What is highest number of apples you can get to Bananaville?

Question

You have been given the task of transporting 3,000 apples 1,000 miles from Appleland to Bananaville.
Your truck can carry 1,000 apples at a time.
Every time you travel a mile towards Bananaville you must pay a tax of 1 apple
but you pay nothing when going in the other direction (towards Appleland).

What is highest number of apples you can get to Bananaville?

Answer 1

Zero. If Appleville and Bananaville are 1000 miles apart, and the truck can carry 1000 apples at a time, and you have to pay taxes for an apple a mile, it's nothing.

Comments

Is this correct? Or did I do the math wrong?

Answer 2

833 apples.

Step one: First you want to make 3 trips of 1,000 apples 333 miles. You will be left with 2,001 apples and 667 miles to go.
Step two: Next you want to take 2 trips of 1,000 apples 500 miles. You will be left with 1,000 apples and 167 miles to go (you have to leave an apple behind).
Step three: Finally, you travel the last 167 miles with one load of 1,000 apples and are left with 833 apples in Bananaville.