My policy is very simple, I add one dollar per mile for every mile beyond 25. For 25 or less, the mileage is free. Now, I rarely perform at venues beyond 25 miles anymore, and with the traffic congestion around Baltimore and Washington, not only does this save wear and tear on your van, but additionally on your nerves. I live in one of the most congested areas of the United States - the Baltimore/Washington Corridor. Back when I was performing at more than 50 locations, 20 of them were on the west side of Baltimore. If the job was after 6 p.m., traffic congestion was mild most of the time. However, if it was a middle of the day NH job, one that began at 2 p.m., I would hit I-95 at about 12:30, get to the job an hour later, finish the job at 3, load the van by 3:30 and by then the entire beltway and I-95 was gridlock. There were times when it took me till six to get home. I'm just not gonna do that anymore. Now, I'm down to 32 locations, most of which are less than 10 miles from my house - NICE!
Gary