Why look for cheap transportation?

Here is a request coming to us today – for 2 horses to be transported from California to Alaska.  This is a very long trip – so in the interest and comfort of the horses and to ensure they get to their destination in good shape – is it really worth looking for transportation that is cheap?

Do these ‘horse people’ know the differences between a stock trailer vs a horse trailer? 

Do these ‘horse people’ really care for a long distance trip or do they?  Or,

Are these ‘horse people’ completely ignorant or just plain cheap?

It is annoying to get requests from people looking for: quote: “whenever is most cost effective” or “cheapest quote please”.  The only time it is usually cost effective is to fill up the trailer with horses, and to also have horses being transported in both directions.  In the case of Alaska – there are more horses being transported from the US and Canada to Alaska than there are coming from Alaska to the US and Canada.

So, most transporters will quote for the trip to Alaska, but they still need to get their trucks and trailers back to the US and/or Canada to continue with business – THEREFORE, you will be charged for this time and expense as well unless there are horses coming back from Alaska.

There are transporters who will present a ‘cheap’ rate to pay their gas to get home again – so much for any business sense!  But if that’s they way they operate – good for them.  Covering expenses for repairs of truck, trailer, insurance, gas, tolls, ferries, etc….it sure all adds up. 

With us running our horse transportation business as a business – even when I winge when we spend approximately $3000 on 6 new tires for the truck  – it has to get done.  Mechanics as they are, and new technology – guess what, they do break down!  A known transporter to us, fortunately still has his new truck under warranty – $10,000 of repairs of which he has to find $1,000 of it out of his own pocket!

So, go figure – cheap ‘horse people’ – do your homework and make sure your budget works if you’re going to invest in horses and have them transported long distance.  Sometimes long distance transportation can cost more than horses themselves.