How much would you charge for this?

[TechnoPro]

Like the title says, I have been asked to drive a car from Boston to Boca Raton.

Not my typical career choice, but I have always wanted to drive cross-country and/or along the coast. The car is a recent model Lexus something 300.

Based on a 3 day, 2 night trek (which is an assumption, not set in stone), here are my ballpark figures for costs so far.

2 Nights Hotel @ $75 - $100 per night = $150 - $200

Meals/Drinks/Snacks @ $35 per day = $105

Plane Ticket FL -> MA = $200 - $300

--------------------------------------------------------------

So my total costs would top around $600. Anything beyond that is profit. Figures may seem high, but I like to calculate worst-case scenario and work around that...

These people were quoted $1,200 or so for a professional car mover.

I was thinking of quoting them $900 and working hard to minimize my expenses.

Please, chime in on this. Anyone done this? Is it worth it as far as the "chore" of driving. I do enjoy highway driving and presumably the ride in a Lexus will be comfortable.

 

[Tremulant]

Shouldn't be too bad. We've driven from here to NY in about ~22 hours. Boca is like 30 minutes north of me.

I'm guessing you won't be doing the driving all in one shot though. Oh, and hotels get cheaper (and rooms become larger) the further away from NYC you get. Last summer we went on a trip to NY, stopped in NC overnight, it was like $40/night. Next stop was Cooperstown in NY, that was $70/night. Final stop was Queens, NY.. $150/night. Also passed by a hotel in NYC that was about $200/night. Oh, and the rooms became progressively smaller, especially the toilets. I'm not sure about hotel room prices down here, but I don't know if $300 is worth driving in a car for 20+ hours.

 

[mugs]

You're figures come up to $605, not including your "profit." There are companies that will ship it there for less. And you won't lose 3 days of your life.

Example: Text
$610 terminal to terminal (Burlington, MA to Boca Raton)
$810 door to door (they pick your car up and drop it off)

 

[imported_judge]

would charge $800-900. Would charge higher if i knew weather would be bad

 

[95SS]

Have you figured your fuel costs in? That could easily be another $100-$125.

 

[TechnoPro]

Originally posted by: mugs
You're figures come up to $605, not including your "profit." There are companies that will ship it there for less. And you won't lose 3 days of your life.

Like I wrote, the people involved have done their research and believe the service to cost $1,200. It's of no consequence to me what lesser sums others will do it for.

 

[MDE]

I wouldn't do it for less than $1000.

 

[TechnoPro]

Originally posted by: 95SS
Have you figured your fuel costs in? That could easily be another $100-$125.

I haven't yet decided if I should include gas in my price, or add on actual expenses... I need to know what bloody car this is, then I can do some math.

 

[imported_judge]

Originally posted by: TechnoPro

Originally posted by: 95SS
Have you figured your fuel costs in? That could easily be another $100-$125.

I haven't yet decided if I should include gas in my price, or add on actual expenses... I need to know what bloody car this is, then I can do some math.

how are u getting back home?

 

[mugs]

Originally posted by: TechnoPro

Originally posted by: mugs
You're figures come up to $605, not including your "profit." There are companies that will ship it there for less. And you won't lose 3 days of your life.

Like I wrote, the people involved have done their research and believe the service to cost $1,200. It's of no consequence to me what lesser sums others will do it for.

In that case, $900 is probably reasonable

 

[TechnoPro]

Originally posted by: judge

Originally posted by: TechnoPro

Originally posted by: 95SS
Have you figured your fuel costs in? That could easily be another $100-$125.

I haven't yet decided if I should include gas in my price, or add on actual expenses... I need to know what bloody car this is, then I can do some math.

how are u getting back home?

Walking... Need to lose some weight.

 

[imported_judge]

Originally posted by: TechnoPro

Originally posted by: judge

Originally posted by: TechnoPro

Originally posted by: 95SS
Have you figured your fuel costs in? That could easily be another $100-$125.

I haven't yet decided if I should include gas in my price, or add on actual expenses... I need to know what bloody car this is, then I can do some math.

how are u getting back home?

