Transport costs?

earthkitty · #1 05/23/12, 01:06 PM

What is a fair per mile transport fee? Trying to find a way to transport a Jersey milker from Neodasha Ks to Mulvane, KS, 109 miles. Have only found one guy who will do it and he is quoting almost three hundred bucks to do it.

Is that a fair price?

lasergrl · #2 05/23/12, 01:47 PM

Put a want ad at Uship.com
You can usually find low quotes there. That price is not high if he is only coming for the one cow. On Uship you can find someone transporting many items and animals so will get lowest price as they are going that way anyways..

G. Seddon · #3 05/23/12, 01:48 PM

I think most haulers charge by the loaded mile and fuel's expensive. This isn't a really long trip, so you might find someone in your area who does this occasionally. Our regional cattle association has a couple of members who transport within the state, and they use livestock trailers.

Not sure if this will help you, but it might (I believe you can post a note and have haulers get in touch with you on this site, though I haven't tried it myself):

Livestock Transport: Linking Haulers with Shippers

earthkitty · #4 05/23/12, 02:17 PM

Thank you both, I'll check those out!

PaulNKS · #5 05/23/12, 05:08 PM

I'm northeast Kansas. You should expect to pay $1.50 loaded mile. With the price of fuel being as high as it is, there may also be a fuel surcharge. So, I would say you should be able to find someone to haul a cow for under $200, easily. Talk to neighboring farmers. Maybe they would do it if they aren't in the middle of haying.

kycrawler · #6 05/24/12, 07:25 PM

Look at it this way . You are paying the man for 4-5 hours of his time/equipment usage 220 miles round trip at 10 mpg in a decent truck with a trailer so you have say $80 worth of fuel burnt

$300 isnt a bad deal . I wouldnt even start the truck for $1.50 per loaded mile operating costs are too high to run for nothing

wally · #7 05/24/12, 07:50 PM

Could you barrow a trailer and haul it yourself ??

sammyd · #8 05/25/12, 07:08 AM

last year we paid 96 bucks to get 11 hauled 50 miles and that was with having the trailer cleaned for hauling organic animals.

haypoint · #9 05/25/12, 07:40 AM

22 gal of fuel @ $4. a gal is $88.00
Four hours of his driving time and One hour to load and unload and talk
wear and tear on his truck and trailer.
$15. an hour times 5 is $75 (his wage), fuel is $88 (could be more, depending if it is all highway or side roads) and wear and tear is $137.

earthkitty · #10 05/27/12, 11:52 AM

haypoint thanks for that breakdown, very easy to understand.

And of course I would like to borrow a trailer and do it myself. Hubby even offered to put new tires on the neighbor's two horse trailer that hasn't moved in two years, but he just smiled.

Turns out the dairy lady comes to my town quite often and seems more than happy to bring her here, so HOPEFULLY problem solved!

I have bookmarked the livestock shipping site though for future use. Thanks everyone!