Per hour rate for moving logs??

labradorguy · November 20, 2021, 11:38:53 AM

Hello all.

I have a person who wants to know if I would be interested in using my equipment to get some logs up and out of a deep gulley and onto a landing. An 85hp 4wd tractor and PTO winch could do the work. They want to pay me hourly and that's fine, I just have no clue what to charge them where it's fair to both of us... ?? Any ideas what the going rate for something like that is? Thanks!

Andries · November 20, 2021, 12:16:30 PM

First some questions:
How far is the gully from the landing?
Is this strictly business or a 'family and friends' thing?
Do you need to trailer your tractor to get there?
A tractor and logging winch is not a skidder, are they 1200 lb logs or monster oaks at 4500 lbs each?
.
A guess here is that you've got a lot invested in that machinery. Cost to run it involves far more than fuel per hour. Insurance, tires, oil, main cable and chokers, re-direct pulleys, . . . and those are only a few of the bigger ticket items.
Don't under value yourself, and for sure, don't dip into the grocery money to do this.
All that blah blah blah aside, $70 to $110 per hour depending on how dicey the work is.

labradorguy · November 20, 2021, 06:03:39 PM

Thanks for the reply.

It's basically winch it out and drag it 200' to the landing.
Business. It's a side gig added on to a much larger clearing job.
No, it is tractor/winch sized logs otherwise I would be using my TJ.
The tractor is already onsite. I had to use it to help get a thrown track back on.

Thanks again.

Stephen1 · November 20, 2021, 06:24:55 PM

I use the $1 per hour for every $1000 of equipment value and then I add my hourly rate.

labradorguy · November 20, 2021, 07:58:24 PM

Hmmm.... What's your hourly rate?

Stephen1 · November 20, 2021, 08:42:32 PM

I want to make $40 an hr sawing. plus my equipment rate. sawmill and forklift = $80,000 plus my $40 = $120 yard rate sawing

If I am driving my truck I am $25 hr. plus my equipment. $50,000 truck 10k for my 24' float trailer =60K plus my $25= $85 hr is what I want to make when I am moving logs or lumber.
This is how I figure out what things cost in my business
Ever since I started doing this I have money in the bank. I do not think I am excessive at all.

Stoneyacrefarm · November 20, 2021, 09:19:30 PM

Rates look good to me Stephen.
If people don't like the rate they can go buy all the equipment you have and see if they can do it any cheaper.
When you break it down to them the way you do they change their attitude a little.

labradorguy · November 21, 2021, 10:33:45 AM

Quote from: Stephen1 on November 20, 2021, 08:42:32 PM
I want to make $40 an hr sawing. plus my equipment rate. sawmill and forklift = $80,000 plus my $40 = $120 yard rate sawing

If I am driving my truck I am $25 hr. plus my equipment. $50,000 truck 10k for my 24' float trailer =60K plus my $25= $85 hr is what I want to make when I am moving logs or lumber.
This is how I figure out what things cost in my business
Ever since I started doing this I have money in the bank. I do not think I am excessive at all.

$40/hr USD or CAD?

Stephen1 · November 21, 2021, 06:46:16 PM

$40 CAD but it really doesn't matter which side of the border we are on, the values are the same. For instance years ago I went to Italy, a cup of coffee was $1EUR the same as it was back home $1CAD. to me alot of the time, the difference in money is only when you travel and have to exchange.

labradorguy · November 21, 2021, 07:45:09 PM

Quote from: Stephen1 on November 21, 2021, 06:46:16 PM
$40 CAD but it really doesn't matter which side of the border we are on, the values are the same. For instance years ago I went to Italy, a cup of coffee was $1EUR the same as it was back home $1CAD. to me alot of the time, the difference in money is only when you travel and have to exchange.

I reckon so. I worked in Alberta, BC, Yukon, and None of it for twenty years. There were times when the exchange rate was REALLY sweet.

Stephen1 · November 21, 2021, 07:50:42 PM

When I bought my 2007 Tundra, the exchange was sweet on my side for once. not very often about 3 times in my lifetime so far.

Old Greenhorn · November 21, 2021, 08:02:50 PM

Quote from: Stephen1 on November 21, 2021, 06:46:16 PM
$40 CAD but it really doesn't matter which side of the border we are on, the values are the same. For instance years ago I went to Italy, a cup of coffee was $1EUR the same as it was back home $1CAD. to me alot of the time, the difference in money is only when you travel and have to exchange.

This reminds me of a story. I was traveling in Norway with 5 of my cousins and we were in a shop and the youngest cousin (16y/o) asked the clerk "How much is this?" "Just 6 kroner" the clerk replied. My cousin turned to her mother and asked "How much is that in real money?" :D :D I had to walk away.

