Posted 2008-11-10 10:33 AM (#94613 - in reply to #94418) Subject: RE: Horse hauling business advice?
Expert
Posts: 1351 Location: Decatur, Texas
OK, say you get 1.00 mile round trip per horse that equals 3.00 miles say it is a 100 miles round trip that is 300.00 WOW that is great, now lets take off the gas a todays price in Texas and figuring your Yukon might get 14 mpg loaded if you are lucky that would be about 14.29 for gas, $20.00 if you think about eating then 12 to 14 hours you will be either driving or setting at the show waiting for everyone to finish their class. So you have actually only $34.29 out of pocket (if you have no problems) leaves you 265.71 divided by 14 hours will leave you with 18.98 per hour less the wear and tear on your truck and trailer. Now that is if you can get 3 people to pay you 1.00 per mile. Around here everyone wants to trade out work or transportation later. So you may get lucky and get .50 to .75 per miles which now cuts you bottom line in half!
I know myself, I will not run my truck and trailer up and down the road and spend 12 to 14 hours for 19.00 per hour. Maybe if I could do 6 to 8 horses at a time for 1.00 per horse per mile I might think about it!
I don't think I would do it now days for $5.00 per loaded mile.... Big list of folks hauling, http://www.naturalhorsetraining.com/HorseTransport.html I travel I-95 alot and this time of year and in the spring you won't go five minutes and not see a commercial hauler..... They'll be backed up 12 trailers deep at the Ag. inspection station at Jacksonville, Fl.
Posted 2008-11-11 4:24 PM (#94712 - in reply to #94618) Subject: RE: Horse hauling business advice?
Expert
Posts: 1351 Location: Decatur, Texas
I was just using that 1.00 per mile figure just to show her in even numbers that it would not be worth it.
I would not do it for 5.00 per mile either! Unless it was someone I knew and a 1TIME DEAL, with every thing related to liability issues signed by me, them and anybody else standing around. Too many things can go wrong! And if I remember right the ol' saying is, "if it can go wrong, it will go wrong"!
Posted 2008-11-11 5:52 PM (#94720 - in reply to #94418) Subject: RE: Horse hauling business advice?
Expert
Posts: 1723 Location: michigan
personally, i don't want to be a pessimist since there is a horse hauling industry ( small yes) someone is making money at it. It can be done but I'd want to have my home work done before I jumped in. I'd want to know about insurance,DOT laws and other regualtions even if i wanted to haul local routes. I'd want to know how much my expenses would be per mile and how much of demand there was. I'd talk to other small time haulers, pick their brains and get as many ideas that i could.
Unmet demands is where the money is. if you think you can do it, then go for it.
Posted 2008-11-12 2:19 PM (#94768 - in reply to #94418) Subject: RE: Horse hauling business advice?
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 362 Location: Allegan, Michigan
Ok, I spoke with my cousin who is a police officer in Kentucky. You better get your ducks in a row and do some serious research in your state laws. One you can not commercially haul horses with a SUV. Those vehicles are not rated for hauling anything larger than a standard 2 horse straightload bumper pull. If you get pulled over hauling anything larger than that, they will call the Weighmaster and if you are over the GVWR of your vehicle you will be in some serious serious trouble my friend. You especially do not want to get caught on the interstates. KSP is very strict on enforcing that, especially with the racing industry there, they have PETA and HSUS and all those animal rights groups on their backs to ensure that. He says he also pulls folks over and checks for coggins tests. So before you even think about hauling out of state, you better check your laws while driving in state. He also said you would need a CDL and said something about your vehicle and trailer would need to pass inspection. You would need proof of commercial insurance and a business license. He said something about bonding. Wasn't sure what he meant about that. He said they ARE cracking down on it especially since the number of horses coming in and out of Ky. So if I were you, I would hang it up and find another occupation that won't land you knee deep in fines and losing your license.
Posted 2008-11-13 6:48 AM (#94810 - in reply to #94418) Subject: RE: Horse hauling business advice?
Expert
Posts: 1205 Location: Danielsville Georgia
Couple of haulers I personally know are not licensed etc.They also tell customers up front they don't carry any insurance on horses they are hauling.If you think they are worth any kind of money that YOU need to buy your own insurance.One of these guys has been hauling a good number of years.Up until the last couple weeks horse hauling has been dead.Been dead for months.Personally I would not want to haul live animals for lots of reasons.Under the gun to get to destination and off load,can't stop and overnight etc.Hauling cars or motorcycles seems a lot less stress.Plus you would not believe the replies to quotes.Folks are shocked to find out what it costs to haul OLE Thunder down the road.I know one guy and wife that only haul so they can get someone else to pay for their vacation to California etc.a few times a year.
