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Cost of trucking.

Big Muddy rancher said:
A fellow was telling me today that they hauled 30 bales a load and for 52 miles the had $4.32/ bale in fuel costs. The frieght really adds up.
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My hay is all within a few miles of home or the farm so I haul it to the closest point I have been dragging a trailer with me for a couple of weeks bring a load home every night.
 
Tires and engine oil aren't any cheaper than fuel either. But in the past week, diesel has eased below $3.00 a gallon in western NE and South Dakota.
 
Either the gent in question is hauling his hay with a 1942 Studebaker gas engined truck or those weren't just fuel costs but rather maintenance/tire/insurance costs included. 30 bales of hay will weigh in at 60,000 lbs, and even if he was only getting 5 mpg (which I doubt. Even my 72 Western Star with a 318 Jimmy gets 7 with that light of a load) that still only amounts to $3.30/bale (figuring 100 mile round trip at 5 mpg at $5.00/gal for clear diesel). While the $3.30/bale is plenty rediculous, its certainly not $4.32/bale. Most truckers around here are charging $1.45 per loaded klick and are making a profit. Not a great profit, but a profit none the less.

Rod
 
You have to figure 4.5 litres to the gallon and only 5 mpg for most hay haulers.

I have an "efficient" 350 hp cat 3176 in my Freightliner and only get 5 mpg hauling hay.

The wind drag is worse than the weight.

Diesel at $1 a litre is $4.50 a gallon and 104 miles rounder is almost 21 gallons used. Cost $91.50 divided by 30 is $3.15/bale

Using those numbers, truckers need $0.88 a straight mile just for fuel. I use 10 cents for tires, 10 cents for insurance, 10 cents for repairs/maintanance and 10 cents for replacement costs. (those numbers might be low with rising costs).

With no wages, just to move the truck it costs $1.28 per straight mile, or $2.56 per loaded mile, or $1.54 per loaded KM

The trucking industry is paying $19 an hour for day runs, hauling hay might be 3 loads in a 12 hr day for that 52 mile haul. Add $1.56 a loaded mile for wages.

I would charge $200 a load for that haul. other guys here wouldn't touch it for less than $300, but can haul 34 bales.
 

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