charging for pick up and delivery

[lizzieb]

I live in a small rural town in Western Montana and recently picked up a couch and chair from a residence to bring back to my shop, it was a 73 mile round trip and I had to bring my full size pick up truck. I am finished with these items and have to pick up another couch and return it when I am done. What would a reasonable charge be? My partner thinks we should charge $150.00 I think that is way too much but he says it is taking an hour of drive time plus time to load and unload. I appreciate any suggestions.

[MinUph]

First of all I hope your not going to spring this on the customer in the middle of the service. It should be discussed in the beginning. Secondly $150.00 would be fair for 2 trips back and forth like it sounds.
  I charge designers or any C.O.M pickup and delivery whenever possible. My own sale customers if it is a reasonable distance it is free. 35 miles one way if just out of reasonable. I would charge 50. per trip.

  You have to know your area and customer base to be able to tell if this is all workable both for you and the customer.

[Mike]

when doig bost work I figure it into my labot time on the job to go attern the bost ten to go install I ask then if they can bring the boat or seats to me then ill adjust the price

[lizzieb]

I did discuss it with the owner. We picked it up during the middle of calving season and he thought the ranch hand would be too busy to deliver it.

[kodydog]

First thing I would do is ask myself do I really need to travel 75 mi round trip to stay busy. If the answer is yes then you can only charge what the market will bear. If you charge $150 and your customers bulk and you loose business, you'll have to lower your price. On the other hand this charge may be a good way to weed out the tire kickers, To weed out the, "can you just come look at it"?

We do a lot of business in a medium size town that is about 1 hour away. We double up and make several stops. Divide the cost between 7 or 8 stops. This makes it an all day affair. Now you have to ask yourself can I afford to pay my helper for an 8 hr trip? To keep the cost down we have gotten to the point where we'll ask the customer to provide a helper.

[SteveA]

I do my own trucking and also have a service that can do it for me.  How far I'll go depends on how much I need the job or is the customer a loyal old timer.  I generally won't charge but if I do I only ask the cost as if I was local to them since it's not their problem I'm not geographically closer.  A safe alternative as Mike mentions is to figure it into the job.
SA

[lizzieb]

Thanks for the suggestions, I am the only shop in the area so I service quite a wide geographic location. Most people do bring things in and if I am on my way to Missoula which is 60 miles s one way for me, I will stop and price a job or deliver something without an added cost but, this guy is the opposite way from there. His next closest shop would be Missoula at about 80 miles one way. I know no shop from there would come up to get it.

[Darren Henry]

I would say it comes down to what is "normal" in your area. Are the furniture stores and lumber marts offering free delivery? Or do they charge?. How PO'd would your customers be if there was a fee?

I can't speak about the actual dollar amounts ['cause I have no idea what prices/wages etc... are in Montana], but some where you need to re-coup at least some of those unbilled hours and gas. It was all those un-billable hours giving free quotes and running around to do them and than free P/U & delivery, etc... that killed my business.

[brmax]

  Listening to Experience does bring it home, please kick me when I don't remember.
Just for grins I thought most driveways in Montana were 10-15 miles long.

Im hearing a pretty good reasons that just by asking them if they can transport the project. That the task automaticly has an effect of worth to people and in a subtle way.

I want to say a schedule with estimates is needed for me, but again they cost running around for sure.
The box stores have different amounts for delivery here and the concrete trucks have been charging for 10 years anyway as I recall, or showing the fuel and delivery as separated I should say.
  The Dump truck owners for rock and dirt that I was a bit familiar with show delivery as they need to because rock is like maybe 6-8 bucks a ton now depending on grade.

If I decide to run to the lakes end its can be a 80 roundtrip, with cove roads and 30-40mph is time?

This is a very interesting topic and I really am glad to hear from every ones experience thanks

[lizzieb]

You're right about the driveway lol.  I know most furniture stores charge for delivery from Missoula it's at least 60 m miles one way and they charge $50.00 (or maybe more by
now). We delivered the furniture yesterday and it took 2 hours round trip to deliver and pickup. I ended up charging $100.00 - I guess I feel comfortable with the$50.00 charge. I do like the idea of somehow working out into the conversation.  This is an out of state owner and the caretaker has been busy with calving and couldn't get away.