Worked example
2,400 hours at an assumed 30 mph gives 72,000 equivalent miles. If 25% of those hours were idling, the moving-equivalent calculation falls to 54,000 miles while 600 hours remain identified as idle time.
Why idle hours matter
Police vehicles, delivery fleets, plant and some work vehicles can accumulate substantial engine time without covering distance. That makes a simple hours × speed figure potentially misleading unless the operating pattern is understood.
Use service history as the primary evidence
Engine-hours estimates can add context to a used vehicle or fleet record, but they should not replace mileage records, servicing documentation, diagnostic data or a mechanical inspection.