Need advice on charging to hand unload my truck

[wesaypop]

Hi everyone.

I was just asked by my fleet owner if I would be willing to take a load of boxed items (14*14*14, weight varies, a full truck load) from Pennsylvania to Texas and then unload by hand. He then asked me how much do I want to charge them to unload.

Is there any method to use to price something like that? I'm unsure what's too high or low. Any help would be appreciated.

To be clear, I'm asking how to determine what to charge for me to unload only. The fleet owner is doing his part on the transport end of things.

Thanks.

 

[rollincoal]

I've tailgated with a pallet jack and charge $50 per stop. Hand unloaded nursery loads same deal $50 stop. Never hand unloaded unpalletized floor load of boxes. If you're talking about a couple 1,000 or so boxes then probably charge by the piece but I have no idea how much never do those kind.

 

[wesaypop]

I've tailgated with a pallet jack and charge $50 per stop. Hand unloaded nursery loads same deal $50 stop. Never haND unloaded unpalletized floor load of boxes. If you talking about a couple 1,000 or so boxes then probably charge by the piece but I have no idea how much never do those kind.

Well I told them $500. Guess I'll find out if they'll accept my offer later tonight or tomorrow. I just don't know if I went too high or low. I just know I really want this load lol.

 

[xiggi]

I would say 35 to 50 bucks an hour.

 

[wesaypop]

I would say 35 to 50 bucks an hour.

That's an option. Guess my $500 was way too high lol.

 

[Ragman]

$500 sounds like a decent starting point.

Something to consider,

Is it unload onto a dock only, or do you have to take the boxed someplace? ie: an elevator ride to an office or storeroom.

The more you have to do, charge more.

 

[Moot]

Hi everyone.

I was just asked by my fleet owner if I would be willing to take a load of boxed items (14*14*14, weight varies, a full truck load) from Pennsylvania to Texas and then unload by hand.

Define full truckload. Are you talking 20', 24' or 53'? Will you have help at the other end? Besides the hand unload will you be required to sort and segregate the boxes? Will it be an inside delivery?

I get a flat $25 for a hand load or unload in a cargo van. I don't believe I have ever spent more than 15 minutes hand unloading except for once at a grocery house in Omaha. There I spent more time dinking around with my carrier for the money than if I had just unloaded and boogied.

I think Xiggi's $35 to $50 an hour is certainly reasonable. $500 seems a bit much, but if you can get it, more power to you.

 

[wesaypop]

$500 sounds like a decent starting point.

Something to consider,

Is it unload onto a dock only, or do you have to take the boxed someplace? ie: an elevator ride to an office or storeroom.

The more you have to do, charge more.

Yeah I asked the fleet owner to get more details. He's never been in this situation so he didn't know what I should charge, either. He said try $400 and I said well hell, let's try $500 and I'll go buy a dolly lol.

 

[wesaypop]

Define full truckload. Are you talking 20', 24' or 53'? Will you have help at the other end? Besides the hand unload will you be required to sort and segregate the boxes? Will it be an inside delivery?

I get a flat $25 for a hand load or unload in a cargo van. I don't believe I have ever spent more than 15 minutes hand unloading except for once at a grocery house in Omaha. There I spent more time dinking around with my carrier for the money than if I had just unloaded and boogied.

I think Xiggi's $35 to $50 an hour is certainly reasonable. $500 seems a bit much, but if you can get it, more power to you.

Hi there,

It's a 24 foot straight truck. All the info that I have at the moment is I'll be unloading by myself, and someone will come to let me in.

I don't know if stairs or elevator will be involved. I told the fleet owner we will need more info but for a starting point I said $500.

I'm not too crazy about unloading anything, but I'm willing to do it for this load, considering last week was terrible for me as far as loads go.

I did think about charging hourly, and started thinking is it worth it to potentially work my butt off for one or two hours only to make about $100 more or less? Is it wrong of me to think this way lol?

I guess the only formula to use is hourly. I'll find out tomorrow if they'll accept my offer.