Posted 2008-11-14 6:56 PM (#94903 - in reply to #94451) Subject: RE: Horse hauling business advice?
Regular
Posts: 54 Location: Danielsville,Ga.
Originally written by Buffy111_99 on 2008-11-07 8:41 AM
My advice is don't do it! First of all, you can't make money from it. By the time you deduct your expenses and something for your time, the customers will normally not pay. Don't forget to calculate wear and tear and maintenance on your rig. Don't haul anything anywhere without checking with DOT regarding regulations, licensing and insurance. You also have to have all the permits etc for all the states you drive through!
We, actually, have been hauling professionally forabout 15 yrs. The economy has hit our business very hard as well and people are getting horses for cheap or free and just don't get why they have to pay more for the haul from CA to NY than they paid for the horse! We have basically quit hauling except for some very close customers that know our worth. It is not worth taking the chance on the roads (especially in winter) if you can't make money from it.
I know a lot of people do this work illegally - no license, not properinsurance, but if you ever have a problem and something happens to a horse, you could lose everything. It's really not worth the chance.
I agree with everything you said,except the "you can lose evrything" the most damage anyone can collect ,under any condtions,even if you deliver the horse dead,is the value of the horse,if you deliver a 1,000 horse dead,then you owe the owner ,1000 dollars,if it was your fault. I don't see how anyone can make a living hauling horses,your advice was excellent.
Posted 2008-11-14 9:16 PM (#94911 - in reply to #94810) Subject: RE: Horse hauling business advice?
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 522 Location: Tucumcari NM
Originally written by hounddog on 2008-11-13 5:48 AM
Couple of haulers I personally know are not licensed etc.They also tell customers up front they don't carry any insurance on horses they are hauling.If you think they are worth any kind of money that YOU need to buy your own insurance.One of these guys has been hauling a good number of years.Up until the last couple weeks horse hauling has been dead.Been dead for months.Personally I would not want to haul live animals for lots of reasons.Under the gun to get to destination and off load,can't stop and overnight etc.Hauling cars or motorcycles seems a lot less stress.Plus you would not believe the replies to quotes.Folks are shocked to find out what it costs to haul OLE Thunder down the road.I know one guy and wife that only haul so they can get someone else to pay for their vacation to California etc.a few times a year.
If you are going to do any kind of business, horse hauling included, you had better have insurance. If you have an accident, if a horse is injured, or if your customer is just being a hard-a**, you can be sued and you can lose more than just the value of the animal. Juries just love to award damages based on pain and suffering or emotional distress Here in NM it used to be the norm for the Navajo Indians to cut the fences along interstate 40 and herd their sheep, goats, or horses onto the roadway. Every time an animal was killed, the Navajo owner was paid many times what the animal was worth, regardless of the injuries or deaths caused by their animals. If there is a dollar to be made, you can bet someone has figured out how to make it and to heck with the harm it causes others. I own a cowboy cooking school, and I have to carry a large insurance policy just in case someone gets hurt, even though they sign a waiver when they register for the class.
Posted 2008-11-14 10:59 PM (#94915 - in reply to #94903) Subject: RE: Horse hauling business advice?
Regular
Posts: 85 Location: Ocala, FL
Originally written by muleskinner on 2008-11-14 7:56 PM
Originally written by Buffy111_99 on 2008-11-07 8:41 AM
My advice is don't do it! First of all, you can't make money from it. By the time you deduct your expenses and something for your time, the customers will normally not pay. Don't forget to calculate wear and tear and maintenance on your rig. Don't haul anything anywhere without checking with DOT regarding regulations, licensing and insurance. You also have to have all the permits etc for all the states you drive through!
We, actually, have been hauling professionally forabout 15 yrs. The economy has hit our business very hard as well and people are getting horses for cheap or free and just don't get why they have to pay more for the haul from CA to NY than they paid for the horse! We have basically quit hauling except for some very close customers that know our worth. It is not worth taking the chance on the roads (especially in winter) if you can't make money from it.
I know a lot of people do this work illegally - no license, not properinsurance, but if you ever have a problem and something happens to a horse, you could lose everything. It's really not worth the chance.
I agree with everything you said,except the "you can lose evrything" the most damage anyone can collect ,under any condtions,even if you deliver the horse dead,is the value of the horse,if you deliver a 1,000 horse dead,then you owe the owner ,1000 dollars,if it was your fault. I don't see how anyone can make a living hauling horses,your advice was excellent.
You are right except if you are sued by a customer and the authorities find out you are hauling for compensation, you can lose your truck and trailer! Actually, if you are pulled over and found out, you can lose your truck and trailer.
Horse hauling business advice?