Walking... Need to lose some weight.

blind me

 

[AgaBoogaBoo]

priceline.com or something and find some decent red roof inn type place, they're cheap and clean with a TV.

 

[TechnoPro]

Originally posted by: AgaBooga
priceline.com or something and find some decent red roof inn type place, they're cheap and clean with a TV.

Yes, Priceline will come in handy on this one. I just need to calculate distances and times fairly accurately.

 

[preslove]

You can do it in two days, easy. Your hotel room $ is about double what you will spend if you use coupons for a interstate motel. I would say, not including gas, you will spend around $450. Of course, if you took another day, you could go back roads, which would be more fun.

 

[CTrain]

Originally posted by: TechnoPro
Like the title says, I have been asked to drive a car from Boston to Boca Raton.

Not my typical career choice, but I have always wanted to drive cross-country and/or along the coast. The car is a recent model Lexus something 300.

Based on a 3 day, 2 night trek (which is an assumption, not set in stone), here are my ballpark figures for costs so far.

2 Nights Hotel @ $75 - $100 per night = $150 - $200

Meals/Drinks/Snacks @ $35 per day = $105

Plane Ticket FL -> MA = $200 - $300

--------------------------------------------------------------

So my total costs would top around $600. Anything beyond that is profit. Figures may seem high, but I like to calculate worst-case scenario and work around that...

These people were quoted $1,200 or so for a professional car mover.

I was thinking of quoting them $900 and working hard to minimize my expenses.

Please, chime in on this. Anyone done this? Is it worth it as far as the "chore" of driving. I do enjoy highway driving and presumably the ride in a Lexus will be comfortable.

If you can get $900, I would definately do it.
I know you figure the cost on worst case scenario but you over estimated the cost by alot.

If you leave early in the day, you'll only have to spend 1 night in a motel.
I would look it this way:

1 night in a motel 6/8 = $40
2 days of food $20x2 = $40 ($20 get you 3 meals at any fast food joint)
1 plain ticket from Fort to Boston = $60 (look up orbitz. I did one for Oct 18) NON-STOP too.
Gas 3 tanks at most = $60

So if you don't figure this as a road trip, it'll cost you around ~$200. More if you decides to take your time. 2 days is plenty to get from Boston to Miami even if you pit stop alot.

If you want to make this trip fun, I suggest you get to Miami, then rent a car for a couple of days and enjoy the Miami area. Its alot better than any place from Boston to Miami(NY excluded of course). Atlanta might be the only place worthwhile stopping.

Boston to Miami = ~1500 miles. Thats 750miles per day. Very easily attainable.

 

[Sundog]

3 days and 2 night, to do what??? 1500 miles???

pffttt.....I did that last Friday-Saturday alone, pretty much non-stop. That is roughly 24 hours of driving. If you want to maximize profit get a case of Mtn Dew, beef Jerkey and drive straight through.

 

[CTrain]

Originally posted by: Sundog
3 days and 2 night, to do what??? 1500 miles???

pffttt.....I did that last Friday-Saturday alone, pretty much non-stop. That is roughly 24 hours of driving. If you want to maximize profit get a case of Mtn Dew, beef Jerkey and drive straight through.

Now thats what I like to hear. Good ole Mountain Dew.

 

[CTrain]

Another question.....Why isn't the car owner just have the car shipped ??
It'll cost like $700 and the car won't have to go through 1500 miles of driving either.
No offense to you but how does the owner know you won't run the hell out of that car???

 

[GagHalfrunt]

Originally posted by: Sundog
3 days and 2 night, to do what??? 1500 miles???

pffttt.....I did that last Friday-Saturday alone, pretty much non-stop. That is roughly 24 hours of driving. If you want to maximize profit get a case of Mtn Dew, beef Jerkey and drive straight through.

