Just recently, we finished transporting a 2006 Ford F-350 utility bed from Mammoth Lakes, California to Middleton, Idaho at a total distance of 532 miles and costing us $1,775.00, making our cost per mile be $3.34.
This is the highest amount per mile that we have posted on this site before, and there is a reason why it should be explained more than just brushed aside. There are three things that come into play, but the biggest thing is the vehicle itself.
The route
The 532 mile drive between Mammoth Lakes and Middleton will leave the eastern Sierra region and travel through the northern Great Basin region.
Mammoth Lakes is about 7,800 feet above sea level and not too far from US-395, with no interstate access anywhere nearby. The driver will proceed north on US-395 through Bridgeport and the eastern Sierra toward Carson City, NV, through to Reno.
From Reno, the driver takes I-80 east, traveling across the high desert and arriving in Winnemucca. Then the driver switches to US-95, going north through Orovada and crossing into Oregon via the McDermitt border crossing.
The driver takes US-95 through Jordan Valley and across into Idaho at Marsing. Middleton is located northwest of Boise in Canyon County, so the driver finishes on ID-44 or I-84.
Almost all of this route is non-interstate, which is significant for this shipment.
Why a service truck prices differently
This essay talked about pick-up customization and discussed how long full-size SUVs are. The utility-bed one-ton truck presents another challenge altogether, and here the limitation is weight rather than size.
An F-350 is already quite heavy before anything gets added on. It is meant to tow a lot more than a half-ton pick-up truck and is thus constructed accordingly. Before anything gets added on to it, it already weighs a good deal more than our new Sierra 1500 pick-up.
A utility-body add-on adds still more hundreds of pounds. Utility-bodies are made out of steel and include compartments on both sides of the vehicle. They are meant for work rather than being light.
The federal axle limits are really the hard limit. The carrier plans a load in terms of maximum weight limit rather than available length of space. One heavy unit translates into lower number of units on the trailer and the price on the heavy unit should reflect that.
Not all carriers can accept one, either. This truck puts more restrictions on carrier selection than the route itself. There are some service trucks that cannot be accepted by a standard car carrier and have to go via flatbed or hotshot instead, which is a different type of equipment altogether.
Also make sure that you specify the body type of the truck, not only the model. “F-350” and “F-350 with service body” are different loads and if a carrier books the former but picks up the latter then it’s a weight problem.
Why $3.34 per mile
First of all, there are three different aspects that combine into one here, and none of them is unusual by itself.
The first one is the short distance. At only 532 miles this is a short haul, and short hauls always have high per-mile cost. Fixed expenses like pickup and loading, securement and coordination, and delivery are equally costly for a carrier regardless of the distance being 532 miles or 2,600 miles. In this case they make up a significant portion because there is not much distance to spread the cost over, and the total amount of $1,775.00 is what matters for the customer.
Secondly, the vehicle weight as was mentioned before.
Third aspect that needs to be considered is the fact that both origin and destination are rural areas. Mammoth Lakes is a mountain area at elevation level without access to the interstate and reached through US-395. Middleton is a rural town outside Boise. None of them is located on an artery used regularly by the carriers, and a lot of the route between them consists of two-lane US highways without the interstate. There is no way how a truck could go here by coincidence.
All of that combined results in $3.34 per mile.
Open transport
The F-350 moved on an open deck; any other option simply does not make sense for a working truck.
Enclosures exist for those who are worried about a rock chip being something of monetary significance. Twenty-year-old work truck with a steel utility body should be weatherproof, and anyone able to move such a heavy item in an enclosure should charge appropriately for their expertise.
Loading did not require much effort. The truck started running and drove up the ramp on its own power without a worry about the ground clearance. Soft strapping went over tires instead of chains.
Transport summary
- Origin: Mammoth Lakes, CA 93546
- Destination: Middleton, ID 83644
- Distance: 532 miles
- Service cost: $1,775.00
- Cost per mile: $3.34
- Vehicle: 2006 Ford F-350 with utility bed
- Condition: Operable
- Trailer type: Open
- Route: Mammoth Lakes, CA → US-395 north through Bridgeport and Carson City → Reno, NV → I-80 east to Winnemucca → US-95 north through McDermitt into Oregon → Jordan Valley → Marsing, ID → ID-44 / I-84 → Middleton, ID
