# Horse trailer woes



## Foxhunter (Feb 5, 2012)

I would say it is cheap. Works out at roughly $1.5 per mile which when you consider gas, wear and tear on the vehicle and the drivers time isn't doing anything more than covering their costs without the drivers time.


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## gunslinger (Sep 17, 2011)

Yes, I agree, My F-350 fuel cost alone is about .19 cents a mile.

I think that's a very fair price.


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## Dreamcatcher Arabians (Nov 14, 2010)

That's an excellent price. $1.35/loaded mi and 2-4 hours (depending on traffic and how long they stay and chat with you on delivery) of their time. Remember that while they are only charging for the loaded miles, they have to go home from your place too. So it's really 238 miles. $160/238 = .67/mile. Don't forget they'll probably stop to eat at least once on the trip too, so there's that cost for them.


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## QtrBel (May 31, 2012)

Charges here are .35 cents a mile and driver's time or $35 per haul which ever is more. The two I am familiar with charge $20 an hour for their time.


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## Dreamcatcher Arabians (Nov 14, 2010)

QtrBel said:


> Charges here are .35 cents a mile and driver's time or $35 per haul which ever is more. The two I am familiar with charge $20 an hour for their time.


I wouldn't get out of bed for that. Most of the pros I know wouldn't either. They are charging between $1.50 and $1.75 per loaded mile.


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## Acadianartist (Apr 21, 2015)

Do it. 160$ to haul a horse that far is well worth it. He knows the horse, is experienced trailering... Trailering rates are 80$ per hour here. I think this price is very fair.


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## Meg6955 (Mar 6, 2016)

Thanks everyone, like I was saying I'm not savvy on what's fair pricing


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## horselovinguy (Oct 1, 2013)

Meg6955 said:


> So, I'm in a bit of a pickle...I purchased my boy and the seller says they can haul him to me but itll be an extra $160, I'm not savvy on hauling prices so I don't know if that's a good price range or not...It's a 119 miles one way, which equals out to an hour and 53 mins. :-?
> I hate to put the seller out so I've been looking at trying to find a place that'll let me rent one but no such luck. I'd love to buy one but I just can't at this exact moment...
> 
> Thanks everyone, like I was saying I'm not savvy on what's fair pricing


_*Take that offer and run with it!!!
*_I figured it out differently so you can really see what a offer it is.

So...119 miles one way...
It still is 119 miles to go home for the seller/shipper.
An hour and 53 minutes..._in a car_..
_Not_ towing a loaded horse trailer, nor a empty one either for that matter. 
Better add another hour minimum each direction...
If you are a conscientious shipper you don't haul at 70+ mph when your trailer tires are rated for maximum of 65 if you're lucky. 
I don't haul at that max speed myself and stay in the "slow" lane...
Of course this time allottment is thinking you are on interstate highway, limited access and high speed roads in good condition of pavement...

I'm not sure if you've ever towed a horse trailer, have the truck rated to tow a horse trailer nor know exactly what to do when towing a horse trailer..loaded or empty.
This is_ not _the time nor place to learn "how to do" and get the horse loaded, then on the road and home safely.

You forget the prep time of hooking up, checking all is working properly.
Time to pull to the barn and prepare the trailer...
Make sure you have everything {documents} with you in case of a stop to show authorities...
Now go prepare the horse, load the horse, secure the horse...
Start out on a journey that could be trouble-free or filled with pitfalls of traffic, accidents, detours, poor road surface conditions, or road-work all adding hours to the day.
Now find the barn/place the horse is to be delivered to in a unfamiliar area...
Once arrived, now unload, help to settle the horse if needed, answer/clarify to the new owner/barn any questions regarding foods fed and amounts....
Now you get to leave and start the homeward journey.
Once home, clean the trailer, park the trailer, unhook the trailer and block it for storage, now take the truck for fuel/gas and finally you get to go home and put your feet up.
Guessing that just took you near a full work day or more if you are lucky...
_So, $160 for 238 miles of r/t haul* is* a bargain as far as I'm concerned. :|_
:runninghorse2:...
_jmo..._


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## Dreamcatcher Arabians (Nov 14, 2010)

Meg6955 said:


> Thanks everyone, like I was saying I'm not savvy on what's fair pricing


Just to give you an example of "just go pick up the horse and bring her to your place". 

