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What's it worth

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by oldskooloutlaw, Aug 23, 2010.

  1. oldskooloutlaw
    Joined: Dec 3, 2008
    Posts: 223

    oldskooloutlaw
    Member
    from Tulsa

    This may seem like a dumb question, but what do people expect to pay to get their car hauled from L.A. to the east coast? I posted up hauling service ad here and evidently I am unable to compete. The only way I could haul any cheaper is if I stole my fuel, didn't make any more truck payments and didn't have any value for my time. I really would like your input. Thanks Ken
     
  2. '46SuperDeluxe
    Joined: Apr 26, 2009
    Posts: 255

    '46SuperDeluxe
    Member
    from Clovis, CA

    I feel for you man. I considered doing this for a while before leaving driving for good. There are a lot of competitors that are quoting fantasy rates that ruin it for the rest. Some guys jump in that are not business men, quote rates that have no basis in reality of a profit, then are surprised to find out that they are bankrupt. Meanwhile you can't catch a load for a reasonable margin. Thats just my 2 cents but do you think that is what is going on?
     
  3. 5window
    Joined: Jan 29, 2005
    Posts: 9,514

    5window
    Member

    I think you have too many variables here to get an accurate answer. Like closed vs open hauler. Door to door pick-up and delivery? Major cities only or anywhere out in the country? Obviously there are some economics of scale-hauling more than one vehicle would cut the cost down because, if nothing else, you are dividing up the tolls and insurance costs for the same amount of driving time. Are you licensed and bonded or just helping out? It's about 2450 miles from LA to NYC. So at the government milage fee of 50 cents per mile (there's no "cents" sign on a computer keyboard!!) they'd pay you $1225 just to drive your car across the country. How much were you asking?
     
  4. oldskooloutlaw
    Joined: Dec 3, 2008
    Posts: 223

    oldskooloutlaw
    Member
    from Tulsa

    I use an open 20ft.trailer that has an 8500LB. winch my rates are door to door and I will help get the car where you want it at your location. I don't charge any more if it doesn't run or have flat tires. I am trying to do this to help fund my hot rod. I hear stories of people getting had by brokers taking months to deliver,but with me I am a one man show if I say it'll be there at a certain time I'll be there. and my rates are $1.50 per loaded mile and most times I'll do better than that.
     
    Last edited: Aug 23, 2010

  5. rats28
    Joined: Sep 3, 2008
    Posts: 578

    rats28
    Member
    from Louisiana

     
  6. F&J
    Joined: Apr 5, 2007
    Posts: 13,222

    F&J
    Member

    <!-- / message --><!-- sig -->
    My math shows without a discount.. $3675. That ain't gonna fly on an open trailer in this economy. Even at 2500, you still would have little interest. The one car trailer won't work on coast to coast...it's impossible.

    I'd be looking for a niche market. Maybe stay closer to home, very short distance, but offer a super short waiting time, to get the guy who wants his car in one or two days max?? That guy would pay a premium.
     
  7. Droppedhatch
    Joined: Jun 17, 2010
    Posts: 37

    Droppedhatch
    Member

    I agree it would be hard to be competitive with a single car trailer, when it was a cross country haul. It would have to be done by someone that could make a few other hauls in that same trip to the spread out some of the cost. I would not worry about it, it is just not you niche. I would focus more on your local market.
     
  8. oldskooloutlaw
    Joined: Dec 3, 2008
    Posts: 223

    oldskooloutlaw
    Member
    from Tulsa

    Thanks for your input,Ken
     
  9. DD COOPMAN
    Joined: Jul 25, 2009
    Posts: 1,122

    DD COOPMAN
    Member

    "cents" sign on keyboard.........¢. DD
    [​IMG]
     
  10. 2bridges
    Joined: Jun 12, 2007
    Posts: 35

    2bridges
    Member
    from NE

    Point of reference for you oldskool.

    This spring I paid $1200 to have a specialty vehicle enclosed transported 1500 miles (with $30K insurance).

    This was a multi car enclosed hauler.
    Tough to compete with scale.
     
  11. BadgeZ28
    Joined: Oct 28, 2009
    Posts: 1,165

    BadgeZ28
    Member
    from Oregon

    I recently had a project car shipped from Florida to Oregon door to door. The guy in Florida gave me a couple websites that did shipping. I chose one and it was $1095. What I didn't know was this outfit is just a broker. A 70 foot open transporter picked up the car within a week of scheduling and it was at my home the next week. A young married couple manned the rig and helped my unload the car. I now know I really lucked out.
     
  12. Metal Ghost
    Joined: Jun 21, 2010
    Posts: 134

    Metal Ghost
    Member

    Yea, I didn't have any luck with the whole broker thing. That's not a knock on brokers....I actually had a very nice guy to deal with. It's just that it was weeks into the whole process and I still didn't have any firm date on when I'd get my car. Ended up using Reliable.

