Lets do somthing about gas prices

[proenterprises]

Originally Posted by GrassBustersLawn

Business wise, I'm trying to REDUCE my RADIUS of OPERATION this year. Which will reduce my truck mileage & vehicle gas consumption. I have weeded out some of my "outlying" customers & have INCREASED ADVERTISING in my core areas. Increasing DENSITY of customers.

How could we AS AN INDUSTRY MAKE A DIFFERENCE??? Instead of us all driving all over like we do (how many times have you been at a stop light and seen 2 or 3 other LCO's? I have a BUNCH) we should band together (gentlemen's agreement, etc.) and make "HOME TERRITORIES". XYZ company handles all the business in this square mile (or 2 miles or 10 miles), ABC company handles all the business in the next area and so on. That way we would ALL PROFIT. Less traveling and higher customer density = better profit WITHOUT increasing price to customer!

(and don't anyone come back with "monopoly" or collusion defense!)


Mike

This is a good plan. If everyone took on this approach, and presuming that is was a sucess, prices really wouldnt have to be raised (due to the increased cost of fuel that is).

If the core of clients was much more dense, that the fuel hike would have much less of a negative effect, less travel time. Anyone else doing this?

[iluvbermuda]

Not wanting to start a political war, but in my humble opinion our biggest problem regarding gas prices is Mr. Bush.

[Littleriver1]

Originally Posted by iluvbermuda

Not wanting to start a political war, but in my humble opinion our biggest problem regarding gas prices is Mr. Bush.

That's too funny. Please stop! My sides hurt! A bird craped on my truck today and I think it was W's problem. You got to stop saying that.

[Precision]

Originally Posted by riches139

Something I don't understand.

When gas prices go up, the economy suffers, and the stock market drops.
When the market drops so does the value of the oil companies stock.

So, they make increased proffits on the increased price of fuel, but they loose money on the value of their company.

Am i making any sense?

The stock market goes down as a whole when oil prices go up. BUT Oil company stocks go up. go to yahoo and pull up a graph for BP Amoco.

[Precision]

Originally Posted by Trevors Lawn Care

What was proposed is trying to make an Inelastic good (gasoline) elastic. It simply can not be done. The oil companies could surge the prices to $10 bucks a gallon and you would pay it. An inelastic good means that the demand will stay relatively unchanged in comparison to the price of the good. Trevor

Thank you for saying that so I didn't have to. There is little that can be done about the price of fuel (by the consumer).

Originally Posted by Trevors Lawn Care

Finally Congress signed the ANWR Drilling Bill. I knew they built that Alaskan Pipeline for something. Hopefully in the next couple of years, Alaska will be producing a majority of this countries oil, which will result in us becoming less dependant on the Middle Easter countries. Trevor

Unfortunately, the Alaskan pipeline is showing its age and may have to be completely replaced in the next 5-10 years. And that cost will be passed on to us.

Originally Posted by Trevors Lawn Care

As stated in earlier posts, tighten routes and charge accordingly and you will be fine. If paying $2.50 for gas is enough to make that big of a difference in your bottom line, you arnt charging enough.

Trevor

You got that right. What does the change in price from $1.75 to $2.25 per gallon really cost the solo guy. Truck 40 gallons per week, Stick tools 5 gallons per week, Mowers 10 gallons per week. So 55 gallons per week ( and I know that is high for most solo ops) at $.50 extra per gallon. So we are talking $27.50 weekly or $110 per month. Or One yard.

[PMLAWN]

Originally Posted by caz1

ok can some one tell me when i said that the gas price was going to make me go broke Itell you who it will make go broke though the truckers and you can't tell me differnt because my maine job is involed in the trucking indus and i here from them all the time if fuel prices don't go done they will have shut down they have no say in what they get paid the rates have not changed in years so there for they needed a price increase however the stores tell them how much there going to get paid so if there is an increase everything is going to go up in price

It called a fuel surcharge. Its on every bill sent to shipper. And a store can only say how much they will pay till the trucks will no longer ship and than the stores will have nothing to sell. Supply and demand works both ways.
Prices increasing is called inflation. It is not a bad thing. It is prosperity. The opposite is depression.
But than again we are talking with a bunch of LCOs that fight to lower wages all the time.

[lawnandplow42]

Originally Posted by Littleriver1

That's too funny. Please stop! My sides hurt! A bird craped on my truck today and I think it was W's problem. You got to stop saying that.

poor bush, everyone will blame him for anything

[afftandem]

Its goin to take more than a post on lawnsite to organize what you want to do. Besides, if we did what you are suggesting then we'd all be better off, whether gas is 2.30 or $1.25. ......spending more time with our familes, organize our homes, etc..

In a way, we are better off with the high payment.... this will encourage us to look for alternative fuels sources other than overseas oil.. cleaner air and less of the american dollar goin to these countries... if you think we'd have an interest in Iraq if it wasnt for the oil, youre sorely mistaking.. theres plenty of countries with a "saddam hussein".. theyre just not sitting on any resources. (follow the dollar).... so I have a hard time seeing a "support the troops" sticker on a gas guzzelling suv.

Although, for those of us who are in a greater need for gas,(more dependent upon it) i.e. lawnservices, trucking co's, shipping, pizza delivery, etc.. should be given a greater break in a write off, or some other means.

[bugspit]

you guys with the mindset that we went to war for oil have been sucking on some liberal tit.

the USA imports more oil from Canada, Mexico, and Venezuela that we do from the middle east.

now, if you truly believe Bush is behind this increase in oil prices, lets see your proof.
junk from the democratic underground is not proof, BTW.

[nickslawn]

Did you think about if you don't buy gas then you will the 18-19, we gotta have it or were not in business. thats unless you wanna use a reel mower, but thats not for me.