I went to a town roughly 220 miles from me to pick up a client horse going into quarantine. This was to be my last paid haul, not ever going to invest in all that CDL & ELD stuff, I never have hauled for pay often enough to make all that worth my while. So, Mapquest (who never lies, right?) says the drive should take me about 3.5 hrs, empty. Well, due to road & weather conditions on Dec 21, it took 4.5 hrs. 

I got up at 3:30 am, did all my morning chores, hooked up my trailer and got ready to go. My assistant arrived at 6 a.m. and off we went. It was cool-ish but not cold, clear up by me, but we caught up with the weather that hadn't quite left the state and got slowed down by that. We still made our 10:30 appt time. We grabbed breakfast along the way, $20. 

The place was a mud hole (and a whole lot of other epithets not used on a family friendly site) and the owner was a complete ....... jerk. In case I forgot to mention, this was a mare who had been bought from a kill lot practically on the OK/AR border. Thank God I have a 4 wheel drive or we'd probably be stuck there still. We got in, got the horse loaded (not handled much and definitely wasn't interested in loading). I wasn't about to beat the poor thing, so the trucks of the kill buyers had to sit and wait for me, which incensed the lot owner. He'd already shipped 2 loads and had 5 lined up as I was picking up the one mare. Have I mentioned, I'll never go back to that place? UGH. 

The mare didn't look all that bad from her sale pics. When they brought her out even MY jaw dropped. She was a rack of bones with a hairy hide laid over. I was worried she might not make the trip back to my place. And she was already sick. Every horse on that place was skinny, rail skinny, and coughing and snotting. 

We got back on the road by noon and I had my assistant calling the vet as we got on the interstate. About the time we're trying to figure out when the vet will come out traffic comes to a total halt. Big rig vs passenger car, big truck flipped and passenger car wasn't recognizable as a make or model. At least 1 fatality and they shut down the interstate for hours. You can imagine how thrilled I was by that, thinking this poor horse is going to raise the count by 1. Finally get back under weigh again and continued for home. We stopped and ate dinner on the way home, $25. 

Finally pulled in home at 7:30 pm. Had to leave the horse in the trailer while we pulled all our horses in to the barn and fed (we had not handled the mare so were still 'clean'). Unloaded the mare, got a nice heavy blanket on her, gave her some hay & water. We stripped the trailer, pulled all the mats out on the driveway, washed the trailer with soap and water, every single inch. Then sprayed the entire thing with Nolvasan and washed the mats on the driveway and sprayed them with Nolvasan, $31.99 per pint. Then we went inside, showered and changed into clean clothes about 9:30 pm. Vet will arrive at 8 am on the 22nd. 

So, worked from 3:30 am until 9:30 that night, 18 hrs. Drove 440 miles, paid $110 for my assistant's time, $60 for food, $75 diesel and about $10-15 cleaning solutions and disinfectants. Guess what I got paid for that 'easy' haul? $200. It really drove home the point that it's just not worth it. 

The mare has been here 15 days, yesterday, and has gained quite a bit of weight from when I picked her up. She's almost over the snots, has stopped coughing and we should have her ulcer meds here early next week, then she should start to really pick up the weight. This is her 'looking better'.


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## Meg6955 (Mar 6, 2016)

Goodness, that's sounds like a fiasco...I have no problem paying the $160, but i just wasn't sure what was a fair price. I figured it was a pain for her to bring him down and she's been extremely sweet and I thought I'd try and help her out.


