# How much to pay a ""Sub""



## J.R. Services (Aug 15, 2009)

I was wondering what a good range of hourly pay would be for "sub" with a 96 f350 srw 5spd 4wd, but heres the kicker, he's a good friend of mine, out of work and can't afford to buy a plow set up, so I'd buy the plow, mount it, and pay for fuel when plowing. I was thinking 20-30/hr? Thanks


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## LoneCowboy (Jan 2, 2007)

then he's not really a sub is he?
he's an employee.

bad bad bad situation, do not mix business with friendship, you'll end up losing both.


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## RLM (Jan 12, 2006)

What Brain said.


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## ff610 (Jan 9, 2009)

If you wanna help him out, set him up as a sub, pay him a reasonable wage, then have him return a percentage of his wages back to you to repay the plow. Don't get into paying for his fuel and that mess. This way you can 1099 him on the full amount of his services.


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## got-h2o (Sep 26, 2008)

I think these guys, although are trying to help, are looking too far into things. If he's a good buddie of yours, go for it. I plan to do the same thing with one of mine this year; but I didn't plan on paying for fuel. It may happen, it may not. Fuel will be too tough to break down in my opinion. As for the plow and stuff, I planned to allocate $20 an hour or so for my end of it and the rest will go to him. I'm not greedy and want to help him out, but also want to make it worth while. He'll make sub rate, either for me, or someone I set him up with, and he'll pay me the difference in cash......and I trust him to do it. 

BUT I have plows and mounts, and access to anything I'll need, so if I make $1k-1,500 all year it won't bother me. I'll still have a plow that's worth $2,500 and I won't even have that into it.


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## viper881 (Jan 14, 2009)

$20 sounds fair i guess. Not sure of your market over there


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## got-h2o (Sep 26, 2008)

viper881;1074370 said:


> $20 sounds fair i guess. Not sure of your market over there


I pay guys more than that to sit in my trucks to plow.


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## viper881 (Jan 14, 2009)

The market over here is soft. You have a guy in a stick pickup truck, with a plow of someone else's. So im guessin he hasnt plowed before. Your also paying for his fuel. They wont be quick, your paying for his fuel, plow, its a buddy so prob....is umemployed...and wont show up on time. $20 sounds fair to me until he gets a few plows under his belt. I would want more than that. But you might as well find a 2nd sub for the first sub for when his truck breaks down.


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## Pushin 2 Please (Dec 15, 2009)

got-h2o;1074405 said:


> I pay guys more than that to sit in my trucks to plow.


x2..... My one guy gets $30 an hour to drive one of my trucks! If he only pays $20 an hour, they won't be friends for long!:laughing:


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## viper881 (Jan 14, 2009)

What do you guys pay for a loader operator?


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## bighornjd (Oct 23, 2009)

viper881;1074463 said:


> What do you guys pay for a loader operator?


$7.75 an hour. I only charge my customers $21.50 an hour for a loader so I won't pay an operator any more than that. I'm a lowballer.... 

I think the average around here for a non-union guy with some experience is around 20-25 per hour. Obviously some get way more and some less but I'd say that's a fair average.


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## viper881 (Jan 14, 2009)

> $7.75 an hour. I only charge my customers $21.50 an hour for a loader so I won't pay an operator any more than that. I'm a lowballer....


 lol...gotta love low ballers. No way I could pay truck operators $30 over here and still make enough profit to make it worth it for me. $30 for a loader operator is max for us


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## TPC Services (Dec 15, 2005)

five bucks!!!!


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## Wayne Volz (Mar 1, 2002)

*Think about this*

The best thing your friend could do (or you could do for him) is to calculate his truck cost per hour and his labor cost per hour based on a minimum he wants to make. Determine his break-even point for his truck and his labor. Then you can come up with a price to pay him. However, $20.00 per hour will not cover his costs for his truck and his labor.

Good luck with that one.

I would also have to agree with the working for friends issue as well. This does not normally work out well. (Sometimes it does - but generally not)

Hope you have a great winter if it ever gets here. 96 today in Louisville, KY.


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## forestfireguy (Oct 7, 2006)

I wouldn't do the friend and money combo. But hey that's just me. On the plow thing guys, he said he'd collect $20hr, if he's making 70-80hr, then the guy still gets 60 in his pocket, if it's 1099 he can roll the dice with uncle sam.


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## J.R. Services (Aug 15, 2009)

I also have the option to buy the truck for a little bit of nothing, and could just pay him to drive. Or let him pay me back and pay him as a sub.


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## szorno (Jan 3, 2002)

Here is what I did with modest success- I bought the plow but made him sign a note for it. Then I set him up as a sub and helped him get insurance. Then I gave him his paycheck with the plow payment removed up front. I occasionally fronted him $30 for fuel and that got deducted from his check too. Worked reasonably well till he decided to do the truck swap thing. I should have put a stop to it there. But, I helped a young friend and both of us made some money. and we are still friends. (thanks to a written note on the plow and a written subcontractors agreement)


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