrive must review those details before confirming a plan.
When do I pay, and is there a deposit?
SelectDrive does not collect an interstate deposit or dispatch a trip while required authority is pending. If authority is granted and active, a future signed agreement may call for a 25 percent deposit and a balance at delivery, but only after trip-specific insurance is confirmed and the vehicle and driver are approved. A planning request is free and does not authorize payment.
Does the price change for an express booking?
The preliminary model includes a possible 5 percent planning adjustment for a requested start with less than 3 days notice. This does not promise express availability. Any future schedule and price require granted and active operating authority, trip-specific insurance confirmation, vehicle and driver approval, and a signed agreement.
Plan ahead
Want a preliminary range for your route?
Chat with Pilot or submit a form for a free planning estimate. It is not a booking, and no interstate deposit or dispatch occurs while required authority is pending.