Stone handling and transport: hire or own?

["John VanCamp" <jvcstnwrks@zzzzzzzzzzzzz>]

Well, I'm one of those who is at the quarry or stone mill, on
average twice a week, and making local (200 to 400 mile)
deliveries at least once a month, so I have a fairly heavy duty
truck (ford f-450)  flat bed to on and off load pallets with the
forklift.  Truck is rated (GVW) for 15,000 lbs, tare weight of
around 7500 lbs so live load of around 7500 lbs also.  In
actuality, it will carry more.  Size of  individual stone I can
handle is limited to the forklift (5000 lbs) and the overhead
gantry (4000 lbs). However most of the architectural pieces I
work on are well under this.  Have been concidering a full
quarry block sculpture, and if that happens, I'll be hireing a
crain to deposit it in my yard, and than to load it for the trip
to where ever it may go next..  For long distance deliveries, or
jobs that would requiire more than one trip with my truck, I use
the services of a load broker.  Call him with the job location
and number of pallets of finished product, and with in a day or
two, a 40 foot, air ride flat bed is at my shop, and the next
stop is the job.  Sure makes life simple.
John VanCamp / JVC Stoneworks