Firewood delivery costs.

[Crazy Cutter]

You can only charge what people are prepared to pay. If your making a living and happy at the moment you are doing well. Alot of people are finding the recession hard and it will get alot harder in the next 6 months especially if its a cold winter with the new taxs comming in April. Its one thing looking at government mileage charges its another thing charging them onto your customers when it comes to delivery I dont expect to make a profit but dont expect to be out of pocket and that goes for an hourly rate aswell.

 

 

I look at it that my diesel is claimed back against tax so goes someway to cover the cost.

[StephF]

and vat reclaimed, had'nt thought of that....

[Float]

I have changed my strategy slightly this year. Last year over 10miles I would add on a fiver, (we only had one customer 15miles+ so they got charged an extra tenner). Anything less was free delivery.

For this year delivery is still free, but I try to encourage the customer to take a double load, (we can deliver 2 x 1 or 2 x 1.3 cube at a time), or I plan my deliveries to get two drops nearby. I am reluctant to add anymore to the cost, (still on last years prices). There is quite a lot of local competition, and there is always the bandit down the road selling "a truck load" for £50... I fear Joe public is looking more at price than quality and value in these testing times

[Alycidon]

I find the same, it may be worth considering a first drop to a new customer to be carriage free so that he can try your product. Once a customer knows that you are delivering a higher quality ( drier and of consistent size and length) can you say to them that having looked at the fuel price then you need to charge a bit more.

 

Cord wood is also not cheap at £55-£60 a ton for hard delivered, this can be confirmed by your customer via the FC web site.

 

I had a job this week for 4 cube, delivered to 4 houses within a stones throw of each other, 10 miles away, all new customers. Wish I had bought that IFW Tilt bed now as I had to do it in 2 trips, mind one was through a gate and a tight 90 deg bend, would not have got a 17 ft trailer where she wanted it, an 8 footer was tight.

 

A