Season by the numbers

[jrider]

As many of you know in here, not only do I burn but I also sell as much as I can produce. This past year, for the first time ever, I kept track of all money in and out as well as total wood delivered and miles driven. So here is the season by numbers:
115 cords delivered
7 weekends out of 8 spent delivering
1,550 miles put on my dump truck delivering
61% of all money taken in was profit

In the off season I bought a newer faster splitter with a 6 way wedge and log lift. I also hired out a little more help splitting than in previous years and spent more time with my family. I'm planning on keeping track again this year and I believe it will be more profitable as I hope to spend less on purchasing wood than last season. And because I know you all love pictures so much here is a before and after of one of my piles of splits.

 

[cantoo]

jrider, do you get much mud on your splits that are in contact with the ground. My splits fall off my conveyor into a big pile but I always have lots of mud stuck to the bottom pieces. I have a pile of chipper mulch and was thinking that I might spread it on the grass first to try to reduce the mud sticking. I hand load onto a conveyor and leave the muddy splits behind but it's a tripping hazard. I burn the muddy stuff in my owb. I used to drop it onto wood skids but that was even worse on the ankles.

 

[Big Briggs 37]

View attachment 686030 View attachment 686031 View attachment 686030 As many of you know in here, not only do I burn but I also sell as much as I can produce. This past year, for the first time ever, I kept track of all money in and out as well as total wood delivered and miles driven. So here is the season by numbers:
115 cords delivered
7 weekends out of 8 spent delivering
1,550 miles put on my dump truck delivering
61% of all money taken in was profit

In the off season I bought a newer faster splitter with a 6 way wedge and log lift. I also hired out a little more help splitting than in previous years and spent more time with my family. I'm planning on keeping track again this year and I believe it will be more profitable as I hope to spend less on purchasing wood than last season. And because I know you all love pictures so much here is a before and after of one of my piles of splits.

Do those numbers include paying yourself? Are most/all of your sales dump by the cord residential?

 

[jrider]

jrider, do you get much mud on your splits that are in contact with the ground. My splits fall off my conveyor into a big pile but I always have lots of mud stuck to the bottom pieces. I have a pile of chipper mulch and was thinking that I might spread it on the grass first to try to reduce the mud sticking. I hand load onto a conveyor and leave the muddy splits behind but it's a tripping hazard. I burn the muddy stuff in my owb. I used to drop it onto wood skids but that was even worse on the ankles.

We have relatively sandy soil that drains well. Plus I keep a layer of bark and splitter scraps on the ground that help a lot.

 

[jrider]

Do those numbers include paying yourself? Are most/all of your sales dump by the cord residential?

No, I'm not an official business on the books so that 61% is what goes in my safe as cash. And I dumped all but just a few cords. Those few got stacked and the sad part is I can make more $ per hour stacking than cutting/splitting.

 

[Ryan'smilling]

Out of curiosity, how do you define "profit"? Are you subtracting your actual expenses, or also including wear and tear/depreciation? Also, I assume you aren't paying yourself an hourly wage before the profit number.

 

[jrider]

I have no formula to account for depreciation of my limited equipment but I do subtract any fees for maintenance or new purchases into my figures.

 

[jrider]

I have no formula to account for depreciation of my limited equipment but I do subtract any fees for maintenance or new purchases into my figures.

 

[jrider]

I have no formula to account for depreciation of my limited equipment but I do subtract any fees for maintenance or new purchases into my figures.

 

[jrider]

I have no formula to account for depreciation of my limited equipment but I do subtract any fees for maintenance or new purchases into my figures.