Over-explaining as usual. Got a summer job with an electrical contractor whose shop is in North Brunswick, and the jobs are all over Middlesex and Mercer. I live in Hamilton and I don't have my own car, so I'm borrowing my mom's. Route 1 at 6am is a parking lot from the Quaker Bridge area up, and when I take the Turnpike instead the tolls add up fast. Gas is killing me too. I make $17 an hour.
Is it normal for a shop to pay nothing for travel for a summer kid? Should I ask, or just suck it up until school starts?
Electrical inspector (former contractor) · 26 years · Ocean County, NJ
Mentor
Small thing, but your toll cost depends a lot on E-ZPass and the time of day. Run your real route through the toll calculator instead of guessing. And ask about meeting at the job. Commute time is easier to fix than pay.
Master Plumber, second-generation shop owner · 23 years · Hudson County, NJ
Mentor
Normal for a summer kid, unfortunately. My father never paid travel for helpers, and I swore I'd change that when I took over. I only half did. What you can ask: can you meet at the job instead of the shop, or ride in with a guy who lives near you. Owners say yes to that a lot more often than to money.