what to do about fuel costs

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bobbyho

Senior Member
Location
Central Connecticut
It's official, I am now over $5.00 a gallon for diesel. $5.09 to be exact. Anyone have ideas how to deal with this. I don't really mean the usual pass it on to the customer but more in lines as far as how to do business differently. Maybe a smaller vehicle and attack it like they do in Europe. We will be there soon so I figure it's time to come up with another plan. I have a Sprinter and it does great but $180.00 to 200 to fill up, I (we) need a contigency plan. Just wondering if anyone has any ideas how to deal with the new reality.
 
mdshunk

mdshunk

Senior Member
Location
Right here.
The reason many guys make the move to bigger trucks is so that they can have all the tools and material at hand to complete most anything they're sent out on. This increases productivity and the daily net per truck. I can't help but to think that any cost savings realized from driving a smaller truck would not even come close to the new loss of productivity you're now faced with. Just pass on the costs; everyone's in the same boat.

One suggestion, concentrate your marketing efforts in a smaller circle around home base. I go whole weeks without having to drive more than 10 miles in any direction from the shop for all my work.
 
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Sparky555

Senior Member
I know you don't want to hear about passing it on to the client, but...

What do you do if fuel is $10/gallon?
12ga is $200/roll?
1/2" EMT is $5/stick?

What can you do but recalculate your costs and charge accordingly? And look at the bright side...if you calculate profit as a percentage, you're making more $$.

Dave
 
tmbrk

tmbrk

Senior Member
Location
Illinois
76nemo said:
$4.09 for regular and $4.95 for diesel here in upstate NY. It's getting sickening. Who's getting rich here?
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Hugo Chavez, the Saudis, Big Oil execs, etc..............

I was already thinking of getting a small truck to pick up materials, go give estimates, etc. Something along the lines of a four cylinder, manual trans. Ford Ranger. I am also going to try to reduce my coverage area like Marc said. Other than that, pass the cost on.
 
chris kennedy

chris kennedy

Senior Member
Location
Miami Fla.
Occupation
60 yr old tool twisting electrician
tmbrk said:
Hugo Chavez, the Saudis, Big Oil execs, etc..............

I was already thinking of getting a small truck to pick up materials, go give estimates, etc. Something along the lines of a four cylinder, manual trans. Ford Ranger. I am also going to try to reduce my coverage area like Marc said. Other than that, pass the cost on.
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I'm getting 22-23 MPG with the 4 cylider deisel Frieghtliner. This is without running the AC but fully loaded. But deisel here is around $4.29. $112.00 to fuel up but I go about 2 weeks on a tank.
 
tmbrk

tmbrk

Senior Member
Location
Illinois
Deisel is as high as $5.29/gal in Chicago. Not as bad by me. Reg. unleaded is around $4.15/gal where I live. I figure at this rate I spend around $600/month in my Econoline.:mad:

I go through about a tank a week.

But summer is officially upon us. Let's see how high it can go.
 
76nemo

76nemo

Senior Member
Location
Ogdensburg, NY
Here I am,.....the guy in the yellow pages here to give an estimate. Can I leave my scooter here maam'?:roll:

Politics have no place here so I'll shut my mouth.

I'll stick a bottle of nitrous on a scooter and cut my travel time in half:grin:
 
Rockyd

Rockyd

Senior Member
Location
Nevada
Occupation
Retired after 40 years as an electrician.
$4.09 for regular and $4.95 for diesel here in upstate NY. It's getting sickening. Who's getting rich here?
Click to expand...

Thank Congress and the greenies.

I'm from Alaska and ANWR would solve a lot of problems. The politicians of both parties have failed the American public miserably to allow the country to slide to this condition.

I hear the DC talking heads yammer on about how it would be only a penny a gallon difference yada, yada. How many have actually done research based on facts, about the north slope? Originally, Prudhoe was supposed to produce about 10 billion barrels and then be done. From 1977 to 2005 more than 13 billion barrels have came down the line! We are currently receiving about 760,000 barrels a day from the slope.

Till America excepts the fact that we need to drill, to fill, we shall continue to get the shaft. Being dependent upon foreign oil is freedom and strength sold out the window.




Check the taxes at the pump, the guv is getting the biggest part of money.
 
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HighWirey

Senior Member
Location
Cocoa, Florida, USA
76nemo said:
$4.09 for regular and $4.95 for diesel here in upstate NY. It's getting sickening. Who's getting rich here?
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Answer: anyone who can.

Last week my physical therapist ordered two finger splints for me. Shipped UPS surface from Illinois to Florida. Package weighed one half pound. $13.45 USD!

Proudly printed on the bottom of the vendor's invoice:

"Regrettably, due to escalating fuel charges from our freight carriers, a fuel charge has been added to applicable orders".

The sad part is both UPS and the vendor added their own fuel surcharge.

We contractors must recover our cost, so go for it men. It just adds to the spiral that we did not initiate.

Best Wishes Everyone
 
B

bobbyho

Senior Member
Location
Central Connecticut
Check out WATERPOWER.wmv. These are the kind of options that we need. Not digging for more oil. I am not about to run out and hug a tree but guess what? We need alternative sources and I won't go into politics but it can't be denied.
 
N

nakulak

Senior Member
Rockyd said:
Thank Congress and the greenies.

I'm from Alaska and ANWR would solve a lot of problems. The politicians of both parties have failed the American public miserably to allow the country to slide to this condition.

I hear the DC talking heads yammer on about how it would be only a penny a gallon difference yada, yada. How many have actually done research based on facts, about the north slope? Originally, Prudhoe was supposed to produce about 10 billion barrels and then be done. From 1977 to 2005 more than 13 billion barrels have came down the line! We are currently receiving about 760,000 barrels a day from the slope.

Till America excepts the fact that we need to drill, to fill, we shall continue to get the shaft. Being dependent upon foreign oil is freedom and strength sold out the window.




Check the taxes at the pump, the guv is getting the biggest part of money.
Click to expand...

sorry, dude, but drilling holes in the ground and pumping the air full of deadly gasses isn't the answer. for the 3 trillion dollars spend lately on bombs we could have working alternatives. the oil companies regularly buy technology that would otherwise hurt their bottom line and shelve it, lets actually evolve instead of just talking about it.
 
cadpoint

cadpoint

Senior Member
Location
Durham, NC
mdshunk said:
I like the one with the ice cream bin.
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Did anyone go to the cut sheets on the Bike's, most are for 215lb max load. I'm sorry I'm already near that weight, where's my tools go...
Well except for the new low riders they can hold more...

I frankly always wanted one of those old style three wheelers, don't ask me why! ? ? Kid wishes I guess ...
:grin:
 
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