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Thread: Furthest distance travelled

  1. #1
    Senior Member BeetleJuice's Avatar
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    Default Furthest distance travelled

    What's the furthest distance you travel from home in a day
    I had 5kls which is 5kls north and 5kls south and recently wanted more work being quiet this time of year and extended it to 10kls in my advertising.
    Just trying to get a understanding if that is a average distance for other contractors

  2. #2
    Senior Member geoff's Avatar
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    Default Re: Furthest distance travelled

    Maybe the question should be " how long does it take to get to your jobs "rather than how far . Recently we made a lifestyle decision to move away from my 1 to 2 km round , popping in to home with morning tea lunch and afternoon tea plus all the pit stops one needs ,to a journey of 30km away from my round...This can take a leisurely 25 mins to a horrendous 45 min plus trip , not to mention a car accident on the way home will be more than a two can journey lol.
    Down here in Melbourne there are 100k more cars each year poured onto the roads with little effort to build the right infrastructure . Years ago peak was simple finished at 9 am and stated at 5 pm , now peak hour is peak day all day , even weekends are now like peak..

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    Senior Member djkgrounds's Avatar
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    Default Re: Furthest distance travelled

    I travel 25km to go to one of my regulars. He has been loyal to my business for about 3yrs now, and I help manage his 25 acre property. we have set up about 800sqm of landscaping and now in the process of setting up a very large vege garden with automated irrigation for him. Well worth the travel, and it is pretty much regular fortnightly work.
    DJK Grounds & Gardens
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  4. #4

    Default Re: Furthest distance travelled

    Quote Originally Posted by geoff View Post
    Maybe the question should be " how long does it take to get to your jobs "rather than how far . Recently we made a lifestyle decision to move away from my 1 to 2 km round , popping in to home with morning tea lunch and afternoon tea plus all the pit stops one needs ,to a journey of 30km away from my round...This can take a leisurely 25 mins to a horrendous 45 min plus trip , not to mention a car accident on the way home will be more than a two can journey lol.
    Down here in Melbourne there are 100k more cars each year poured onto the roads with little effort to build the right infrastructure . Years ago peak was simple finished at 9 am and stated at 5 pm , now peak hour is peak day all day , even weekends are now like peak..
    Yes how long, not how far!!

    1 minor accident in peak hr on major arterials ( 6am -10am) and the rubber necks can cost you another 15mins.
    Only need a major crash and it's a "free for all " on the side streets or back roads

  5. #5
    Member Redeye's Avatar
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    Default Re: Furthest distance travelled

    I have a weekly 5hr job, 20 mins each way (she makes me lunch etc) otherwise all within 2 mins of home....l'm in a little village




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  6. #6
    Senior Member steveo's Avatar
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    Default Re: Furthest distance travelled

    Bout 15-20klms for casuals but that's not much more than a 15 minute drive.
    For regulars I try to keep as close as possible.

  7. #7
    Senior Member Scooby Steve's Avatar
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    Default Re: Furthest distance travelled

    I've always tried to get jobs within 10 mins from home, 5 mins is even better. You waste too much time in traffic in Melbourne. Peak hour use to be between 7.30 and 9am and between 4 and 6 at night now its heavy all the time. Add to that all these units and high rises that are going up in established suburbs and its only going to get worse. Have you seen whats coming? So many high rises are planned. Its going to be a lot worse in 5 years time. If you are doing something like a school or commercial stuff where the hours spent working and the money you are getting make it worth i understand travelling but for ressies why bother. That hour you loose every day sitting in traffic have you ever calculated what that costs you in profits over the course of the year......wow.

  8. #8
    Senior Member steveo's Avatar
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    Default Re: Furthest distance travelled

    Quote Originally Posted by Scooby Steve View Post
    I've always tried to get jobs within 10 mins from home, 5 mins is even better. You waste too much time in traffic in Melbourne. Peak hour use to be between 7.30 and 9am and between 4 and 6 at night now its heavy all the time. Add to that all these units and high rises that are going up in established suburbs and its only going to get worse. Have you seen whats coming? So many high rises are planned. Its going to be a lot worse in 5 years time. If you are doing something like a school or commercial stuff where the hours spent working and the money you are getting make it worth i understand travelling but for ressies why bother. That hour you loose every day sitting in traffic have you ever calculated what that costs you in profits over the course of the year......wow.

    They call it urban infill and sell it to us like its good for the environment and most people believe it. Shonky housing, shonky planning, shonky deals left right and centre. Buyer beware with some of these buildings, lot of cheap steel and glass getting round.

