I’m taking my pony to a clinic this weekend. There is one other gal at the stable I train at that is also going. My trainer suggested we might want to trailer-pool. I have my own truck/trailer, but my trailer is a smallish 2 horse straight load which is unlikely to comfortably accommodate her 17.1 warmblood. So if we trailer-pooled, it would have to be in her rig. So I contacted her over email, and she replied saying she’d be happy to give us a lift, that she has a liability release form I’d have to sign, and that she charges a flat rate $50 ‘use fee’ simply for hauling my pony, plus we would split the gas bill 50/50. I’m a bit perplexed. If it was me doing the hauling, it would never have even occurred to me to charge a ‘use fee’. I would simply be thrilled at having someone to share the gas cost with. Opinions please… do I just pay her $50 ‘use fee’ and keep my mouth shut? Or tell her I’m happy to split the gas cost, but don’t want to pay a use fee? Or just politely decline and use my own trailer (probably won’t end up costing me much more in the long run with the ‘use fee’).
Haul your own horse on your own rig. At least you are covered under your own insurance if anything did go wrong. I wouldn’t see her providing cover for you or your horse.
Will it save you $50 in gas to go with her, is it that far away?
Frankly, I’d haul myself regardless.
And no, never been charged a use fee…
Just NO.
OP, you know that was the answer, right? Don’t do business with someone who would treat you worse than you would treat them…. unless you are coerced.
I feel like a " use fee" would make more sense when you’re hauling for someone without a trailer, to a location of their choosing.
Not so much when the ppl are going to the same place. It’s supposed to make it cheaper and more convenient, not costlier and a pain!
Hahahaha what a jerk.
OP, take your own rig. I don’t see why the trainer would suggest that people ride together except to help them save money. The other person’s use fee plus gas fee doesn’t make sense.
In your situation I’d expect to split the gas cost 50/50. If you weren’t going to charge her or anyone else a use fee then don’t bother and just go by yourself.
I have never even charged for gas, although gladly accepted from those who offered. I also already have the trailer ready (bedded and hay bag hung, plenty of water and extra buckets for drinking and washing).
Depending on what state you live in, charging anything will make the hauler subject to commercial rules and regulations such as having a DOT number, insurance, etc.
My friends and I just alternate who drives.
If you don’t want to pay it, then haul yourself. Her trailer, her rules. I can see charging a fee if she’s supplying other things (like shavings or hay) that will be used up in the trailer, cleaning it out herself after, and to cover some wear and tear on the trailer and tow vehicle. Whether or not $50 is fair depends. You don’t say how long the trip is, etc.
Maybe she really doesn’t want to haul others around and uses the release and fee as discouragement :lol:
It sounds like this person does not really want to be responsible for trucking others. The $50 use fee is probably from having to do all the work more than once.
Depending on the length of the trip, depends on if the $50 plus half the gas is worth it to you.
(That is ignoring the whole insurance when you charge and DOT rules thing.)
Just haul yourself- after going through DOT nightmares, it’s soooo not worth it.
If she charges a use fee, then she becomes a commercial shipper and her insurance for hauling is voided. I am assuming she does not carry commercial coverage. If you split gas, that is not commercial hauling.
I would just trailer myself. It isn’t worth it to partner up.
No clue why she’d charge a “use fee” if you all are going to the same place. Shavings and hay for a trailer ride don’t cost $50 I’m pretty sure. She should be pumped that she only has to pay for half of the gas! Haul yourself, that’s some bs
Insurance, etc issues aside, I can absolutely see why someone would charge a fee, especially if she doesn’t really care to ship the horse. Let’s be honest, it’s much easier to just take your own. The stuff’s all organized, the trailer’s all set up, you only have to worry about your own schedule, and the only one who’s going to kick the snot out of your trailer is your own horse - though hopefully that won’t happen. Plus, except for the really exceptional hitchhikers, you know you’ll end up cleaning it all out.
Another vote for haul yourself. Splitting gas is a no brainer, my barn mates used to throw money at me if I hauled them and I’d accept, but it sounds as if she doesn’t really want to haul you.
Safe yourself the aggravation if it is local and haul yourself.
If you have a truck and trailer you know that gas is just the beginning of the costs. I’ve always offered to pay 100% of the gas when being car pooled somewhere (or split 100% between the passengers but not the driver/owner).
But a “use fee”? Sound like a “pain in the ass fee” to me. I think the other driver is strongly hinting they’d prefer to travel alone and I think you should let them.
[QUOTE=tinyrider;8258581]
. So I contacted her over email, and she replied saying she’d be happy to give us a lift, that she has a liability release form I’d have to sign, and that she charges a flat rate $50 ‘use fee’ simply for hauling my pony, plus we would split the gas bill 50/50. .[/QUOTE]
I’d email her and tell her your $50 “Pleasure of my Company” fee offsets the “use” fee.
(don’t do that -though I prob would if it was over email, but I’m a jerk so don’t take me seriously)/
Thanks for the opinions. I’m glad to hear that others feel her ‘use fee’ is a bit unusual. It did occur to me this morning that perhaps she is unaware that I have my own trailer, and that she isn’t doing me any favors by hauling my pony for me. Regardless, I cannot think of a way to broach the topic with her without sounding snarky about it, so I think I will just politely decline her offer.
But now I’m not sure what to tell my trainer when she inevitably asks why we are not trailer pooling. Should I be honest, or is a little white lie better in this situation (eg, I just decided my pony would be more comfortable in his own trailer)?
[QUOTE=Simba27;8258802]
No clue why she’d charge a “use fee” if you all are going to the same place. Shavings and hay for a trailer ride don’t cost $50 I’m pretty sure. She should be pumped that she only has to pay for half of the gas! Haul yourself, that’s some bs[/QUOTE]
Given what it costs to purchase and maintain my truck and trailer… distributed among the few times I haul horses, I can imagine that it costs me more than $50 to put a horse in a stall next to the one I’m using to haul my horse. That’s if I wanted to be a profit-making accountant about it.
So yeah, the OP’s friend is perhaps logically within bounds. But it still strikes me as a bit rude to ask someone who has a rig and would be riding along with you just to save you some gas money to pay for more than that. After all, she has her own rig to pay for and maintain. And although the OP’s friend’s big horse might not fit well in the OP’s trailer, I could see how some day in some emergency, the OP’s friend/horse might desperately need a haul. And then what kind of formal fee and contract is going to be involved.
Seriously friends, we get to lie in the beds we make for ourselves. I really like to err (just a tad) on the side of generosity when I’m first doing business with someone local to me. If it goes bad, I haven’t lost much but I did learn a lesson. But if you start out pissy, you burn that bridge. I guess not everyone knows that.
