The hourly rate starts when the vehicle arrives at the pickup point at the scheduled time. Meaning if you book an 8 pm pickup, the party bus will show up by 8 pm. At 8 pm the clock starts. If your group is waiting 30 minutes for Francine to finish doing her hair, the clock runs during that time. It does NOT start upon departure. So make sure Francine gets her act together and is ready to go at the appointed time!