That's a little ambitious. 24 hours of driving is just asking for trouble no matter how wired you are on the Dew. It can be done pretty easily with 1 nights rest in between and 2 days of 12 hours driving each. Drive 3, stop for a meal, drive 3, stop for a meal, etc. Figure:

1 night in a motel - $50
2 days of food at $25 each - $50
1500 miles gas at $2 gallon and 25 MPG - $120
Plane ticket back - $100 tops.

Even allowing for errors and slight overcosts you can do it for $350 easily. Quote $800 and you can make $450 for 2 days work. Not a bad deal. If you really skimp on the meals, fly standby and sleep at a $30 a night fleabag you can probably come in under $250 on expenses and make $550.

 

[nycxandy]

How about tolls?

 

[GagHalfrunt]

Originally posted by: nycxandy
How about tolls?

Tolls are surprisingly low. I have not made the drive in a while, but you can make it Boston through New Jersey with only something like five bucks in tolls and it's not much the rest of the way.

 

[TechnoPro]

Originally posted by: CTrain

Originally posted by: TechnoPro
Like the title says, I have been asked to drive a car from Boston to Boca Raton.

Not my typical career choice, but I have always wanted to drive cross-country and/or along the coast. The car is a recent model Lexus something 300.

Based on a 3 day, 2 night trek (which is an assumption, not set in stone), here are my ballpark figures for costs so far.

2 Nights Hotel @ $75 - $100 per night = $150 - $200

Meals/Drinks/Snacks @ $35 per day = $105

Plane Ticket FL -> MA = $200 - $300

--------------------------------------------------------------

So my total costs would top around $600. Anything beyond that is profit. Figures may seem high, but I like to calculate worst-case scenario and work around that...

These people were quoted $1,200 or so for a professional car mover.

I was thinking of quoting them $900 and working hard to minimize my expenses.

Please, chime in on this. Anyone done this? Is it worth it as far as the "chore" of driving. I do enjoy highway driving and presumably the ride in a Lexus will be comfortable.

If you can get $900, I would definately do it.
I know you figure the cost on worst case scenario but you over estimated the cost by alot.

If you leave early in the day, you'll only have to spend 1 night in a motel.
I would look it this way:

1 night in a motel 6/8 = $40
2 days of food $20x2 = $40 ($20 get you 3 meals at any fast food joint)
1 plain ticket from Fort to Boston = $60 (look up orbitz. I did one for Oct 18) NON-STOP too.
Gas 3 tanks at most = $60

So if you don't figure this as a road trip, it'll cost you around ~$200. More if you decides to take your time. 2 days is plenty to get from Boston to Miami even if you pit stop alot.

If you want to make this trip fun, I suggest you get to Miami, then rent a car for a couple of days and enjoy the Miami area. Its alot better than any place from Boston to Miami(NY excluded of course). Atlanta might be the only place worthwhile stopping.

Boston to Miami = ~1500 miles. Thats 750miles per day. Very easily attainable.

Good feedback, thank you. I took figures from past business trips and then shaved off a percentage, but if I'm in it to make a quick buck, I do not need to stay at any business class hotel nor be concerned with good food for 2 days.

As for the Miami bit, I spend about a month there per year as it is - great place, although my favorite activity is to hit the beach. My tan from this summer is regretfully all gone.

 

[CTrain]

Originally posted by: nycxandy
How about tolls?

Just use I-95. No tolls.
I under estimated gas by a bit.
Since its all highway driving and its a Toyota/Lexus.....give it 30MPG so gas will be $100.

 

[TechnoPro]

Originally posted by: CTrain
Another question.....Why isn't the car owner just have the car shipped ??
It'll cost like $700 and the car won't have to go through 1500 miles of driving either.
No offense to you but how does the owner know you won't run the hell out of that car???

No offense taken. They have about the same assurances that I won't beat up the car as they do from a "real" company - i.e. none. They trust me personally as I have worked for them as a consultant for several years. And this personal relationship is why they would offer this repsonsibility in the first place.

As for the cost issue, their research leads them to believe that it will cost $1,200 to get the car down there. Hence this is what they believe it will cost, so my target offer of $900 saves them 25% based on their perceptions.