Edit to add: I can also transport poultry equipment, like orders from Rogier Poultry Supplies.
I want to start a transport business. As a transporter, I would basically transport birds and/or small animals for breeders and buyers. A lot of people prefer transporters over shipping for a few reasons: better care during the trip, frequent real-time updates, safer, etc. There are already so many established and well-known transporters in the US. That's where I get a little discouraged.
I really want to start my own business, but there are already so many trusted transporters out there. They have big enclosed trailers with all kinds of fancy cages and air conditioning. I want to reach that level, but so far no one has been interested. I have one person who needs transport from Iowa City back down to Kentucky. I have delivered to him before, but it was only a few hours. I want to do this trip for him, but I told him I need at least two more people to need transport. I've posted pretty much everywhere, so now I just sit and wait.
I had a lady I met at a show say that she would use me if I can find two Heritage Rhode Island Red hens. So now I'm looking for her. She uses another transporter too, so she's given me some tips. One of those tips is that a lot of the transporters "shop" on behalf of their clients. Basically, they find birds for the buyer. I understand that, but to me I feel like that should be a seperate fee? Maybe that's just me. But I guess they include that in their transport costs because if they don't find the bird for the client, they don't get a transport sale.
Another problem I'm having is figuring out how much to charge. From what people have told me, transporters charge per "hole". "Hole" means cage. Some transporters require two hole minimum. You can put two or three bantams, depending on size, in one cage. Large fowl or standard size birds are one hole. Then I was thinking, once I get a trailer, I can make the inside part that's curved a fenced in area for large birds like geese. Anyway, back to what I was spewing about. I'm not sure what to charge. For my Iowa trip, it would cost me just under $500. That's gas, food for me, two nights of hotels, and feed for birds. I would like to make a profit, for my time and to pay for vehicle maintenance. So possibly double my cost? $1000 for transport total. I would need to know how much to charge per hole. Size is a factor too. Bigger birds take up more room which means less room for more birds. But some people may be closer on my route, should they pay less?
It's a hot mess in my mind right now. I just want to help people get the birds they want. I don't want to get rich. I just want to give people an opportunity to get the birds of their dreams that they otherwise couldn't get. Any tips or advice would be greatly appreciated. I don't want to ask people who are transporters because I'm afraid they'll ignore me or worse because I could be seen as taking thier business.
I want to start a transport business. As a transporter, I would basically transport birds and/or small animals for breeders and buyers. A lot of people prefer transporters over shipping for a few reasons: better care during the trip, frequent real-time updates, safer, etc. There are already so many established and well-known transporters in the US. That's where I get a little discouraged.
I really want to start my own business, but there are already so many trusted transporters out there. They have big enclosed trailers with all kinds of fancy cages and air conditioning. I want to reach that level, but so far no one has been interested. I have one person who needs transport from Iowa City back down to Kentucky. I have delivered to him before, but it was only a few hours. I want to do this trip for him, but I told him I need at least two more people to need transport. I've posted pretty much everywhere, so now I just sit and wait.
I had a lady I met at a show say that she would use me if I can find two Heritage Rhode Island Red hens. So now I'm looking for her. She uses another transporter too, so she's given me some tips. One of those tips is that a lot of the transporters "shop" on behalf of their clients. Basically, they find birds for the buyer. I understand that, but to me I feel like that should be a seperate fee? Maybe that's just me. But I guess they include that in their transport costs because if they don't find the bird for the client, they don't get a transport sale.
Another problem I'm having is figuring out how much to charge. From what people have told me, transporters charge per "hole". "Hole" means cage. Some transporters require two hole minimum. You can put two or three bantams, depending on size, in one cage. Large fowl or standard size birds are one hole. Then I was thinking, once I get a trailer, I can make the inside part that's curved a fenced in area for large birds like geese. Anyway, back to what I was spewing about. I'm not sure what to charge. For my Iowa trip, it would cost me just under $500. That's gas, food for me, two nights of hotels, and feed for birds. I would like to make a profit, for my time and to pay for vehicle maintenance. So possibly double my cost? $1000 for transport total. I would need to know how much to charge per hole. Size is a factor too. Bigger birds take up more room which means less room for more birds. But some people may be closer on my route, should they pay less?
It's a hot mess in my mind right now. I just want to help people get the birds they want. I don't want to get rich. I just want to give people an opportunity to get the birds of their dreams that they otherwise couldn't get. Any tips or advice would be greatly appreciated. I don't want to ask people who are transporters because I'm afraid they'll ignore me or worse because I could be seen as taking thier business.
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