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Travel time ?

Started by John_Haylow, April 18, 2008, 08:42:24 PM

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John_Haylow

I have been asked to do some milling at a customers property about 75 miles, one way  from my home. I'm just wondering what you think would be a reasonable fee to charge for going that distance? It sounds like I could be there for 2.5 to 3 days cutting so I would leave the mill at the customers  house until the job is complete. So I guess that would be 6 trips. I want to be fair to him and myself. I don't mind eating up some of the time for a job this size.

John
2004 Wood-Mizer LT40HDG28

Tom

Come up with an acceptable "fuel surcharge".   With fuel being $4 a gallon, 20ยข a mile wouldn't be out of line, though you must make the decision.

woodmills1

why not stay there over night and have him put you up or pay for it.  Earlier start and way less long drives for you.
James Mills,Lovely wife,collect old tools,vacuuming fool,36 bdft/hr,oak paper cutter,ebonic yooper rapper nauga seller, Blue Ox? its not fast, 2 cat family, LT70,edger, 375 bd ft/hr, we like Bob,free heat,no oil 12 years,big splitter, baked stuffed lobster, still cuttin the logs dere IAM

Ironwood

It's all opportunity cost. You could be making money doing something else, chargem.

Ironwood
There is no scarcity of opportunity to make a living at what you love to do, there is only scarcity of resolve to make it happen.- Wayne Dyer

Robert Long

I too just finished 4 days of cutting at a job approx. 3/4 of an hour away.

I charge for travel time to take the mill out and return it to the yard but I feel I have to eat the travel time to and from home daily.

I worked 7 1/2 hours each day and wanted to work longer hours to cut a days work but the help they had did not work longer and I don't off load boards!

Some times you have to go with the flow and eat the costs of being in business

Robert

Tom

Good advise, Robert.

I made a work circle around the house of 50 miles and told folks who were farther than that to put me up.  Even those rules get bent sometimes.  It's advantagous to know of someone close to him that also does custom sawing.  Telling him of a "competitor" to make his life easier, will make him remember you.  that's good advertising too.


Dan_Shade

i'll bet your vehicle cost, including towing costs, are close to a $.75/mile, depending on your vehicle.  I made up a spreadsheet if you guys have excel to figure things out...

let me think what you guys think about the spreadsheet.  the numbers can be somewhat surprising when you really crunch them out.
Woodmizer LT40HDG25 / Stihl 066 alaskan
lots of dull bands and chains

There's a fine line between turning firewood into beautiful things and beautiful things into firewood.

Don_Papenburg

I had a customer that I did a lot of sandblasting for . He had a rental building 65 miles from me that he wanted some blasting done on.  I tried to get him to hire someone close  .  He would have none of that . He said he had seen others work and he had seen mine .  Anyway he said that he would pay my travel both ways nomatter what I charged because I was going to blast his building.  I did blast his building.
Frick saw mill  '58   820 John Deere power. Diamond T trucks

Dan_Shade

this is one of the tougher aspects of "business"  it for real costs you money to drive your vehicle, and the cost is a lot more than the cost of fuel.  if you're driving great distances for jobs, then you need to figure out if you can take the hit for transportation if you aren't charging mileage or increasing your rate to cover it.

If a customer bulks at your mileage rates, then take another look at how you're calculating, if you're in the right, either let it go or tell him to take it or leave it! :)
Woodmizer LT40HDG25 / Stihl 066 alaskan
lots of dull bands and chains

There's a fine line between turning firewood into beautiful things and beautiful things into firewood.

Brad_S.

I charge a fee of $1.50 per mile to get to the job, I get home on my own dime. Very few of my jobs are multi-day, those that are, there traditionally has been no added mileage, but that may change with fuel at $4.40+ here. I have always figured if the job was that large, I was going to make a fair amount of money on it anyway. However, I was once told not to take business advice from someone who didn't have two nickles to rub together, so if are so inclined to agree with that sage and heed that advice, you may wish to discount my entire post. :-\
"Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans." J. Lennon

scbowhunter

Dan_Shade,
Checked out your vehicle costs spreadsheet. You are cheating yourself on insurance costs per mile. Your formula is B13/B7/2. It should be (B13/B7)*2.

Dan_Shade

yeah, you're right.  i must have fat fingered that one when I made the sheet up....

I corrected the original attachment.
Woodmizer LT40HDG25 / Stihl 066 alaskan
lots of dull bands and chains

There's a fine line between turning firewood into beautiful things and beautiful things into firewood.

ellmoe

   Dan,

   I like your spreadsheet. In my calculations I add a repair and maintenance cost also. Just spent north of $2000 for a new transfer case, and run all synthetic lubricants. It adds up.

Mark
Thirty plus years in the sawmill/millwork business. A sore back and arthritic fingers to prove it!

metalspinner

I just rented a moving van that I was charged .79 a mile plus I had to fill the tank on the return.  Not sure if this fits the equation anywhere, but just a bit more info...
I do what the little voices in my wife's head tell me to do.

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