The money that leaks fastest never gets its own line on the P&L. Empty miles hide in fuel. No-shows hide in revenue you never booked. Retyping broker trips hides in your dispatcher's day. Put in your fleet and see the year.
NEMT Operational Cost Estimator
The costs that never show up as a line on your P&L: empty miles, no-shows, drivers waiting, overtime and retyping broker trips. See what they add up to in a year.
Adjust assumptions: miles, revenue, wages, overtime, dispatch time
Where you can win it back
This is money at stake, not money you can bank: no-show cost is the revenue those seats would have earned if filled (a ceiling), and driver waiting and dispatch time are wages you already pay that could buy more trips. Overtime counts only the extra half-time premium. Driver wage default: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics median for shuttle drivers and chauffeurs, $18.25/hr (May 2025). Fuel default: U.S. EIA weekly retail regular gas price, week of Sep 29, 2026. Maintenance default: AAA Your Driving Costs 2025, 11 cents per mile for maintenance, repair and tires on an average new vehicle. Wheelchair vans usually run higher. Estimates for planning only. Your contracts, routes and receipts decide the real number.
FAQ
What is the biggest hidden cost in NEMT?
For most fleets, no-shows and drivers waiting between trips, followed by empty miles.
How much time does retyping broker trips cost?
At 1.5 hours a day for two dispatchers, about $18,600 a year in wages before you count the errors. API-connected brokers remove most of it; file-based brokers still need a quick import.
Is the no-show number real money?
It is a ceiling: the revenue those seats would have earned if you filled them.
Estimates for planning only. Bambi does not provide financial, legal or insurance advice.
