Is this fair?

[tncattle]

A man wanting hay picked up and hauled now wants me to do it for a $700 flat fee. I would be unloaded for the trip up (425 miles) and loaded on the way back (425 miles) so 850 round trip. I will be using my truck and his trailer. If I do it I'll only do it three times in November. After expenses I would clear about $400. I know I posted something similar but this is the latest proposal. I don't have to load or unload. Go up Friday afternoon and get back Saturday afternoon. I realize it's not even $1.00 a mile but it is his trailer and no loading. How in the heck do these guys pay someone $2.00 a mile and not lose money?

 

[sidney411]

I would not even fire up your truck for less then $1.00 per mile. Doesn't matter if your loaded or not, if your running your putting wear and tear on your truck. Fuel, Tires, oil, maintenance, vehicle cost, ect. all add up. I think last time I figured it I came out to about $0.25 per mile for diesel, $0.02/oil, $0.02/tires, $0.05/service, $0.25/vehicle cost. That's $0.59 per mile to start off with - barring any major catrostophes or tickets/fines.

 

[Earl Thigpen]

A man wanting hay picked up and hauled now wants me to do it for a $700 flat fee. I would be unloaded for the trip up (425 miles) and loaded on the way back (425 miles) so 850 round trip. I will be using my truck and his trailer. If I do it I'll only do it three times in November. After expenses I would clear about $400. I know I posted something similar but this is the latest proposal. I don't have to load or unload. Go up Friday afternoon and get back Saturday afternoon. I realize it's not even $1.00 a mile but it is his trailer and no loading. How in the heck do these guys pay someone $2.00 a mile and not lose money?

They don't.

425 miles is a long way to haul hay. I sure hope you don't break something on your truck because with only a $400 margin it sure don't give you a lot of wiggle room.

Good luck.

 

[flaboy]

tncattle, unless you really need the work/money, I wouldn't do it. With the price of diesel/oil/filters/tires and other stuff I think the per/mile allowance is now up to around $.50/mile just for wear and tear these days.

 

[CUZ]

A man wanting hay picked up and hauled now wants me to do it for a $700 flat fee. . . . I'll only do it three times in November.

So you're only going to make $233 per trip? Or is it $700 per trip?

Out of which you have to buy fuel, motel room? and meals.

Why not drive his truck, let him pay all the expenses and then pay you $XX per hour. He gets all the wear and tear on his vehicle and just pays for you as the driver? If he doesn't have a truck let him rent one.

Just food for thought

 

[Chris H]

Is it fair? Only you can decide that based on your relationship with this person. The others have given you monetary costs, but only you can assess whether money is the only compensation due here. I.E., if this is your brother, or a neighbor who comes when called, then money isn't the only consideration here.

 

[tncattle]

A man wanting hay picked up and hauled now wants me to do it for a $700 flat fee. . . . I'll only do it three times in November.

So you're only going to make $233 per trip? Or is it $700 per trip?

$700 per trip

Out of which you have to buy fuel, motel room? and meals.

Why not drive his truck, let him pay all the expenses and then pay you $XX per hour. He gets all the wear and tear on his vehicle and just pays for you as the driver? If he doesn't have a truck let him rent one.

Just food for thought

 

[tncattle]

A man wanting hay picked up and hauled now wants me to do it for a $700 flat fee. . . . I'll only do it three times in November.

So you're only going to make $233 per trip? Or is it $700 per trip?

$700 per trip

Out of which you have to buy fuel, motel room? and meals.

Why not drive his truck, let him pay all the expenses and then pay you $XX per hour. He gets all the wear and tear on his vehicle and just pays for you as the driver? If he doesn't have a truck let him rent one.

Just food for thought

$700 per trip

 

[Jogeephus]

Don't you mean $350 per trip or $700 per round trip. :?:

 

[tncattle]

Don't you mean $350 per trip or $700 per round trip. :?:

Yes, exactly

 

[Jogeephus]

I am probably the closest thing there is to an expert when it comes to assuming other people's problems and trying to help them out. Sometimes it works out for the best and I get some self satisfaction in knowing I helped while there have been other times I regret raising my hand to help.

The best advice I can give you is if you decide to do it, don't commit to the whole job. Tell him you will make one trial run on his terms and see how it goes.

Also, I'd make sure he supplied enough straps to strap each and every set of rolls. Hay has a tendency to do funny things when loaded on a trailer.

I'd want to know how high the rolls are going to be stacked. I have had some bad experience when hay was stacked two rolls high. What is going to happen if the load shifts and begins leaning or God forbid falls off trailer. Who's responsibility is this? If money has to be paid to reload the trailer who is responsible?

I'd just want all this stuff to be addressed up front cause it very easily can happen. Good luck in whatever you decide.

I detest hauling hay. Four on the floor and a fifth under the seat just don't work anymore. :lol:

 

[tncattle]

I am probably the closest thing there is to an expert when it comes to assuming other people's problems and trying to help them out. Sometimes it works out for the best and I get some self satisfaction in knowing I helped while there have been other times I regret raising my hand to help.

The best advice I can give you is if you decide to do it, don't commit to the whole job. Tell him you will make one trial run on his terms and see how it goes.

Also, I'd make sure he supplied enough straps to strap each and every set of rolls. Hay has a tendency to do funny things when loaded on a trailer.

I'd want to know how high the rolls are going to be stacked. I have had some bad experience when hay was stacked two rolls high. What is going to happen if the load shifts and begins leaning or God forbid falls off trailer. Who's responsibility is this? If money has to be paid to reload the trailer who is responsible?

I'd just want all this stuff to be addressed up front cause it very easily can happen. Good luck in whatever you decide.

I detest hauling hay. Four on the floor and a fifth under the seat just don't work anymore. :lol:

He has already been and got four loads himself buy he is too busy to do more. The hay is loaded, then tarped and strapped. So far they have had no problems but they have gone the extra mile to make sure it's secured and it's worth it if you think of all the bad things that can happen.

 

[tncattle]

Where abouts is it going? If its going up north youd better watch it. Its illegal for anyone in Tennessee to haul hay up north (above TN) due to the fire ant issue. You can haul south all you want but if you haul north you are in a whole heap of poo poo if you get caught.

We are hauling from Indiana to Tennessee. Heck there ain't no hay to deliver from the south to the north.

 

[preston39]

tn...,

Determine and list your costs numbers.

Then it will be easier to determine fairness.

 

[TheLazyM]

The way I understand you, your clearing an extra $1200 in november??? All your doing is driving. You'll have to decide this one for yourself. I'll tell you this though, I'd do it in a heart beat.

 

[eric]

The way I understand you, your clearing an extra $1200 in november??? All your doing is driving. You'll have to decide this one for yourself. I'll tell you this though, I'd do it in a heart beat.

Thats the way I'd look at it too. Do I have anything else to do those days that will make me more than $400? If not, I'd crank up the truck, hook up the trailer and head out. Maybe ask the missus if she has anything better to do too. Last I checked, motels cost the same for 2 people as they do for 1 ;-)

 

[tncattle]

The way I understand you, your clearing an extra $1200 in november??? All your doing is driving. You'll have to decide this one for yourself. I'll tell you this though, I'd do it in a heart beat.

Thats the way I'd look at it too. Do I have anything else to do those days that will make me more than $400? If not, I'd crank up the truck, hook up the trailer and head out. Maybe ask the missus if she has anything better to do too. Last I checked, motels cost the same for 2 people as they do for 1 ;-)

Yeah, we thought about making a mini driving trip out of it but with a 4 yr. and 17 mo. old, AND the wife is pregnant we thought better of it. Might have to make about 25-30 stops with that crew!

 

[sidney411]

Sounds like to me with that 2 here and 1 on the way you need a little extra $$$ right now. As long as your confortable with hte trip and your truck is in good, reliable condition then crank 'er up! BTW - do you have a CDL? You should have one for what your planning on doing.

 

[tncattle]

Sounds like to me with that 2 here and 1 on the way you need a little extra $$$ right now. As long as your confortable with hte trip and your truck is in good, reliable condition then crank 'er up! BTW - do you have a CDL? You should have one for what your planning on doing.

No on the CDL and out of 20 people I've asked 10 say you need it and 10 say you don't. I looked it up on the DMV and it said I didn't need it.

 

[tncattle]

http://tennessee.gov/safety/driverlicense/cdlalt.htm

here is the link