Hannibal Steel Company has a Transport Services Department that provides trucks to haul ore from the companys mine to its two steel millsthe Northern Plant and the Southern Plant. Budgeted costs for the Transport Services Department total $252,800 per year, consisting of $0.19 per ton variable cost and $202,800 fixed cost. The level of fixed cost is determined by peak-period requirements. During the peak period, the Northern Plant requires 54% of the Transport Services Departments capacity and the Southern Plant requires 46%.

During the year, the Transport Services Department actually hauled 123,000 tons of ore to the Northern Plant and 57,800 tons to the Southern Plant. The Transport Services Department incurred $370,000 in cost during the year, of which $53,000 was variable cost and $317,000 was fixed cost.

Required:

1. How much of the Transport Services Departments variable costs should be charged to each plant?

2. How much of the $317,000 in fixed cost should be charged to each plant?

3. Should any of the Transport Services Departments actual total cost of $370,000 be treated as a spending variance and not charged to the plants?