Joyce Murphy runs a courier service in downtown Seattle. She charges clients $0.50 per mile driven. Joyce has determined that if she drives 3,300 miles in a month, her total operating cost is $875. If she drives 4,400 miles in a month, her total operating cost is $1,095. Joyce has used the high-low method to determine that her monthly cost equation is: total monthly cost = $215 + $0.20 per mile driven. 1. Determine how many miles Joyce needs to drive to break even.
2. Calculate Joyce's degree of operating leverage if she drives 4, 200 miles.
3. Suppose Joyce took a week off and her sales for the month decreased by 25 percent. Using the degree of operating leverage, calculate the effect this will have on her profit for that month.

Answer and Explanation:

The computation is given below:

1.

Given that

Charges per mile = $0.50

Variable Cost per mile driven = $0.20

Fixed Cost = $215

So,  

Contribution Margin per mile = Charges per mile - Variable Cost per mile driven

$0.50 - $0.20

= $0.30

Break-even units (in miles) = Fixed Cost ÷ Contribution Margin per mile

= $215 ÷ $0.30

= 717 miles

2.

Revenue for 4,200 miles is

= $0.50 × 4,200

= $2,100

And,

Variable Cost = $0.20 × 4,200

= $840

Now

Contribution Margin = Revenue - Variable Cost

= $2,100 - $840

= $1,260

And,

Fixed Cost = $215

So,

Net Income = Revenue - Variable Cost - Fixed Cost

= $2,100 - $840 - $215

= $1,045

So,  

Degree of Operating Leverage = Contribution Margin ÷ Net Income

= $1,260 ÷ $1,045

= 1.2057

3.

Degree of Operating Leverage = % Change in Net Income ÷ % Change in Sales

1.2057 = % Change in Net Income ÷ -25%

1.2057 = % Change in Net Income ÷ -0.25

% Change in Net Income = -0.301425

= -30.1425%