 

[Moot]

Not knowing what all is involved at the delivery it is difficult to price it out. I would think that $500 should certainly cover just about anything you could encounter. Good luck!

 

[LDB]

How many pieces? 14x14x14 in a 24' box figures to 7 wide by 7 tall by 20 front to back, 980 pieces total based on my truck dims but yours may be different so it might only hold 6x6x19, 684 total, or somewhere in between. So the first things I'd want to know is how many pieces and what is the maximum weight of the heaviest piece. Where is it delivering? Do they have any cargo handling equipment I will get to use? If it is not palletized on my truck will they have pallets that I will move it to at the tail of the truck and then be able to use a pallet jack to move it where it goes? Or will I have to move it 4 at a time on a dolly? Will there be anyone there helping? There are many things that need to be known to come up with a realistic number. For a 53' I thought $500 was a realistic number. For a 24' I'm not sure the buyer would see it as realistic but maybe they will. Good luck.

 

[Turtle]

I'm more with xiggi. My first thought was $50 minimum and $50 an hour.

 

[rollincoal]

You most definitely want to get a lot of details on what this entails. I have generally found most loads I have done requiring labor were fairly easy and very lucrative loads. But you do have to be picky. The first one of something unknown is always a risk.

 

[mjmsprt40]

It's been awhile since I did a hand-unload. 54 boxes of copy-paper, 50 lbs a box, 7th floor, separated in two different sizes and the boxes placed upside-down so the print-shop could get at the paper quickly. I don't remember what the charge was, and since it was more than 20 years ago it doesn't matter now anyway. I had a convertible dolly, it could handle 16 cartons when it was in flatcar-mode, still took half-past forever.

 

[tknight]

Not to mention the waiting time while it's all being hand loaded at the pickup
What kind of stupid shipper packs 800 boxes by hand?
Oh yea the one who is gonna argue about the extra charge!

 

[rollincoal]

It's just ordinary freight but Frito Lay ships like this. Geneseo shipping shoes also ships this way. They are customer load/unload though. Anything lightweight that can be will be hand loaded into a 53' dry van stacked from floor to ceiling, nose to tail, cubing it out to cut cost.

 

[wesaypop]

It's just ordinary freight but Frito Lay ships like this. Geneseo shipping shoes also ships this way. They are customer load/unload though. Anything lightweight that can be will be hand loaded into a 53' dry van stacked from floor to ceiling, nose to tail, cubing it out to cut cost.

Thanks for response everyone. I was told we would find out by noon if they accept our offer or not. I made a list of details for the fleet owner to find out for me, like well there be stairs, elevator, etc.

All that he does know so far is that I'll be unloading alone. There will be no materials there for me to use, and I'll have to use the lift gate. He said the weight of the boxes is going to vary.

Guess I'll find out more today.

 

[mjmsprt40]

Given what you just said--- $500 is a good place to start. Sight unseen, I personally wouldn't want to chance it for much less. If I didn't get the run because my price was too high--- it's a good miss. Too much unknown but what's already known sounds like they're gonna work you like a coolie.

 

[rollincoal]

Yeah I will only tailgate loads and only if they pay very well. I would pass on this one because I don't have a liftgate. If I had a liftgate it would have to be really lucrative for me to lug a bunch of freight inside somewhere from the truck.

 

[x06col]

Thanks for response everyone. I was told we would find out by noon if they accept our offer or not. I made a list of details for the fleet owner to find out for me, like well there be stairs, elevator, etc.

All that he does know so far is that I'll be unloading alone. There will be no materials there for me to use, and I'll have to use the lift gate. He said the weight of the boxes is going to vary.

Guess I'll find out more today.

I feel for you. Dispatchers generally know little about the tribulations in the trenches. I was ever so happy to move on from a Contractor to a Carrier. When you speak with the horses mouth instead of (in your case) a couple horses azzes, it cuts the drama to about fifteen minutes.....stead of a couple days. For what it is worth in your situation, don't try to break the bank in your bid.....if you think about it, what would you rather be.....gainfully employed, or, setting at a TS wondering whats next?