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## Acadianartist (Apr 21, 2015)

Meg6955 said:


> Goodness, that's sounds like a fiasco...I have no problem paying the $160, but i just wasn't sure what was a fair price. I figured it was a pain for her to bring him down and she's been extremely sweet and I thought I'd try and help her out.


As @DreamCatcher says, there is so, so much that can go wrong, especially in trailering a new horse! Best to let the seller to do it. They know the horse, know their trailer, and what they may be dealing with. 160$ isn't cheap, I get it, but it's not out of whack in terms of pricing (good idea to check tough!) and you know the horse will arrive safely. Totally worth every penny especially given that you think she's a nice person.


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## Dreamcatcher Arabians (Nov 14, 2010)

Meg6955 said:


> Goodness, that's sounds like a fiasco...I have no problem paying the $160, but i just wasn't sure what was a fair price. I figured it was a pain for her to bring him down and she's been extremely sweet and I thought I'd try and help her out.


It was a tough day on all concerned. But that gives you an idea of what is involved in hauling a horse for somebody. I still wouldn't trade my trailer though. I like being able to load and go whenever I want to. So, when you can afford one, I highly recommend you get your own truck & trailer and start learning to haul.


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## Dustbunny (Oct 22, 2012)

The price is more than fair. I'd have treats ready when they get there.
Enjoy your new buddy!


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## EQUIRIDE (Jan 21, 2018)

That is great price. 


I will highlight the expenses horse transporters incur and why there is a price difference between transporters and why some can do it for so much less. Before I get started, I would like to say one thing – you get what you pay for. 


The difference between “legal” and “illegal” transporters. “Legal” transporters have the proper credentials, i.e., MC Number, DOT Number and insurance which increases their costs of doing business. These transporters are professional transporters and do it full-time. They go through background checks, drug tests and are held to a high standard by the Department of Transportation (DOT). 
The biggest cost for legal transporters is they are required to have $750,000 in liability insurance. The cost of the insurance varies depending on the transporter. If the transporter is new and does not have a record their insurance is going to be a lot higher than an experienced one. This is like being 16 and you just started driving. The cost of this insurance is around $15,000 a year per truck. 


Next is what I like to call the Costco effect. If you are shipping a horse to and from a location where multiple horses are being shipped then your price will be less. This is just like buying in bulk at Costco, the more horses a transporter can fit on their trailer, the lower cost per horse will be. 


If you are not shipping a horse to and from a location where multiple horses are being shipped, more than likely your horse will be shipped by a transporter using a pickup and gooseneck trailer with a ramp. 
o Legal transporters will be using dually pickup trucks, they cost about $75,000-$100,000. They will get a new one after about 300,000 miles. 
o Their trailer will be for horses. Yes, there is a difference between a horse trailer and a cattle trailer. Horse trailers are taller, have ramps and have the proper railings to keep horses separated. These trailers cost about $50,000-$60,000 depending on the features and the number of horses they can carry. 


Gas – All transporters share this common expense. They will get 4-6 miles per gallon and the cost of diesel will vary from state to state. As I write this, according to AAA the average cost is $2.877 a gallon. 
Maintenance – Routine maintenance on a truck and trailer such as tires, oil changes, brakes, and normal wear and tear can be $15,000 a year. 


Tolls – While it may be a small amount of the total costs but tolls can add up to $3,000 a year. 


Now let’s break down these costs per mile. Assume a transporter drives 125,000 miles a year for easy math. 
• Insurance – $0.12 per mile
• Truck and trailer ownership expense – $0.24 per mile 
• Gas – $0.5754 = ($2.877/5) per mile
• Maintenance – $0.12 per mile
• Tolls – $0.02 per mile
• TOTAL = $1.08 per mile


Keep in mind, they have not paid themselves and this does not cover food and hotel expenses. If you are paying your transporter less than $1.25 a mile you could potentially be using a transporter that is not legal and/or have an incorrect or old and worn out truck and trailer. Like I said at the beginning, you get what you pay for.


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