7 replies to this topic

[4020man]

What do you guys charge to deliver and stack hay(if you do it). Had a guy call and ask about it. I figure .25/bale(small square) every time it is handled, but I'm not sure how much to charge to deliver it. Any ideas?

[Production Acres]

you need to charge by the hour - you cannot be responsible for their lack of facilities. Charge a mileage rate to get the hay to them with a base price for loading the truck to begin with. Our base is about $150. That will deliver up to 30 miles. Around 50-60 miles is $175 anything over that is $2.5/mile. On the haul bill, I don't care if they want 1 bale or a full semi load, takes almost the same effort. Once we get there, $50/hour to unload after 1st hour. If we have to send 2 people, it is $50/hour from the moment we get there. Too many customers have their hay storage in impossible places, down aisles 50 ft long, down over a hill you cannot back the truck down, up gravel roads you cannot pull a trailer up, etc.

[mlappin]

Too many customers have their hay storage in impossible places, down aisles 50 ft long, down over a hill you cannot back the truck down, up gravel roads you cannot pull a trailer up, etc.

Been there done that. When I was still making small squares I had a place that you pulled up under the hay mover, then while standing on the top layer the end of the hay mover was almost chest high. first layer wasn't bad, but then you had to leave some hay under the end of it and start carrying the bales up to the top layer to get em on the hay mover. The last 40 bales or so were a real joy and they never had any help around either. Of course they never cleaned up any of the loose hay from under the end of it either so you always ended parking in the biggest mudhole on the whole farm. hay mover was also set up steep enough that about every fifth bale would roll end over end down it and end up back on the trailer. After the third time I refused to go their anymore.

[kfarm_EC_IL]

I charge $0.25 everytime I touch a bale. That may seem like a lot but its my time and it is worth something. I based my price on a couple of years of tracking costs. Moving hay can get exspensive. Prod. Acres is right about having a set charge, because you really don't know where they are going to want to stack or how long it is going to take.

Custom baling I had trouble waiting on wagons from customers who assimed they were the only people i was baling for. So in order to speed the process along I jumped in. Which became free labor. Then they would just hire fewer workers. So when time came to pay up I asked for the same as the help. And that seemed to fix the problem.

Mark K

[chief-fan]

I do small squares for horse hay, mostly for repeat customers. I try to do all the bale handling with the grapple but that don't always work. Like when I need 100 bales on the trailer. I go 5 wide and 4 high and 5 stacks long for the 100. I charge $.50 per bale to deliver within 30 miles and $.75 from 30 to 50 miles. I UNLOAD the hay only, as close to the place they want as reasonably possible. They start to unload while I roll up my straps and put them away. Then I put the bales on the ground next to the trailer. It is up to them to keep them away from the trailer. I don't push that hard and if they run into a snag I will wait for them but I don't carry or stack for them. If they break a bale by jerking it by the twine, it is their bale as I use a bale hook and don't break bales that way. Remember this is in SW Iowa and prices are not as high as they are else were around the country. I get $3/bale in the shed - they do the loading. For $.10 a bale I will set it on their trailer with the grapple. SET - not stacked. I get no complaints on this method and have used it for several years now.

[drice]

This is a very interesting concept to me. I have been doing horse hay for the last 12 years started out as a summer job then used it to pay my way through college. Anyway we have always charged .50 delivery fee per bale 50 bale min until this year when we jumped up to .75. I have 1 -2 guys that help deliver. Delivery includes stacking in the barn. I have been contemplating doing a delivery charge then a stacking fee but didn't know how people would take to that. I look forward to seeing how everyone else handles it.
Thanks,
Daniel

PS I just found this site today. Hello to all. Looks like a very informative site.

[hay hauler]

$35 per ton hauled and stacked seldom over 15 miles. As of this year 3 of us are charging this much... This is only if we can get the trailer to the area we are stack and on the first floor only... no lofts and no stairs...

[steve IN]

I charge $3.00 a loaded mile for delivery. Round or square it does not matter. Hay or straw it does not matter. I always ask about the barn before we deliver square bales. The customer usually lies a touch so I take that into consideration. If I get a screwing the first time I point blank tell them and that usually solves all problems. The customer can always find cheaper hay but they usually remember (not all but most) the quality and the service. If I know the barn I adjust the price per ton or bale and very rarely do I have a problem.