Measuring
How to time a commute yourself in three working days
You can learn a lot from three honest trips. A simple routine, and what to write down each time.
20 October 2026 · 7 min read · Imperibuild
Pick three different weekdays
Monday, Wednesday and Friday behave differently on many roads. Avoid public holidays and school vacation weeks if your trip will happen during term time.
Leave at your real hour
Not the hour that is convenient for a test. If you will leave at 8:40, leave at 8:40.
Start at the gate, stop at your desk
Time the whole trip, including the walk to the car or the station and the walk into your building. Note each leg if you can.
Write it down
Date, departure time, mode, total, and anything unusual: rain, an accident, a road closure. Our commute log sheet in the guide has columns for each.
Read the spread
Three trips will not give you a reliable bad day, but they will tell you whether the claim is in the right range. If the spread is wide, that is itself the answer.
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