  9. #9
    Senior Member holdenhead's Avatar
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    Default Re: Furthest distance travelled

    Currently I travel 100km or more for some jobs
    Bigger sites obviously.
    I have quoted a few jobs down in Geelong. (I'm in Cranbourne) For the right job I'll travel just about anywhere.

  10. #10
    Senior Member Scooby Steve's Avatar
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    Default Re: Furthest distance travelled

    Quote Originally Posted by holdenhead View Post
    Currently I travel 100km or more for some jobs
    Bigger sites obviously.
    I have quoted a few jobs down in Geelong. (I'm in Cranbourne) For the right job I'll travel just about anywhere.
    Crazy mate. You must have found a niche in the market offering things others don't or other wise the dollars wouldn't be enough to justify that kind of travel.

  11. #11
    Senior Member holdenhead's Avatar
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    Default Re: Furthest distance travelled

    Quote Originally Posted by Scooby Steve View Post
    Crazy mate. You must have found a niche in the market offering things others don't or other wise the dollars wouldn't be enough to justify that kind of travel.
    Nah just the normal mowing etc. We will do any works they need though. We have just completed a couple of concreting jobs, cleaning up a wetlands, building a retaining wall and in the school holidays theres plenty of playgrounds to rotary hoe and top up with softfall. Last school holidays we did 240m3 soft fall. We have worked on specialising in the education sector although for a while I was mowing 30-40 Yarra valley water sites between lilydale and warburton and out to Ringwood, Box hill etc. At the start of the year I got a call to mow a housing estate in Greenvale which consisted of mowing and whipper snipping 500 nature strips and mowing about 50-60 house blocks which kept us busy for a while. This larger type work comes from a large mowing company that needs help from time to time so they call me because I always say yes ha ha! my biggest issue not being able to say no!
    We have been doing the grounds and gardens at other sites for them on and off for about 4-5 years. Only down side to working for these bigger companies is the time they take to pay

    Just about to get into the crazy season. So far 36ha of broadleaf spraying! and 13 football ovals to fertilise and vertidrain in the next holidays and an oval rebuild to do in November. So theres plenty of work around if your willing to travel

    My full timer lives in Hurstbridge so we just go wherever we need to. We can mow 2-3 schools in a day though and be finished in a reasonable time.

    Finding it difficult to find another worker at the moment. If anyone knows of someone looking for work let me know. Preferably northern suburbs.

    Cheers Rick

  12. #12

    Default Re: Furthest distance travelled

    [QUOTE=holdenhead;153079]Nah just the normal mowing etc. We will do any works they need though. We have just completed a couple of concreting jobs, cleaning up a wetlands, building a retaining wall and in the school holidays theres plenty of playgrounds to rotary hoe and top up with softfall. Last school holidays we did 240m3 soft fall. We have worked on specialising in the education sector although for a while I was mowing 30-40 Yarra valley water sites between lilydale and warburton and out to Ringwood, Box hill etc. At the start of the year I got a call to mow a housing estate in Greenvale which consisted of mowing and whipper snipping 500 nature strips and mowing about 50-60 house blocks which kept us busy for a while. This larger type work comes from a large mowing company that needs help from time to time so they call me because I always say yes ha ha! my biggest issue not being able to say no!
    We have been doing the grounds and gardens at other sites for them on and off for about 4-5 years. Only down side to working for these bigger companies is the time they take to pay

    Just about to get into the crazy season. So far 36ha of broadleaf spraying! and 13 football ovals to fertilise and vertidrain in the next holidays and an oval rebuild to do in November. So theres plenty of work around if your willing to travel

    My full timer lives in Hurstbridge so we just go wherever we need to. We can mow 2-3 schools in a day though and be finished in a reasonable time.

    Finding it difficult to find another worker at the moment. If anyone knows of someone looking for work let me know. Preferably northern suburbs.

    Cheers

    Many employees around.
    Not so many that want to the work bit though!!!

  13. #13
    Senior Member Bluey's Avatar
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    Default Re: Furthest distance travelled

    Quote Originally Posted by steveo View Post
    They call it urban infill and sell it to us like its good for the environment and most people believe it. Shonky housing, shonky planning, shonky deals left right and centre. Buyer beware with some of these buildings, lot of cheap steel and glass getting round.
    Its not all that bad mate. Agree shonky housing but they only have small lawn areas and no room for sheds etc. People dont have mowers and we get the job. Quick easy jobs with multiples in same area. I target this type of work. The biggest problem I have is fitting a mower down the side when they shove a air con or tank in the road
    Cheers

    Bluey
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