Setting Up Trailer Pricing

Setting Up Trailer Pricing

Pricing is where your business lives or dies. TrailerBase gives you a flexible rate model per trailer so you can match the way real rental yards price - not just a flat daily rate.

Where to set pricing

Pricing lives on the trailer form under the Pricing section. Open any trailer, scroll to Pricing, edit the fields, and click Save. Changes apply to new reservations only - existing bookings keep the price they were created with.

You can also set Pricing Defaults under Settings > Pricing Defaults that auto-fill every new trailer.

Daily rate (required)

The daily rate is the base charge per 24-hour day. This is the only required pricing field - without it, the trailer cannot be booked.

Weekly discount

The weekly discount is the percentage off when a rental spans 7 or more days. TrailerBase applies the discount automatically to the subtotal when the booking qualifies.

• Typical range: 10-20%
• Example: Daily $100, weekly discount 15%, 7-day rental = $595 (versus $700 at daily)

Monthly rate

The monthly rate is a flat price for rentals of 28+ days, overriding the daily calculation. Leave it blank and long rentals use daily x weekly-discount all the way through.

• Typical range: 3 to 4x the weekly rate
• Example: $2,400/month for a trailer that is $700/week

Cleaning fee

A one-time flat fee applied once per reservation, regardless of length. This is not optional - it is added automatically.

• Typical range: $30-$75 for utility and enclosed trailers; $50-$125 for dump and RV
• Shown as a separate line on quotes and invoices so renters see it clearly

Security deposit

The security deposit is held to cover damage, late returns, or cleanup. It does not go to your bank account - it is either pre-authorized on the renter's card (and released on a clean return) or charged-and-refunded depending on your deposit policy.

• Flat dollars: Example $300
• Percentage of rental total: Example 20%
• Set your policy in Settings > Deposits

Delivery fee

If you deliver trailers, turn on Delivery on the trailer form and pick a model:

• Flat per delivery - Example $75 within 25 miles
• Per mile - Example $2.50/mile round trip
• Tiered zones - Free within 10 miles, $50 up to 25 miles, $100 up to 50 miles

Renters enter their delivery address on the booking page and the fee calculates live.

Mileage overage

For car haulers, equipment trailers, and long-distance rentals, you can cap included mileage and charge for overage.

• Included miles - Example 200 miles per day
• Overage rate - Example $0.50 per mile over

Mileage is captured at check-in and check-out using the odometer (or hubometer) and TrailerBase adds the overage to the final invoice automatically.

Tiered-day discounts (advanced)

Beyond the basic weekly discount, you can set tiered-day discounts that step down the daily price as a rental gets longer:

• 1-2 days: full price
• 3-6 days: 10% off
• 7+ days: 15% off (weekly discount)
• 14+ days: 20% off
• 28+ days: monthly rate

Configure tiers under Pricing > Advanced > Day-based tiers on the trailer form. Most operators start with just the weekly and monthly fields and add tiers later.

How taxes interact with pricing

Tax is applied on top of the subtotal according to the rate you set in Settings > Taxes. Whether cleaning fees, delivery fees, and deposits are taxable varies by state. Under each fee field you will see a Taxable checkbox - consult your accountant and tick the right boxes.

Seasonal pricing

Need higher prices in summer? Open the trailer, go to Pricing > Seasons, and add a date range with a different daily rate. TrailerBase will apply the seasonal rate to any reservation whose dates overlap.