I’m hauling a friend’s horse to Florida about 4 1/2 hours away. I was planning on charging two tanks of fuel, how much else should I charge? I don’t want to ream them as we board together and are nice people. Any suggestions?
See how nice they are when their horse causes damage to your trailer and you ask them to foot the bill. Or when their horse injuries himself in your trailer en route and they send you the vet bills.
That probably sounds harsh, but it’s why I don’t haul for friends, general speaking, unless my horse is also in tow and it’s someone I know very, very well and have an understanding with.
I would charge, at minimum, per loaded mile on top of gas. You need to factor in wear on your vehicle and trailer as well as the cost of fuel. That’s not “reaming them”, that’s business: you’re presumably doing them a huge favor by saving them from having to hire a professional hauler. But only you can decide how much risk you’re willing to take.
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What is a good rate for loaded mile? It’s not harsh really, it’s being honest and that’s appreciated.
DO you have a CDL?
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There was another thread on this topic recently, and the consensus seemed to be that gas would be 50 cents a mile. That’s not a total mileage rate, that’s just gas.
I just bought my own truck and trailer, and have had sticker shock on my mileage. But really you need to know what your own real loaded mileage is. I have had to conclude that hauling out to a local park with trails for the afternoon costs me about $40 in gas alone, before I even think about the other costs of maintaining the rig.
My current feelings on the topic: I’m happy to have people that I like and want to spend the day with come along with me on trail riding, and they pay the gas. I’m happy to do emergency runs for very close friends, they pay the gas. These are the people in my horse world that I know I can completely trust to be there for me in other ways if I need help with the horse.
And for the rest, I’ve just confirmed with a very good local hauler of my acquaintance that he would be happy to get referrals even for midnight runs to the colic clinic, as well as days at shows and trips to summer pasture and out of town. And I plan on handing out his number to all the acquaintances who sound me out on hauling them places.
I actually like hauling, but it is so time consuming. I have to drive out and pick up my trailer at the farm where I store it, and return at the end of the day: two hours there. Then there is loading which might be quick or might not. Then there is travel time. In my little compact car I barrel down the freeway risking speeding tickets. With the trailer I am much slower. I haven’t completely timed it, but I think that a 40 minute drive in my car takes at least an hour in my trailer.
So while Florida may be four and a half hours away, you are going to have to return too. So you have nine hours on the freeway, I think calculated in how long it would take to drive in a car. So let’s say it is more a six hour drive in a trailer, so 12 hours return. Just on the road, not counting time to unload at the other end, or to stop for coffee or eat during trip or after you drop off horse. That is a very very long trip. Let’s say you are going to be 13 or 14 hours minimum between leaving and returning to your barn. You leave at sunrise, you get back very late at night.
If you want to know how much to charge, be realistic on your gas costs and add a cushion.
Then get a quote or two from a local hauler, and maybe charge half of that, or two thirds.
Our local good hauler charges about $100 to take someone to a show and pick them up, I believe. I don’t know how he does that, because my gas would be $40 and my time would be worth more than $60. In other words you can’t pay me enough to do this.
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If you take money for hauling you become commercial. That has all kinds of implications (tax, insurance, safety, etc.). If you are a farm owner you can possibly get away with it as agricultural hauling is somewhat less regulated. But if you have a mishap folks will look at your actions and you might have to spend a lot more on a lawyer than you made from the haul!!!
Your money, your rig, your choice. Just make the choice knowing what you’re about to do.
G.
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^^^THIS! And if you take money for hauling and do not have a commercial auto policy, you don’t have any insurance coverage. Your personal auto policy will not cover you. You might want to check with your insurance agent.
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If I were you, I would tell them to use a commercial hauler. It’s possible that they are hoping to save some money by asking you to do it. It’s not a nice thing to do because they are putting you in a sticky predicament as regards liability, insurance etc.
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The general liability policy that comes with our local association membership allows people to charge for fuel only. Not meals or maintenance, and you need to document. I have a policy that allows me to charge for hauling boarders only, or for emergencies (to/from a vet). I would not haul outside of what is permitted outside our insurance, so that is where I would start: find out what your insurance allows for.
That said, a commercial hauler may actually be cheaper if the friend is flexible on haul dates.
This exactly.
I will NOT trailer anyone else’s horse and I’ve been asked plenty. It can turn into a nightmare in no time at all if something goes wrong and I’m not willing to risk it.
Commercial haulers exist for a reason.
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Just about every year I end up hauling someone to Pony Club championships, usually about 7-8 hours away. I calculate the actual gas that will be used (at 8 mpg), and tell them what half the gas will be. They usually round up a bit. I guess this way it’s more like they’re pitching in for gas than me actually charging them. Luckily, there haven’t been any incidents to test that theory. One year I let one just pay for the gas at some of the stops, but I think I ended up paying for an extra tank myself that way. I’ve also given some rides locally for Pony Club, but try to avoid it.
Once we’re done with Pony Club, I won’t be hauling anyone else’s horses.
As long as it’s reasonable, cost sharing usually is OK. But it has to be an honest “cost sharing” not a commercial haul dressed up as cost sharing.
G.
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I don’t know how your insurance works, but I know neither my truck nor my trailer insurance will cover anything that falls under “business use”. I won’t haul anyones horses but my friends, and that’s done as a favour. I wouldn’t lend my trailer and my time to do a 4.5 hour trip unless my horse was on the trailer too. There are too many risk factors involved, and they’re multiplied every extra minute you’re on the road.
They’re nice people, they’re your friends. I understand wanting to help out and do good by people you like, but sometimes it’s simply not worth it. If they’re reasonable folks, they won’t fault you for not wanting to do it. Personally, I’d put them in touch with a commercial hauler.
However, if you’re bound and determined to haul on their behalf, do it for no less than $0.75/mile. You’re going to a lot of work for one horse that’s not even your own. Maybe that’ll seem high to them, and you have a segue to putting them in touch with a licensed individual without looking like a “bad guy”.
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