Whats the going rate for horses/ I've heard $1.00, $1.50, and even $2.50 per mile. I'll be going 600 miles one way. Just for my own info, whats the standard charge for hauling cattle. Not planning on doing any any time soon, but it could easily come up.
Before I finish, anyone who is going to tell me not to haul horses or question my horse knowledge should save some time and talk to the wall. I'm not going to try and quantify my skills, but we'll leave it at proficient. Sorry if that seemed harsh, but every time some one mentions hauling horses they get the riot act read to them about how it isn't worth it and then there is a d@#k measuring contest about who is more of a horseman. I just need an Idea about rates to charge. Thanks everyone.

 

Dodger, a few years back i was hauling horses 'on cntract".. I was runnign at $1.75 to $2 per loaded mile.
the best way to do this is to figure your operating costs per mile. Rand McNally's website had a good calculator designed to help you do this.
With the price of deisel and such now-a-days, i am not sure what I would charge if I were asked to do it again.
i am sure some of the other guys will chime in here. Honestly, at what I was charging then, I was barely makign a profit. When DOT changed their regs , I couldn't stay priced low enough to be competitive with teh "bus route" companies.

Good Luck!

 

A good place to find out about that is www.livestockhaulers.com The forum is filled with many great people. That seems to be a constant discussion on there. I believe now its ranging from 2.50 to 3.50 now depending on location.

 

I would say you could get at least 2.50 depending on what kinda horses your moving and who your dealing with could get a lot more. We had a bid for some of our hay to be hauled from lincoln to our ranch 350 miles away for 3.00/mile.

 

Here is what I currently base my charges on, any size trailer up to 28' x 8' gets $2.50/loaded mile, providing it is over 150 miles, anything of less distance is much higher mileage rate.

I charge a minimum of a hundred bucks; I won't bother with the time and trouble for less.

Note I said I "base my charges", this doesn't mean I will haul a load for someone for X many miles for X many dollars; all this does is give them an arguing point over exactly how many miles it actually is, and computer estimated miles don't take 30 mile bypasses and truck routes into account.

To make a bid on a haul, I want to know EXACTLY what and EXACTLY where and EXACTLY how many head, with no SURPRISES thrown at me, and I can do a little figuring and tell them EXACTLY how many of their dollars that I will do it for.

I don't haggle over price, take it or leave it.

If some other joker will do it cheaper, more power to him, cause I won't budge from a bid.

Once people find they can jerk your chain, they will always expect it.

Just my own experiences in over thirty years of cattle/horse hauling.

 

I have to haul just two horses a little over six hundred miles. usually I have always had a dog in the fight, i.e. one of the horses on long trips was mine(going to a show or competition). This time is for a friend and I told them I was going to charge them going rate and i told them to contact one of the pro companies like Sallee or Brook Ledge, which are a dime a dozen here in Lexington. they said they still would like me to so I'm going to make some money. I'll be using a handheld gps for exact mileage. I'll check that website. Thanks a lot guys, and thanks for being cool about my question.

 

I don't haul for money, but that is a great point. You don't want a rep as a guy that charges $3.00, but can be bargained down to $2.50...