Another $ question, Price for hauling dirt.

[BIGcatT870]

I posted a thread asking about skid steer and forestry cutter prices a couple of days ago. I wanted to first thank everyone that has chimed in for there advice.

I purchased a 95 ( I think ) F-800 dump truck a few months ago to move dirt around and away from my house. A good friend suggested I should sale the dirt to help pay for my fuel expenses moving it around. I have had a couple of people ask about bringing there equipment in and loading there own trucks and some asking how much I would charge to load it in my truck and deliver it. It is mostly sand stone and clay mixed. I dont have any idea what price to tell people either way I go. Thanks in advance for any advice.
P.S. I was told what I am wanting to get rid of should equal 500 to 700 Tri-Axle loads.

 

[stumpjumper83]

You do understand that your talking about delivering 1,500 loads with your single axle... it better pay for the truck cause you will wear out a set of tires moving that much, especially if your going any distance.

If it was my I would give the dirt away, but charge for loading and driving, so $50-70 a load or something.

 

[CM1995]

Do you need to move all the dirt you have or is it just "there" and you need to move it eventually?

You said you have a F800, is it a single axle or a tandem? There are a few F800 tandems out there that are old county/city trucks running around, that is why I ask the question.

With a single axle, like stumpjumper said, is a lot of trips. From the estimate you were given, it seems like you have between 10-15K loose yards of material, 8,500 to 12,700 bank yards using a 15% swell factor. That's a pretty good bit of material.

With that much material, I would work any angle you could get to get it moved. That would include letting someone bring a machine in and load it on their trucks - in your area you should be able to get $10 per load going that route. If you have a machine that can load tandems and tri's quickly (not a skid steer but a 953 or equivalent), then you could get between $20-30 per load for loading it but you have to keep their trucks rolling.

Now if you really need to move the dirt and get it gone, get a trackhoe or loader and put out the word that you will load anyone for free that backs under the loader. I moved a tremendous amount of yards this way on a big cut job we had several years ago. We averaged 150-200 tandem and tri loads per day. It worked on that job because we didn't have to pay for trucking and the dirt left like they were stealing it.

As far as you loading it and delivering it to someone, you need to account for your loader time and travel time with the dump truck. I don't know what single axle rates are but tandems need to get $70 per hour and tri's need to get $85 per hour and that is based on Central Alabama rates, in order to make any money.

With a single axle I would guess you need to get between $55-60 per hour to make any money. If you are delivering a load for someone, estimate your time round trip for the load and figure the desired rate per hour you want for your truck. Add your loading cost and dirt cost if desired and derive your per load cost to deliver.

Hope this helps.

 

[BIGcatT870]

Do you need to move all the dirt you have or is it just "there" and you need to move it eventually?

You said you have a F800, is it a single axle or a tandem? There are a few F800 tandems out there that are old county/city trucks running around, that is why I ask the question.

With a single axle, like stumpjumper said, is a lot of trips. From the estimate you were given, it seems like you have between 10-15K loose yards of material, 8,500 to 12,700 bank yards using a 15% swell factor. That's a pretty good bit of material.

With that much material, I would work any angle you could get to get it moved. That would include letting someone bring a machine in and load it on their trucks - in your area you should be able to get $10 per load going that route. If you have a machine that can load tandems and tri's quickly (not a skid steer but a 953 or equivalent), then you could get between $20-30 per load for loading it but you have to keep their trucks rolling.

Now if you really need to move the dirt and get it gone, get a trackhoe or loader and put out the word that you will load anyone for free that backs under the loader. I moved a tremendous amount of yards this way on a big cut job we had several years ago. We averaged 150-200 tandem and tri loads per day. It worked on that job because we didn't have to pay for trucking and the dirt left like they were stealing it.

As far as you loading it and delivering it to someone, you need to account for your loader time and travel time with the dump truck. I don't know what single axle rates are but tandems need to get $70 per hour and tri's need to get $85 per hour and that is based on Central Alabama rates, in order to make any money.

With a single axle I would guess you need to get between $55-60 per hour to make any money. If you are delivering a load for someone, estimate your time round trip for the load and figure the desired rate per hour you want for your truck. Add your loading cost and dirt cost if desired and derive your per load cost to deliver.

Hope this helps.

Thank you so much for the advice! I think Im addicted to this forum now! I had no idea there were so many people that loved this type of work. My truck is a single axle that used to be an Atlanta GA. city truck. I would like to move the dirt fairly quickly but Im prepaired to wait need be. Honestly with the new T-870 I beleive I can load tri-axles fairly quickly if the sides are low enough. I havent tried a tri yet but I can load my truck to the gills in 2 to 3 mins. where it used to take me twice or three times that long with my 773. Im not sure what is legal to load on my truck but I have hauled 10 ton of 8910 crush and run several times.

 

[CM1995]

Speaking from experience owning a T250 and a 953, there is no comparison when it comes to truck loading. With your single axle, I am sure the 870 is a beast and a good match. When you are charging guys to load tri-axles and I am assuming they are sending several trucks at a time, you need to be able to get the trucks loaded and on the road. Whoever is paying for the truck time is not going to want to pay for trucks sitting while you load them and honestly an 870 won't be able to load a tri fast enough. Now I don't want to discourage you, there are many situations that you could load out a few tri's with the skid and make everything work.

Also remember, no matter what the time difference in the trucks leaving the pit, they will always come back at the same time - that's the truck driver "heard mentality".:stirthepot

I would say 10 ton of 8910 would be overweight for your truck, even if it's a 33K lb gvw.

 

[BIGcatT870]

Im learning ! I dont doubt you one bit. I always try to be a half glass full kind of thinker and alot of times it gets me in to deep. I have a friend that has a small loader ( a little bigger than the 870 ) that needs some repairs but we may park it on my hill just for loading trucks out.