Need a new(er) truck.... Maybe?

[Oaktree]

It does sound like a compact car would be good for a college student doing a lot of driving.

Probably a lot easier to fit in a parking space on campus too. Plus it gets him out of helping friends move.

 

[LittleBittyBigJohn]

Looks like I have a side gig thanks to my new truck. I'm delivering a new ride to the buyer about 550 miles away. I'm also bringing back his trade.

 

[LittleBittyBigJohn]

So it turns out it was a dealer trade. Brought this guy back with us. 900 miles total and averaged 12mpg. I really like the truck. So much power, it was always under 2,000 rpm, even accelerating up hill on the interstate. Pulled this thing so well I forgot it was back there several times.

 

[LittleBittyBigJohn]

Check engine light... Just picked it back up from the shop. They replaced a Particulate Matter Sensor on the exhaust. Fixed for free.

 

[Jstpssng]

I got one of these roll up vinyl bed covers for the new truck. I've had it on for several weeks now. I really like it! It's handy and rolls up out of the way really easily. Gives a little cover and protection for small items or feed that doesn't need to get wet. It doesn't make the bed totally waterproof but my paper feed sacks stayed dry in the rain!

Amazon.com

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My Colorado came with one. It's great for keeping things dry. This time of year it has all of my gardening tools including a bucket of fertilizer. No need to put them back in the shed every time I get done, I can just drive out to the garden the next evening.

 

[Yander]

Looks like I have a side gig thanks to my new truck. I'm delivering a new ride to the buyer about 550 miles away. I'm also bringing back his trade.

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This makes me think, do you guys calculate costs of the useful life that a job takes from your equipment in order to know what your overhead costs are on a job?

I've been starting to do this. It helps me estimate if a job is worth doing.

I divide hours to do job/useful life of said equipment to get the percentage of the useful life the job will take. Once I have that percentage, I multiply it by the cost of the equipment.

I would use mileage for a car and hours for a tractor.

Probably a better way but at least it's something.

The rate I have to have to do a job is $75 an hour and $150 minimum. It keeps me from being called for a $60 garden job. That's the goal, someone else can do those jobs. Its been working

 

[Hay Dude]

I started structuring my calculations for field cutting jobs like that.
Although I don’t give customers my hourly price, I do calculations on paper in my office hourly to estimate costs.
My first hour is now $250 for the trouble of transportation and ruining my tractor tires driving from my shop to your location.
Every hour of mowing after that is $175.

Those are my “new world prices” adjusted for new world costs (inflation)

”No joke folks”.

 

[LittleBittyBigJohn]

My neighbor down the street is retired and hauls for some lots around us. I may make a run or two a month. It will pay my truck payment and give me and my wife a little time together to see the sights. Me making a couple runs helps my neighbor out and it gives us a little pocket money.