What should I charge?

[bbirder]

I missed the picture but came across one this week that lost half the bales on his trailer going around a curve in the city limits. Away from home with no tractor to pick them up and cops on the scene. Profits can quickly turn to liabilities if Farmer puts it on you. Not much profit to take on the risk.

 

[tex452]

Are you legal to haul for other people?

Hauling your own hay for yourself you can fly under the farmer exemption.

Hauling purchased hay for someone else is freight as far as thr DOT is concerned around here. So make sure your ducks are in a road.

All the hauler's I know say it's theirs until it is delivered?

 

[DNelson]

here the rate to haul anything is $4 to $4.5 per loaded mile.

 

[chevytaHOE5674]

All the hauler's I know say it's theirs until it is delivered?

You can do that. If somebody were to get hurt in an accident and an insurance company (who is fighting hard not to pay a dime) starts investigating and they find out where the load came from (3rd party seller) who paid for it (not you), what do you think is going to happen?

My insurance agent has strictly warned me against that sort of arrangement without the proper licensing and insurance.

If you have nothing of value to lose in a court battle then I guess whatever. I own a lot and don't want to put it in jeopardy.

 

[tncattle]

truck/semi won't fit

 

[tncattle]

How many bales will you haul at a time?

15-17

 

[tex452]

You can do that. If somebody were to get hurt in an accident and an insurance company (who is fighting hard not to pay a dime) starts investigating and they find out where the load came from (3rd party seller) who paid for it (not you), what do you think is going to happen?

My insurance agent has strictly warned me against that sort of arrangement without the proper licensing and insurance.

If you have nothing of value to lose in a court battle then I guess whatever. I own a lot and don't want to put it in jeopardy.

I agree with this.
I'm in the same boat, this is what they always tell me , hauling cattle or hay.

 

[DNelson]

I wouldn't think its "theirs", however it is their responsibility when in their possession and are required to have insurance for the product they carry if a legitimate licensed business. if its a fly-by-night hauler the liability of a loss is on the one who put out the money.

 

[chevytaHOE5674]

When its on your trailer it is "freight" and you should have the proper licensing and insurance to be a for hire hauler. If your hauling it and an accident happens the responsibility is 100% yours.

I'll give you a hint, there's a reason legit haulers on the up and up are charging $4+ a mile.

 

[Mark Reynolds]

Are you legal to haul for other people?

Hauling your own hay for yourself you can fly under the farmer exemption.

Hauling purchased hay for someone else is freight as far as thr DOT is concerned around here. So make sure your ducks are in a road.

"Ducks in a road". Gotta love auto correct. .....Ducks in a row.

BTW, if the ducks are in the road, He needs to be careful hauling the hay and make sure he doesn't create road kill in the process.

 

[Silver]

BTW, if the ducks are in the road, He needs to be careful hauling the hay and make sure he doesn't create road kill in the process.

Especially if those ducks are having a row in the middle of the road. Studies show that ducks squabbling in the road are 5x more likely to meet their maker than ducks in an amicable state.

 

[50/50Farms]

Especially if those ducks are having a row in the middle of the road. Studies show that ducks squabbling in the road are 5x more likely to meet their maker than ducks in an amicable state.

10x more likely if they're organized and they're having a row in a row in the road.

 

[Brute 23]

6-7

Think you are right in the ball park. $1000 would be lower end. $1500 would be upper end.

There a multiple ways to break it down but I always lean toward simplicity like $15 per bale.

I have some one wanting hay. I told them right off the bat they would be in the $75 per bale range. They popped back... even with this rain. I said rain has nothing to do with it. $30-35 to bale, $15 to fert, at least $10 to haul, doesn't leave me much profit. It's hardly work the hassle for $20 a bale.

In today's climate of equipment costs $15/ bale to haul would not shock me especially if you have to load and unload for them. If some one doesn't like it tell then to go but the truck and trailer and you will hire them for $5 per bale.

 

[Mark Reynolds]

Think you are right in the ball park. $1000 would be lower end. $1500 would be upper end.

There a multiple ways to break it down but I always lean toward simplicity like $15 per bale.

I have some one wanting hay. I told them right off the bat they would be in the $75 per bale range. They popped back... even with this rain. I said rain has nothing to do with it. $30-35 to bale, $15 to fert, at least $10 to haul, doesn't leave me much profit. It's hardly work the hassle for $20 a bale.

In today's climate of equipment costs $15/ bale to haul would not shock me especially if you have to load and unload for them. If some one doesn't like it tell then to go but the truck and trailer and you will hire them for $5 per bale.

Both the sellers and buyers neither one typically have a good visualization of the expenses that go into producing hay. Often purchasers think that it is too expensive at the cost they get it for. If the base costs were actually broken down for them, they would find that the true cost of hay is REALLY expensive.

 

[Brute 23]

Both the sellers and buyers neither one typically have a good visualization of the expenses that go into producing hay. Often purchasers think that it is too expensive at the cost they get it for. If the base costs were actually broken down for them, they would find that the true cost of hay is REALLY expensive.

I agree.

People are out in full force baling right now. Millions and millions of dollars in motion moving grass around like dominoes.

In one hay field and saw a million bucks between tractors, trucks, trailers, sxs, etc.

I prefer to feed grass where it grows.

 

[Mark Reynolds]

I agree.

People are out in full force baling right now. Millions and millions of dollars in motion moving grass around like dominoes.

In one hay field and saw a million bucks between tractors, trucks, trailers, sxs, etc.

I prefer to feed grass where it grows.

Allowing livestock to graze it without turning the grass into hay and removing it from the field is hands down the most sensible way to go for a large/huge variety of reasons.

BTW, you took into account fertilizer cost on the hay you were asked about, but did you actually calculate the value of the fert in the hay? I'm asking as $15.00 seems low for a fert value in hay, but I haven't made the calculation myself in a number of years.

 

[Grayme]

Local guy wants me to haul 100 rolls of hay to his farm, each haul would be 70 mile round trip? I know I need to factor in fuel, my time/labor, wear/tear on my equipment. What am I leaving out? I want to be fair but also make a profit where it's worth it and he knows this.

I would figure what my time is worth per hour plus IRS mileage allowance.

 

[Brute 23]

Allowing livestock to graze it without turning the grass into hay and removing it from the field is hands down the most sensible way to go for a large/huge variety of reasons.

BTW, you took into account fertilizer cost on the hay you were asked about, but did you actually calculate the value of the fert in the hay? I'm asking as $15.00 seems low for a fert value in hay, but I haven't made the calculation myself in a number of years.

It probably is. I pulled rough numbers off the top of my head. That's not per soil test either just flat numbers like #200 to acre making x amount of bales.

 

[Warren Allison]

$4.50 a loaded mile, $50 an hour, $10 per bale....all come out to about $150 a load. So tell him $1000 for the 100 bales.

 

[Hpacres440p]

Especially if those ducks are having a row in the middle of the road. Studies show that ducks squabbling in the road are 5x more likely to meet their maker than ducks in an amicable state.

I actually took out a flock of ducks that were walking in the road-hauling a horse, came around the corner and there were the ducks. It was them or me-they lost. I looked back and saw duck feathers and rolling ducks. Felt bad. Chickens cross roads, not ducks…