What does it cost to send an employee on a drive in Oslo?

It depends on the hourly cost and how long the trip takes door to door. With a real hourly cost of NOK 500 and an hour and a half for collecting, driving, parking and returning, the trip costs NOK 750 in working time – before tolls, fuel and parking.

When does it pay to use a courier instead?

The rule of thumb is that a courier pays off when the trip takes more than around 40 minutes door to door, when the employee has billable time, or when the delivery is time-critical.

When is it smarter to send an employee?

When the recipient is a few minutes away, when the employee is heading that way anyway, when the delivery needs someone to explain or install something on site, or when there's simply no rush.

What does internal delivery cost with Asapp!?

A fixed, predictable price from NOK 179, shown before you order. No commitment for single orders.

Internal deliveries in Oslo: when does it pay off over sending an employee?

Most businesses in Oslo handle internal deliveries the same way: someone at the office nips out. It feels free. It isn't.

What a drive actually costs

An employee collecting something in Skøyen and delivering it in Grünerløkka rarely spends only the driving time. There's time spent finding parking, waiting, walking the last hundred metres – and getting back into work mode afterwards. An hour and a quarter is common. An hour and a half isn't unusual.

The hourly cost isn't the same as the hourly wage either. With employer's national insurance, holiday pay, pension and other social costs, the real cost typically sits 30–40 per cent above wages.

Example

Employee's hourly cost: NOK 500

Time spent door to door: 1.5 hours

Working time: NOK 750

+ tolls, fuel and parking

When a courier is cheapest

The rule of thumb we see in practice: if the trip takes more than around 40 minutes door to door, a courier is usually cheaper. That's especially true when:

–the trip cuts across the city, or falls during rush hour
–the employee has billable time
–the delivery is time-critical and must go out today
–there are several deliveries the same day

When you should send an employee anyway

We sell courier services, but that isn't always the right answer. Send an employee when the recipient is a few minutes away, when they're heading that way anyway, when someone needs to explain or install something on site – or when there's simply no rush.

The cost that doesn't show up in the spreadsheet

A drive in the middle of the day splits the working day in two. It takes time to regain concentration after an interruption, and that time is hard to measure – but it's real for anyone who's tried to pick up a report again after a trip to Alnabru.

Work it out yourself

Multiply the hourly cost by the time the trip actually takes. Add tolls, fuel and parking. Compare with the courier price. If the difference is positive, the courier is cheaper.