On the ethanol plant job, I would charge the 100 ton as actual time, plus the rigger/ counterweight load. Then charge for the full rate on the 190 ton. Just so I'm understanding also : He told you 2 days, and then the whole job only took 5-6 hrs? For both cranes? Or was the 190 there for the two days?
I would probably rather get paid for the 5 actual hours on the 100 ton, and the 8 hours for the 190; otherwise if you send him the bill for the 2 full 8 hour minimums- he may be upset and try to get out of paying any of it (it sounds like he's not a regular customer). Then you've got to mess with a lawyer/ liens/ general contractor/ ethanol plant themselves/ to try to get paid.
"I sent out the 100 ton crane you requested- that wasn't nearly enough crane for the job you had. I'm going to bill you for its travel, permits, and counterweight, which is 5 hours working and travel, but not the full 8 hour minimum, I can't bring it here for nothing. The 190 ton I'm going to bill you at my regular rate and permits, which is the size crane you really needed. Next time just call me- tell me what you're working on, and maybe we can avoid confusion like this in the future."
I would always rather get paid enough to cover my expenses- than go to war to try to get paid full rate.
Last spring I sent a 25 ton crane to set I beams, for guys from out of state, just a 4-5 hour job. Crane gets there 1,000lb beams turn into 4,800lbs beams, when his guys read the shipping ticket. I take off in the bigger crane, smaller crane comes back. I get there, pick up the first beam, its only 1,200lbs. They had misread the shipping ticket, the 4,800 was for all 4 beams. His guys misread the ticket, my guy should have looked at the beam, said "there's no way its 4,800lbs", picked it up and see the scale on the crane, only showing 1,200.
I called the contractor, he was really worried of what the charges were going to be. I charged him the bigger crane rate, for the job, and just forgot that my smaller crane went out there. He was thrilled, I got paid the little higher rate (and we really didn't need that big of a crane), and I didn't have to fight to get paid. Yes, his guys messed up when they told my operator it weighed 4,800, but my guy should have known better, or at least just picked it up to see what it actually weighed. I ate some time, and it cost him a little more than he was planning on, but neither one of us lost the grocery money.
But- that's me not charging for $500 for the little crane's trip ( which is really just my operators time and fuel), not a 8-hour minimum for a 100 ton crane.