Guys who sell firewood for a living, I have a question...

I sell around 125 cords most years but did 180 last year. I do almost all deliveries and it’s almost all on weekends from September till early November. An average weekend is about 20-25 cords out the door. My price included delivery within 10 miles and that covers most of them. After 10 miles I add on anywhere from $10-$40 depending on how far and I won’t go over 20 miles. Customers looking to pick up, I knock $20 off the price of the cord. With so many cords going out I have a small window for pick up people and they usually aren’t reliable time wise. If I tell them to meet between 8:30-9 and my dump truck is loaded I pull out at 9:01 and they can wait if they feel like it. Those weekends see me losing and hauling from 7am till roughly 3-5 pm. I’m not sitting around waiting for anyone.

 

Farmer Steve, I have several customers who have bought from me since the first year I started selling and this is the clientele I am going to target. That’s awesome that you have been selling tot the same people for so long! Firewood for me is a side hustle that feeds the hobbies more or less. If I could get to where I have the same 6 or 7 people buying their firewood to heat their homes each year, that would be totally awesome! I really like your firewood tote idea. Seems like it would be good eye appeal on a busy road like the one your on. Might be another Avenue I need to look into. Thanks for the tips

 

Most firewood here in northern/downeast Maine is sold CSD or log length.Simple for sellers.
It's one price for green usually late winter/spring, not so often "seasoned" in summer fall.
Doesn't make much sense to sell fractions of cords, or have the unknowns come by your place. Too risky.
Unless like some who sell those supermarket bundles or "campfire wood" for tourists.

 

My bins are 1/4 cords. That fits in the smaller sized beds of today's short bed trucks and helps people that might be living paycheck to paycheck. If I deliver it's $200 cord. (less than 10 miles) Bins are $60 so I make an extra $40 a cord and no wear and tear on the truck. If I was off the beaten track I might worry more about who came to get wood. Besides the wife is a good shot. The only price break is if someone wanted a load of unsplit wood.Takes me the same time and money to cut and split green as it does dry.

 

Thx Steve. Shows how different regional markets are.
$200. a cord is cheap if you can make it work.
P.S. This wife will not use the Glock.

 

Mine prefers the 12ga. 00 buck. She says she doesn't miss with that.

 

So how do you know how much you are putting in the dump? Stacked and measured is way different than throwing it in.

 

The only time I stack in the dump trailer is when I have a big pile of wood that isn't stacked. Then I stack in the trailer to make sure I get a full cord. Anything that is stacked in the yard already just gets thrown into the trailer for delivery.

 

This is only my second year, but I charge $50 delivery within 15 miles. I have been only selling cords, but if someone wanted a face cord, I would charge the same.

 

Frank I kinda do the same thing. I split right into my bucket. Thrown not stacked. I split until it's falling off the bucket. I have filled buckets and know 2 buckets will fill 1 of my bins. 1/4 cord. 4 buckets fills a 1/2 cord rack. When I am delivering a 1/2 cord and I'm taking off a loose pile I know 4 buckets is what I need dumped in the truck.

 

Good method! You only move one cord at a time this way though?

 

It was a measured amount I tossed in when I marked. Did it twice to confirm and have never looked back. Have loaded over 1,000 cords this way. Have had two complaints which I went back and made good on. That little time is way less than having to have stacked those 1,000+ cords.

 

My truck will hold two cords. I measured the second cord as well and it equals a full truck with the back row stacked. I don’t have any gates on the back.

 

I have been told that because I advertise and deliver that the wood will be “stacked in my trailer for cord volume verification” that this is why they chose my listing and wood over others on the internet. Good quality pictures have hooked buyers. Return business affirms this. People offer stories of disappointments with light loads in their experiences. Nothing seems to irritate a buyer more than having finished stacking their delivery, the seller is long gone and the volume comes up a few wheelbarrow short.