Last week I traveled to Oregon doing this flatbed boat transport. Some folks just want to have their boats hauled instead of towed, so how will it work?
Boats are made to be towed from the front, so they must be hauled the same way, or you will be pulling a parachute, and eventually blow the windshield right out of them. See pictures below of the recent flatbed boat transport to Oregon.
How can you make good profits on these kinds of transports, or any transports and hauling in this crazy economy? First thing is this; NEVER, be so desperate that you sell yourself short by desperate bidding, or desperate quotes. There are apps and services out there, like uShip, that will tell you that the average for a trip like mentioned in this post (1786 miles one way), that it can be done for $1.00 to $1.20 per mile. I don’t mean to be rude, but anyone that tells you this, is totally full of sh_t!!! With diesel fuel over $5 per gallon everywhere out west for this trip I’ve just done, it takes $2 per mile minimum to make any kind of profit.
The picture below is of one of the pumps where I filled my truck up. Keep in mind, the pump goes to $100 and stops and I had to swipe my card 4 and 5 times to fill my truck up each time in this journey to Oregon. Why is it that fuel prices and everything else is so high? Oh yeah, Biden did this!
Face it, we do this to make money, not to barely get by. We do this to provide for our family’s and not to be out there just driving around, racking up miles, wear and tear, and being away from our family’s with no return. Most folks are wanting something for nothing, so if that’s the case, just say no!! Yep, say no to people that try and get you to do something that suits them, or come down to what they want to pay. You have a business, and you have to run it like a business and not a hobby. Don’t be desperate!!
Everything is on the rise, and if your in the hauling/transport business, then you have to rise as well. Treat your business like a business, and you can make an honest living. If you treat your business like a hobby and bid desperately, well, you won’t be around long. Desperate people bid desperately, and professional people bid to match the economy and current fuel prices.
Most of the people like uShip, are giving averages from a few years ago when fuel was below $2 per gallon, but now with it being over double that, transport and shipping prices have to rise just like everything else, or you will go broke very quickly. This isn’t a get rich quick business, but nothing else is either. Hard work, competitive prices, and running your business with integrity will net you good profits.
Remember to post pictures of you and your business, your truck, trailers and some things you’ve towed/transported. People who are looking to hire you want to see you and your equipment. If they can’t see you, or find you anywhere, like Google or Facebook, or your website, then most we continue to keep looking for someone who has all of this. Make sure you do what you say, and if you give someone a specific time, then make sure you stay true to that time and commitment. Communication is the real key to having a successful business, and honestly, it’s the key to wealth.
If your doing flatbed boat transport or any kind of transport or hauling, and wondering how to do it with high fuel prices and how to estimate price per mile, then look around at the legit hauling company’s, the ones with a good web presence. If they don’t have pictures, a profile of some kind, Google presences, or Facebook account, then don’t give them another look. Real businesses have all of this, and real businesses have websites!!
To good ones are easy to find, and the bad ones you can’t find. Make sense? It’s common sense, not rocket science.
Always do your best,
-Mike Pilcher
MPE LLC Transport Service
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