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Hay Delivery fee for 2023

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Barnyard Hay Delivery

New User
With the high prices of gasoline, what is the current delivery rate for a pickup and 16 foot trailer?
I have been operating a hay delivery business sine 2009. I have a 1500 gmc pickup with a 16 foot trailer. I offer small load hay deliveries, and I do travel. 4 rounds or upto 105 coastal squares or wheatstraw. My delivery price has gone up over the years and currently 1.75 per mile coming and going. If you get there, you gotta make it back.

How do you guys feel about this price? I have a pretty good business, but price ads up over 47 miles 1 way.

This post was edited by Barnyard Hay Delivery on 08/24/2023 at 05:12 pm.
 
I think maybe a bit in the cheap side, but
i you have to remain competitive. If the
customer bought bales from a local place
and had them deliver, what would the total
cost be? While for math purposes it's easy
to use miles, I think many look at cost
per bale as they don't care how it's
broken up, it's about what they are
paying.
 
Keep your pencil sharpened if you have to pay $5 a loaded mile and over $100 per rd. bale. Most good hay in my area is going for $130, but cattle prices are up*^#*
 
Just got 8 rd bales, $400 and borrowed the 8 bale trailer to deliver them myself 10 min away.

Seems some areas have had decent rain and hay production where others are quite dry.
 
I try to keep it simple and just charge per mile. I haul small loads to residential owners and small farms. Not a big rig due to some of the places I have to get into and turn around. Upto 4 rounds per load, or 105 squares. Mixed hay squares. Being more dense, 80 bales

This post was edited by Barnyard Hay Delivery on 08/25/2023 at 06:27 am.
 
4x5 rounds around here in NC sell for around 60 to 100 $$ per bale coastal
Squares 8 to 10 per bale.

But back to the subject, I want to stay competitive with delivery prices yet not push myself out of the market. Gas prices keep rising and dropping. I want delivery to be a turn on. Not a turn off for potential customers.

This post was edited by Barnyard Hay Delivery on 08/25/2023 at 06:38 am.
 
The turn on for customers is not having to haul it themselves. If you aren't making a decent profit there's no reason to even do it. Price it to ensure you're making enough to cover your fuel, insurance, time, plus a profit. I assume you aren't in the business just to do people favors, you have to make it worth your time.
 
Is it your hay and at home or do you have to go some plase else to get it
and then is the loading equipment yours or somebody elses? You need to
figure your time getting read and then loading and time for unloading.
Cannot just go by the mile as beginning and ending costs are there. I also
agree with a mimimum milage cost. What does it coust to run your outfit?
 
(quoted from post at 09:31:55 08/25/23) 4x5 rounds around here in NC sell for around 60 to 100 $$ per bale coastal
Squares 8 to 10 per bale.

But back to the subject, I want to stay competitive with delivery prices yet not push myself out of the market. Gas prices keep rising and dropping. I want delivery to be a turn on. Not a turn off for potential customers.

This post was edited by Barnyard Hay Delivery on 08/25/2023 at 06:38 am.
Click to expand...

You said hay delivery business, just to be clear. Are you brokering/buying and selling the hay or strictly delivery of hay others have purchased or own? Are the buyers, or the sellers, contracting/paying you for your service? Enclosed or open trailer? Do you have to load and unload or do the sellers/buyers load and unload your trailer? Loading and Unloading 105 squares can take a few minutes more than handling 4 rounds (especially if they are just rolled off), have you covered your time for such in your mileage charge?

What are your competitor prices running? Price per bale picked up vs delivered, if they don't charge by the mile? At $1.75 per mile on a 100 mile portal to portal trip you are adding about $1.67 per bale cost on the 105 bale load or $43.75 per bale on the load of 4 rounds.
 
You might consider charging by the hour. From the time you leave your place until the time you return. That way if they are waiting for there neighbor to come unload you it's on there
dime. Wherever their having you load, same thing. If your standing there waiting for someone or if they have to drive out to the farm, fine it's their dime. Heavy traffic, no problem.
 
(quoted from post at 07:16:53 08/25/23)
(quoted from post at 09:31:55 08/25/23) 4x5 rounds around here in NC sell for around 60 to 100 $$ per bale coastal
Squares 8 to 10 per bale.

