Considering hauling some cattle for a guy for a short 40mi ~1hr trip. Whats the going rates for something like this? I got an idea for long hauls but whats fair for something like this?
Fair Haul Rates
- Thread starter Dixie2542
- Start date
Help Support CattleToday:
SBMF 2015
Well-known member
I'm cheap. I charge $2/loaded mile with a 24' gooseneck. It's roughly 50+ miles to the barn I haul to most often.
bird dog
Well-known member
How big is your truck and trailer?
$200 minimum if it's a job.
$100 if for a buddy.
$200 minimum if it's a job.
$100 if for a buddy.
kenny thomas
Well-known member
Can I come haul for you? $2.25 here
Son of Butch
Well-known member
$5 mile?
guess we have a difference of opinion on the definition of FAIR
$180 max
40 x $4.50 mile = 180
OP
OP
24' and its a job not a buddy. This gives me a good idea. I haul my own so never thought about rates. Thanks
SmokinM
Well-known member
Is it 40mi. one way or 40 mi. total.? Same question for the time. Also how far from you to get to where you are loading. The thing with hauling ( especially short hauls) is you usually have more time and expense in getting there and back home than in the actual job. I do a good bit of it. I have a $150 minimum and a haul like you describe depending on the other factors involved would be between there and $250 pretty easy. Its your time, equipment and hassle and it is worth that. It sounds like good money until you bust a tire on something in his field you didnt see, slide your truck into a post or you get there and his facilities are crap and it takes 2 hrs to load. Trust me all of that stuff happens no matter how careful you are. He can go buy his own $50k-$100k rig if he thinks $200 is to much.
BFE
Well-known member
$2.50 per loaded mile for small truck/trailer, $4 per for 18 wheeler. Getting a high clearance sprayer hauled soon, he has a 100 mile or $400 minimum. I didn't bat an eye, bring it. Trucking is a fairly low margin business. My dad's been a grain hauler his whole life so I know pretty well what the expenses are. On two 18 wheelers it costs him over $12000 a year in license and insurance alone.
bird dog
Well-known member
""guess we have a difference of opinion on the definition of FAIR""
Its not the $5 per mile that matters, its the short distance. I wouldn't even hook up for less than than that except for a friend or neighbor and then I would do it for free.
Smokin is right, to many things can go wrong.
The $100 I mentioned above is what I would expect a friend to give me even though I would ask for nothing. At least that is what I would do.
Its not the $5 per mile that matters, its the short distance. I wouldn't even hook up for less than than that except for a friend or neighbor and then I would do it for free.
Smokin is right, to many things can go wrong.
The $100 I mentioned above is what I would expect a friend to give me even though I would ask for nothing. At least that is what I would do.
Dave
Well-known member
I would be rich at the rates most of you would charge. In the last 2 weeks I hauled 4 loads about 20 miles one way coming out of the hills. And a load 65 miles to the sale. Didn't charge a dime. But I did have one pair involved. The cow went to the sale along with 6 other cows and a bull. The calf came home accompanied with about 79 other calves.
$100 an hour from the time I crank up and leave the house, til I get unloaded., Come home on my time and my dime. 2 hour minimum.
SmokinM
Well-known member
Glad you can afford to do charity work and i do plenty for people i know but this is a job per the OP. When i am charging it is a job for me as well and how i make a living, hard to feed 4 kids not charging a dime and i promise you at that rate you wouldnt be rich but may have a few dollars of spending money at the end of the week. I burn over $1,000 a month in fuel before tires, repairs and replacement costs. That is likely to soon be a much higher number as fuel continues to climb.
CowsRcuddly
Active member
So what would you charge to take 10 heifer & 2 bull calves 333 miles one way? I will have to add that I sold these calves to the person that I am hauling them for. He wants me to bring them to him.
SBMF 2015
Well-known member
I haul a lot of "mixed" loads of market cattle. i.e. Bob has 1 mrkt cow, Bill has two fats, John has a mrkt bull, ect. Then I change $60/ a stop. They all end up at the same sale barn, I usually have one of my own mixed in on a load. It saves me from hauling 1 hd 50miles, pays for my gas, and the inevitable stop at McDonald's on the way home that keeps the kids happy.
What you do is $200 for a buddy. (Depends on the buddy)
150. For anybody else.
Make it seem like your really cut them a deal. Talk it up real good like a sale man but not to much.
I don't know anything about hauling. In my opinion it would be different depending on what you drive, your fuel mileage.
What I'd do is figure my fuel for the trip. Figure the fuel pulling a trailer not your normal mileage. If it's highway or back roads will differ your mileage as well, along with mountains versus flat. I believe there is a website that will figure fuel miles and trips. After I come up with my fuel cost for the trip, I'd figure my time and add a price on top for that. I'm sure this isn't necessarily legit. Just my opinion. 
Fuel plus $25-35 an hour at least. And can you get a load coming back. Double up.
Look at it like this if you had your truck repaired that Mechanic would add labor, parts, ect.
Or if you have a job done at your house a electrician would add labor, parts ect.
No different with you hauling.
Darn I like how you think!! Minus the McDonald's.
kenny thomas
Well-known member
A big difference in this hauling. If he is happy with getting them delivered he very well might be a repeat customer on buying more cattle from you in the future. I would probably do that hauling for 5-600.