Andries · November 21, 2021, 08:49:16 PM

Back in the day, during one of @customsawyer 'Projects', the question of how much to charge per hour came up.
The dozen guys around the mill were tugging on their beards and doing the deep slow reveal in Secret Southern drawl. Google hadn't invented the app for translation yet and I'm slow on the uptake most of the time anyway, but all the numbers that were being thrown out sounded DanG low. @Nomad turned to me and asked what I charged.
I'm deer in the headlights, they all know I'm the Foreigner, so I blurt out what my going rate was.
" $110.00 per hour"
Jaws drop.
Then crickets.
" That's in metric dollars boys!" said I. That got a few belly laughs.
Except from @WDH
He's a seriously serious guy.
So serious that he thought I was serious.
That doesn't happen anymore - he's got this goof figured out now.
@labradorguy most of us glaciated types will throw out our numbers in 'real dollars'. Take it down about 30% to convert to American. 😏

chevytaHOE5674 · November 21, 2021, 11:47:34 PM

My hourly rate with a piece of equipment and operator starts at 110/hr and goes up from there. Customers bark at the price from time time I simply say "then go buy a skid steer or tractor, attachments, fuel it up, grease it, keep tires on it, insure it, haul it, etc and let me know how "cheap" you can do it.

WDH · November 22, 2021, 10:16:59 AM

Glaciated dollars.

mike_belben · November 22, 2021, 11:27:27 AM

:D

Whats the exchange rate on GDs and SGUs right now?

Andries · November 22, 2021, 05:13:22 PM

One SGU = Priceless
One GD = 1/300 of an SGU
It all makes as much sense as metric conversion.
😝
@labradorguy did you set a rate and get the logs yanked out of the gulch?

labradorguy · November 22, 2021, 07:35:55 PM

I told them $125 for the 4wd tractor and winch. One of their employees is on the slope taking limbs off for me. I did tell them that I would cut the bigger logs though, because I didn't want the kid that was going to do it getting hurt. There are 40+" white oaks down in there. Not sure how many they want out. They just want their high hilltop view restored. The lady that owns the land said just keep the logs, sell them, burn them, whatever I want to do.... I cleared today to bring them out the bottom with a Cat.

labradorguy · November 23, 2021, 07:13:10 PM

I can't haul off those pretty white oaks without her knowing what they are worth. I took the scaling stick down with me and pointed out a veneer quality white oak. I told them at worst, at worst... let's just figure it as a stave log. I showed them the stick and pointed out how many bf in a 36" dia. 16' butt log. Showed them that there were two more logs about it too. "That's nice. When are you thinking that you're going to get them, so I can see my view again?"

Just didn't care... She's an older lady living alone, widow. I guess it didn't register or she just didn't care.

I don't know what to do. ???

Stephen1 · November 23, 2021, 07:41:50 PM

I would take the logs and go back with a nice gift. If it was a guy it would be a nice bottle. Maybe a nice basket of fruit and flowers for her.

mike_belben · November 23, 2021, 08:09:44 PM

get her some binoculars to enjoy the view

sumday · November 23, 2021, 10:33:04 PM

I would say she is hiring you for a specific job that apparently is important to her. You made her aware of the potential value of the wood. She just wants her view. So give her what she wants and enjoy the extra profits. I've run into that occasionally where the customer just wants what they want and doesn't have an interest anything else.

customsawyer · November 24, 2021, 06:05:57 AM

I am getting that more and more now days. Some folks have lots of funds from some where and all they care about is the end result. The cost doesn't matter. Had a customer that will have over 150K in a pavilion on his property so he can get married in it. I hope he has other plans for it after the wedding. This next year he is going to start on his house and it is supposed to be 5 times bigger than the pavilion.

Stephen Alford · November 24, 2021, 07:20:26 AM

Having something in writing (emailed or texted or hard copy) is always prudent in an any business transaction. Entitle the document ... Wood Purchase Agreement... for some reason it is better received than the word... Contract. Even an invoice pad with work order at the top and a description of what is to be done signed by landowner. Often times what someone agrees to verbally can become a torpedo when other family members , family lawyers , or family accountants get involved. Doing this can seem inconvenient at times but it avoids looking over your shoulder. Hope you have time to post some pics...

labradorguy · November 24, 2021, 08:01:39 PM

Have not taken any pictures, but if you've seen one nice white oak, you've seen them all. Here is a nice buck running around my place instead. You know, tree pictures are a lot like trout pictures. How many 14" rainbows can a person look at and still be interested?

There is a big party at her place this weekend. So I put a serious amount of lumber on the ground today. I'm going to be hauling white oak for a week. She has her view back. :laugh: