Hauling your own milk

Deerefarmer

Member
Location
USA
We pay a lot for hauling. The deal our hauler has is pretty sweet from a trucking industry perspective. I believe we would be better off hauling our own, but have enough problems as it is. Trucks and used trailers are surprisingly affordable.

Finding COMPETENT drivers, repairs/maintenance to stay on top of etc takes the fun out of it. Also I remember how much I hate driving trucks after about 2 days of it.
Yeah it looks like they're ripping farmers off here ,but a guy I know thought he would start doing some hauling, no way was haulers needing the amount they were charging, after paying insurance, DOT permits, driver, and workers comp,taxes, he came back with somewhat different view on situation. Farm milk pickup is no job for the unmotivated, about as demanding as milking cows in itself.
Probably seems like a thankless job at times, my hats off to all the dedicated drivers here and abroad.
The cost of keeping a truck insured and licensed per year is what needs to change in these parts imho
 

vantage

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Pembs
Finding COMPETENT drivers, repairs/maintenance to stay on top of etc takes the fun out of it. Also I remember how much I hate driving trucks after about 2 days of it.
I was talking to our driver last night, there should have been seven drivers and trucks out last night, same as the day shift, he said that only four drivers turned up, he said there was no way all the milk would be lifted, Absolute nightmare!
 

Dead Rabbits

Member
Location
'Merica
Yeah it looks like they're ripping farmers off here ,but a guy I know thought he would start doing some hauling, no way was haulers needing the amount they were charging, after paying insurance, DOT permits, driver, and workers comp,taxes, he came back with somewhat different view on situation. Farm milk pickup is no job for the unmotivated, about as demanding as milking cows in itself.
Probably seems like a thankless job at times, my hats off to all the dedicated drivers here and abroad.
The cost of keeping a truck insured and licensed per year is what needs to change in these parts imho

Our hauler only hauls for us and rarely split loads. Milk goes to four set locations. Until recently he was hauling on farm tags! Which we could legally do if we had our own trucks. Costs about $500 per year to farm tag a truck depending on what it is. Wouldn’t even need a CDL or ELD or logbook.
 
Location
southwest
Don't see the need for 2 lorries as they would have a full day for psv/repairs/garage checks etc, if he was on eodc. Loads of straw or feed can be planned around maintenance work.
The drivers would be employed on the basis that they would have to do other farm work when there was no lorry work. Covered by the 'any other duties' part of my work contract which means anything from sweeping the yard to cutting the lawn at the bosses house.
Truck goes for weekly inspection "New brake linings required-they'll be here tomorrow pm." Truck VOR for 48 hrs.

If you find an HGV driver prepared to do "any other duties" on a regular basis, he won't be much of a driver. Plus do you want to pay HGV wages for the guy doing the yard scrapping? Also, once he's under tacho regs, he's limited to 48hr average week, 4.5 hrs driving 6hrs duty triggers a break 45hrs rest every other week etc. Unloading delays at the Dairy and your driver could be sat a mile away from home taking a statutory 45 min break.

I can deal with Cow problems or Logistics problems-wouldn't want to deal with both!
 
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Pennine Ploughing

Member
Mixed Farmer
Truck goes for weekly inspection "New brake linings required-they'll be here tomorrow pm." Truck VOR for 48 hrs.

If you find an HGV driver prepared to do "any other duties" on a regular basis, he won't be much of a driver. Plus do you want to pay HGV wages for the guy doing the yard scrapping? Also, once he's under tacho regs, he's limited to 48hr average week, 4.5 hrs driving 6hrs duty triggers a break 45hrs rest every other week etc. Unloading delays at the Dairy and your driver could be sat a mile away from home taking a statutory 45 min break.

I can deal with Cow problems or Logistics problems-wouldn't want to deal with both!
aye, and can you see a farmer paying 30k per year for a man working a 48 hour week
 

kiwi pom

Member
Location
canterbury NZ
Truck goes for weekly inspection "New brake linings required-they'll be here tomorrow pm." Truck VOR for 48 hrs.

If you find an HGV driver prepared to do "any other duties" on a regular basis, he won't be much of a driver. Plus do you want to pay HGV wages for the guy doing the yard scrapping? Also, once he's under tacho regs, he's limited to 48hr average week, 4.5 hrs driving 6hrs duty triggers a break 45hrs rest every other week etc. Unloading delays at the Dairy and your driver could be sat a mile away from home taking a statutory 45 min break.

I can deal with Cow problems or Logistics problems-wouldn't want to deal with both!


The OP is talking about running a trailer behind a tractor on a very short run, so not much of that will apply. It will just be another daily task I'd guess.

48 hours off the road for a brake job? time to find a new garage. Should have been spotted and parts ordered at previous pm.
 

Wellytrack

Member
Money is generally in SMP in to Middle East , Africa and Far East
Only snag is £100m cost of a drier and elec/gas bill of £250,000 per month

Otherwise I’m game if you’ll crowd fund?

How about you don’t go anywhere near smp and instead full semi and fully skimmed, cream etc leading to other value added products down the line and continue to sell the over spill of milk to your processor? Have you other such like enterprises on Anglesey? Or would your buyer be rather displeased at that idea?
 

SFI - What % were you taking out of production?

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Red Tractor drops launch of green farming scheme amid anger from farmers

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As reported in Independent


quote: “Red Tractor has confirmed it is dropping plans to launch its green farming assurance standard in April“

read the TFF thread here: https://thefarmingforum.co.uk/index.php?threads/gfc-was-to-go-ahead-now-not-going-ahead.405234/
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