Hay Producer Wanting To Learn How Trucking Like To Ship.

Like the title says,

I'm wanting to learn how to be a good customer for a trucking service. It just makes sense that If I can learn what truckers like about a customer's way of doing things, then I can make my and the trucker's life a little easier, and have truckers when I need them because they know I respect them and am considerate for their burdens.

"Do you deliver hay rolls to XXXXXX"? seems to be our most asked question this year. And I don't have any experience hiring a trucking service to haul our hay.

What can I be, and do, so that I am an ideal customer for a trucking service?

For examples sake, (in the miracle that one of yall might have time for one):

The most common amount I'm seeing is 22 rolls, the most common distance from pick up point is 50 miles away. We (and almost always, the buyer/recipient, both) have tractors for loading and unloading.

I cannot thank you enough for any information that you have the time to help me with!

Thanks!!

Hello Rhett. Yours is an interesting question. Do you only produce round bales? Square bales also? Obviously you need flatbed service. I’ve seen bales transported by the so called “hot shots”, that means guys with heavy duty pickups pulling fifth wheel trailers.

If you only need to transport bales 50 miles, have you thought of getting a heavy duty pickup with duallys and a trailer to haul your bales yourself?

Where? Which state?

Hello Rhett. Yours is an interesting question. Do you only produce round bales? Square bales also? Obviously you need flatbed service. I’ve seen bales transported by the so called “hot shots”, that means guys with heavy duty pickups pulling fifth wheel trailers.

If you only need to transport bales 50 miles, have you thought of getting a heavy duty pickup with duallys and a trailer to haul your bales yourself?

Thanks for your response, and great question!

So:

Iv considered hauling myself, yes sir, but I am aiming toward pro for several reasons:

one, because, well, a pro trucker knows so much more about hauling - from laws, to load-securing, to hard turns, and other things that i don't even think to consider, etc.

and second, :

I have so many other "irons in the fire", and I am usually so remotely located from our hay operation (3 hours by car, or 1 hour by Cessna), and the frequency would be so seldom, (hoping to do large shipments of 15 rolls or more, rather than smaller 5-6 roll loads.) that id really like to avoid attempting the hauling/delivery job myself.

and finally: Our hay is top notch, but my hauling compared to a pro would be hard-to-watch (for a pro), at best.

So I really want to present the buyer with a "top notch quality delivery" from a seasoned driver in the pro trucking profession, I think it would be a nice compliment to our hay, and a delivery much better than we could do ourselves as mere hay producers (in the world of quality hauling).

Thanks Again, oh yes, your questions! We have both rolls, and what we call "bundles" which are large squares that are bundled/made-up of 14 smaller (regular squares)

Your best bet is to find a local trucking company or owner operator with a flatbed or step deck trailer. Your delivery distance is too short to gain much interest from anyone not local to you.

Where are you located??

What we look for in a customer.. Promptness. Set an appt time and be there ready to load the trailer is number one. Second is prompt payment after delivery.

Where? Which state?

"Deep East Texas"

Your best bet is to find a local trucking company or owner operator with a flatbed or step deck trailer. Your delivery distance is too short to gain much interest from anyone not local to you.

Where are you located??

What we look for in a customer.. Promptness. Set an appt time and be there ready to load the trailer is number one. Second is prompt payment after delivery.

That makes alot of sense. With Venmo and Paypal that should be easy these days, Ill be sure to pay attention to those things. Thanks!!

"Deep East Texas"

Round Rock?

"Deep East Texas"

Round Rock?

just down the street, 200 miles to the east of Round Rock

Have ever lived in Idaho or Lawton, Oklahoma?

Have ever lived in Idaho or Lawton, Oklahoma?

Have not,

Though, you sparked my curiosity, why?