    That having been said, ditto on what people have already written. Using the carrier I used, they had a large (double decker, 'bout 10 cars maybe?) enclosed carrier. Hard to compete with that. Also, it's hard for a little guy to make a name for himself nationwide (maybe not impossible, but difficult).

    However more locally based, you get your name out as the go-to guy that can be counted on to safely transport and with quick turn around times, and then you got something. Also, on the short-haul routes your per mile rates aren't going to be as uncompetitive. Someone will pay an extra $50 on a short haul if they know the guy is reliable and can get it done tomorrow, but you extent that mileage differential cross-country, and then customers are going to look elsewhere.

    Anyway, good luck man!!
     
  13. olskool34
    Joined: Jun 28, 2006
    Posts: 2,597

    olskool34
    Member

    I used National Trucking to get my 29 ford coupe to me in Detroit from Los Angeles, Cali for 985.00 Took a little over a week for it to show up. Hope this helps.
     
  14. thaugen
    Joined: Sep 18, 2007
    Posts: 174

    thaugen
    Member

    Multi-car (2 or more) trailer, ask people to wait till you line up a similar return trip so you get paid for nearly every mile. That's how some haulers make it charging about $1600 per car coast to coast. BTW, tolls on E. Coast can be several hundred dollars total for a hauler.
     
  15. Think about this :cool:

    How many miles of roads are there in the U.S.?

    Currently, there are 4.04 million miles of road in the United States, according to the Federal Highway Administration, including Alaska and Hawaii, but not Puerto Rico. The core of the nation's highway system is the 46,751 miles of Interstate Highways, which comprise just over one percent of highway mileage but carry one-quarter of all highway traffic. The Interstates plus another 116,948 miles of major roads comprise the National Highway System, which carries most of the highway freight and traffic in the U.S.
    Of the remaining 3.9 million miles of road, about 2.6 million miles are paved, which includes most roads in urban areas. However, 1.3 million miles or more than one-third of all road miles in the U.S. are still unpaved gravel or dirt roads. These are largely local roads or minor collectors in rural areas of the country.


    Transport is all about unloaded miles ......

    Keeping unloaded miles to a minimum is the key to hauling


    Jim :D
     
  16. Squablow
    Joined: Apr 26, 2005
    Posts: 17,388

    Squablow
    Member

    $1.50 a loaded mile is a lot. The only way I see anyone paying that is to load/haul something that doesn't run/have wheels. Cars that can drive onto a hauler, or be rolled onto one with a wrecker, are the easiest hauls, but most carriers don't want to mess with stuff that can't be loaded easily, like cars with stuck wheels or cars that are taken apart.

    I got a hauling gig for a guy where I had to pull a truck out of the woods and onto my trailer with a winch, no wheels turning and no tires holding air. That was a job that no big hauler company would take.

    Those are the kind of jobs you should be looking for, you'll get more business from the people who can't get hauled by the big guys. But even with those jobs, I think $1 a loaded mile is more reasonable. Just make sure you have something coming and going, so you're never empty for very long.
     
  17. 5window
    Joined: Jan 29, 2005
    Posts: 9,514

    5window
    Member

    ~`!@#$%^&*()_+=_]}[{'";:?/>.<,

    Not on my keyboard. How do you get your typewrite to post online? :)
     
  18. HONESTHERMAN
    Joined: Apr 27, 2009
    Posts: 293

    HONESTHERMAN
    Member

    Last year I Paid 800.00 to haul a full size station wagon from Long Island New York to LA California. I think it was an 8-9 car hauler. I flew out and picked it up 4 days later. A professional company with insurance. I could of got it a little cheaper if I waited for them to have an opening on the truck and just fill in the load.
     
  19. 5window
    Joined: Jan 29, 2005
    Posts: 9,514

    5window
    Member

    OK Hold Down ALT and type in 0162 and let go, then the cents sign appears. Too damn much work-sign of the times-or, more accurately, the absence of a sign of the times.

    Now back to our topic---
     
  20. This?
    ¢¢¢
    hold down the alt key while you hit 155 on your numbers. Thats my 2¢:D
     
  21. DD COOPMAN
    Joined: Jul 25, 2009
    Posts: 1,122

    DD COOPMAN
    Member

    Actually, it is kind of a sign of the times...¢¢¢ DON'T count for much any more. Don't know of anything you can buy for 1¢, or even 5¢, or even 25¢ any more. Interestingly, play around with your keyboard a little. As said above, hold down the "ALT" key while typing-in 155 to get the "¢" sign. Then try holding-down the "ALT" key and typing in all sorts of three number combinations. &#9559;, °, &#9554;, §, [, &#9794;, &#9689;,&#9675;,¥...all kinds of weird stuff on there. DD
     

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