Hauling Cattle

[Herefords.US]

Talk on another thread brought up this question, but I didn't want to derail it by asking it there.

I had cattle hauled from Montana to Texas in the fall of 2002. That is the last time I actually paid for hauling, but it seemed reasonable - $700 total for four 9 month old heifers and they had to board a couple of them for a few days to get them together on the same load.

I'm curious what the going rate would be for a haul like that today. Anyone have any recent experience?

George

 

[bigbull338]

the haulers i know would charge $3 to $4 a mile 1 way.an maybe more depending on how long they be gone getting cattle.

 

[rocket2222]

Last time I got one delivered from the seller to me it was $100
OK to VA. They asked if I didn't mind waiting a couple of weeks, till someone was coming my way. My last bull I got from Texas, they brought about half way [at no charge] about a 12 hour drive. Neither one was really a super high $ animal. I found if you buy from the well known breeders they will go to great lenths to help you get your animal shipped.

 

[Herefords.US]

Last time I got one delivered from the seller to me it was $100
OK to VA. They asked if I didn't mind waiting a couple of weeks, till someone was coming my way. My last bull I got from Texas, they brought about half way [at no charge] about a 12 hour drive. Neither one was really a super high $ animal. I found if you buy from the well known breeders they will go to great lenths to help you get your animal shipped.

That has been my experience as well. The cattle that I have bought since that time haven't cost me anything to get home - the auction sale terms either provided for free delivery or they were able to combine a load coming my way with cattle purchased by others.

George

 

[oakcreekfarms]

I try to deliver all of my bulls, most people around here do the same.

Some of the sale catalogs seem to charge around $500

 

[BRG]

Last year I had some bulls and heifers hauled to MO and TN and it cost me $250 an animal. But I had to wait until the trucker had cattle heading that way.

 

[Herefords.US]

Thanks for the replies.

There's a couple of cattle sales coming up that I have some interest in - but one has no terms concerning transportation listed in their catalog and the other says it's the buyer's responsibility.

I wanted to have a ballpark idea what it might cost to get them hauled from the northern states to Texas.

It looks like it might cost an additional $600-$900, in transportation cost and insurance, per animal.

George

 

[vs_cattle]

If its a issue I would look around a little longer to get a breeder that will work with you I know many who have various rates at their sales from Free, $50, 300,400 and thats in the entire cont. USA

 

[rocket2222]

Thanks for the replies.

There's a couple of cattle sales coming up that I have some interest in - but one has no terms concerning transportation listed in their catalog and the other says it's the buyer's responsibility.

I wanted to have a ballpark idea what it might cost to get them hauled from the northern states to Texas.

It looks like it might cost an additional $600-$900, in transportation cost and insurance, per animal.

George

If there big sales, maybe you could find someone from Texas who's going with their trailer and haul them back cheaper than that. That seems like alot of money to me.

 

[Herefords.US]

If its a issue I would look around a little longer to get a breeder that will work with you I know many who have various rates at their sales from Free, $50, 300,400 and thats in the entire cont. USA

The thought of paying that much does dampen my enthusiasm.

George

 

[vs_cattle]

I dont mean it in a negitave way I fell the same way thats why I look out for the FREE or max shipping rate in every sale booklet I get.

 

[txag]

I'd contact the sale manager and/or ranch owner/manager & see if they know of some bids/interest in cattle coming to Texas. They usually know beforehand whether there will be other cattle heading this direction and about how much it will cost to get them here. We've even had bulls ride down with a load of red angus when there were no herefords heading this way.

 

[KMacGinley]

George: I hauled two bulls from Ohlde's in Kansas to Illinois for a couple of guys for $200 apiece. The sale catalog guaranteed $250 if $5000 was spent, They didn't, but it was on my way home. Bad part was they fought the whole way in the back of the trailer.

 

[Brute 23]

Private haulers around here are $2 a mile for anything less than a 40' trailer. A 40' brings $2.5 a mile. That is one way also.

 

[S&S Farms]

paid 1800 to get nine cows and a calf from virginia to central kansas last year. So close to 200 oer head.

Jeff

 

[smnherf]

George

For 600 to 900 per head, buy a trailer full and I would find the time to deliver them. There are a couple of operations I would like to stop and visit on my way back anyway. LOL

I would think that $250 to $300 per head would be a great plenty to pay unless you are buyiung them in Northern Montana and sending them to southern Texas as crossing Texas and Montana can get to be a lot of miles. The trick is tobe patient and find the right truck going your direction.

Brian

 

[Herefords.US]

George

For 600 to 900 per head, buy a trailer full and I would find the time to deliver them. There are a couple of operations I would like to stop and visit on my way back anyway. LOL

I would think that $250 to $300 per head would be a great plenty to pay unless you are buyiung them in Northern Montana and sending them to southern Texas as crossing Texas and Montana can get to be a lot of miles. The trick is tobe patient and find the right truck going your direction.

Brian

Brian, I was factoring in the insurance @ 6% into those figures. I was guessing that hauling alone might be as much as $400-$500 a head from Montana or South Dakota to north central Texas. $250 -$300 sounds more reasonable - but I knew that expenses had really gone up on these truckers since 2002.

I've got 11 frozen embryos that I need to get into cows. Realistically, I'd probably be better off just spending the money to get that done here, than to spend about the same amount of money buying a couple young heifers and having them shipped in.

But you never know what these cattle will sell for at some of these sales. I just wanted to have some idea of what it might cost me to get them here.

Thanks for all the input!

George

 

[DOC HARRIS]

These figures seem like a lot of money - and it IS a lot of money! But it is part of the cost of "doing business", and that must be figured in to the cost of running a business.

Look at it from the point of view of the haulers. They have to pay for the depeciation of their equipment, the maintenance costs, the fuel costs, Capitol Investment, Insurance, their own labor costs, and a profit margin, plus, plus, plus! Did I mention Income taxes??

It's a tough life, and many costs must come into play when a profit is being considered. ANOTHER good reason and justification for breeding the BEST QUALITY genetics possible in order to minimize the bite that is taken out of your pocket at the end of the year!

It is not just fun and games.

DOC HARRIS

 

[Herefords.US]

These figures seem like a lot of money - and it IS a lot of money! But it is part of the cost of "doing business", and that must be figured in to the cost of running a business.

Look at it from the point of view of the haulers. They have to pay for the depeciation of their equipment, the maintenance costs, the fuel costs, Capitol Investment, Insurance, their own labor costs, and a profit margin, plus, plus, plus! Did I mention Income taxes??

It's a tough life, and many costs must come into play when a profit is being considered. ANOTHER good reason and justification for breeding the BEST QUALITY genetics possible in order to minimize the bite that is taken out of your pocket at the end of the year!

It is not just fun and games.

DOC HARRIS

Sales people USED to cringe when they knew that they were going to be dealing with ME in my business. I had several that finally walked away and never tried to sell me anything again. Looking back, as bad as I was beating them up on price for what I was getting, I don't blame them.

Doc, I don't know if it's age or what, but I've stopped being such a harda$$ when it comes to negotiating price. I've come to realize that everyone needs to make a fair profit, even CAR DEALERS! :lol:

Still - they're not going to make it ALL off of ME! :lol: :lol:

George

 

[bullpeddler]

Transporting cattle will range from hiring a commercial hauler which only works if there is a full load to piggybacking with another breeder coming the same direction. I have hauled lots of cattle back from sales in Nebraska and Kansas to central Texas and charged from $100 to $200 per head but anything I get helps reduce the cost for getting my cows back.