If you've ever booked a car with a driver in India, you've probably encountered "garage-to-garage billing" and wondered what it means. Let's break it down.
The Simple Explanation
Garage-to-garage means the meter starts when the car leaves our garage, not when it reaches your pickup point. Similarly, it ends when the car returns to our garage after dropping you off.
So if our garage is 15 km from your hotel, and you're traveling 200 km to Agra, the total billable distance is:
- Garage to your hotel: 15 km
- Your hotel to Agra: 200 km
- Agra back to your hotel: 200 km (if round trip)
- Your hotel back to garage: 15 km
- Total: 430 km (not 400 km)
Why This Model Exists
It's Fair to the Driver and Fleet
The car uses fuel and the driver spends time reaching you. If we only charged pickup-to-drop, we'd lose money on the dead kilometres — and either raise per-km rates or cut corners on quality.
It's Industry Standard
Every major car rental company in India — from large agencies to small operators — uses this model. It's not a Royal Fleet thing; it's how the industry works.
It's Transparent
We show you the full garage-to-garage distance upfront before you confirm. No hidden charges — just the actual distance.
How to Minimize Dead Kilometres
- Choose a provider near your location — if you're in Gurgaon, book from a Gurgaon-based fleet
- Book from your starting point — if you're leaving from the airport, the garage-to-airport distance may be short
- Round trips are more efficient — the dead kilometres are the same whether it's one-way or round-trip
What About One-Way Trips?
For one-way outstation trips, the car drops you off and returns empty. This is factored into the pricing — typically 1.5x the one-way distance or a minimum return charge.
Comparison with Point-to-Point Pricing
Some apps and aggregators offer "point-to-point" pricing. This seems cheaper but:
- Per-km rates are higher to compensate
- Hidden charges for waiting time, extra stops
- Vehicle quality is unpredictable
Garage-to-garage with a transparent per-km rate is almost always a better deal for trips over 50 km.
How Royal Fleet Handles It
When you book with us, our system auto-calculates the garage-to-garage distance and shows you the total estimated fare upfront. No math required, no surprises.