But back to the subject, I want to stay competitive with delivery prices yet not push myself out of the market. Gas prices keep rising and dropping. I want delivery to be a turn on. Not a turn off for potential customers.

This post was edited by Barnyard Hay Delivery on 08/25/2023 at 06:38 am.
Click to expand...

You said hay delivery business, just to be clear. Are you brokering/buying and selling the hay or strictly delivery of hay others have purchased or own? Are the buyers, or the sellers, contracting/paying you for your service? Enclosed or open trailer? Do you have to load and unload or do the sellers/buyers load and unload your trailer? Loading and Unloading 105 squares can take a few minutes more than handling 4 rounds (especially if they are just rolled off), have you covered your time for such in your mileage charge?

What are your competitor prices running? Price per bale picked up vs delivered, if they don't charge by the mile? At $1.75 per mile on a 100 mile portal to portal trip you are adding about $1.67 per bale cost on the 105 bale load or $43.75 per bale on the load of 4 rounds.
Click to expand...

Yea, it's a touchy business I got myself into. I had no intention to stay when I got started, now it kinda hard to quit.
It is a delivery, I do sometimes help unload squares, but mostly customers.
I do support my local farmers. Most coastal squares are now bundled with baron cubed. 21 sq per bundle. I use a roller cart for rounds that are not so round. Some customers I never met or never see. I really don't have competition. Atheist none I see. This year it seems everyone is growing hay, so alot of horse people are getting their own. I have been at this 15 years. Nice to have a little extra picket change.
 
I agree, the cost of vehicles and trailers everything through the roof, it's just not wise to use wear out your rig without a making a profit. And its high fuel prices right now that you can't afford to undercharge.
 
Jim.ME said:
You said hay delivery business, just to be clear. Are you brokering/buying and selling the hay or strictly delivery of hay others have purchased or own? Are the buyers, or the sellers, contracting/paying you for your service? Enclosed or open trailer? Do you have to load and unload or do the sellers/buyers load and unload your trailer? Loading and Unloading 105 squares can take a few minutes more than handling 4 rounds (especially if they are just rolled off), have you covered your time for such in your mileage charge?

What are your competitor prices running? Price per bale picked up vs delivered, if they don't charge by the mile? At $1.75 per mile on a 100 mile portal to portal trip you are adding about $1.67 per bale cost on the 105 bale load or $43.75 per bale on the load of 4 rounds.
Click to expand...
You ask a lot of good questions. Doing this 16 years now and still flying by the seat of my pants. I advertise on fb as delivery, and I offer hay for sale. Not as much hay broker as Pinhooker. My suppliers usually load hay with equipment. A few years back squares were hand loaded, now most are bundled. I still do ok, though customers don't always agree with delivery price. But i work hard for the $$.
 
flying belgian said:
You might consider charging by the hour. From the time you leave your place until the time you return. That way if they are waiting for there neighbor to come unload you it's on there
dime. Wherever their having you load, same thing. If your standing there waiting for someone or if they have to drive out to the farm, fine it's their dime. Heavy traffic, no problem.
Click to expand...
I don't live next door to the barns, so my mileage starts when I pull out of my drive, to the barn, then to the customer, then home.
Only way I can make it work. Getting loaded isn't really that difficult. Sometimes I just load myself. I have good suppliers/farmers.
 
Barnyard Hay Delivery said:
I don't live next door to the barns, so my mileage starts when I pull out of my drive, to the barn, then to the customer, then home.
Only way I can make it work. Getting loaded isn't really that difficult. Sometimes I just load myself. I have good suppliers/farmers.
Click to expand...
$1.75 coming and going is $3.50 loaded, so right in the ballpark.

Might want to consider upping it to $2 a mile for 2024.
 
I have a few people I deliver for and charge by the hour. A couple of them like round bales but have no way to get them off the trailer. I drop off a tractor, fetch the hay, unload, then bring tractor home. Their small tractors will move the bales to the pasture. $50/hr. Delivery cost is usually $100 - $250.
 
Sounds like a hobby that you pay to operate as opposed to an income source. You haven't mentioned insurance. From my experience it is one of the greater costs.
 
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