| It used to drive me crazy trying to figure out how | | | | about this. You can either take the long road or the |
| to calculate prices per thousand and then convert it | | | | short cut (which is more accurate). I'll explain both. |
| into per piece. It was so tedious and after awhile, | | | | Long Road - This is now taking 20 packages and |
| just plain irritating. So I designed a quick little | | | | multiplying by 294 pieces which will give you 5880 |
| spreadsheet on Excel that would calculate the | | | | pieces. Now take $1.33 and multiply 5880 and you |
| answer for me and I must use it at least a dozen | | | | have your answer of $7820.40 |
| times per day, if not more. | | | | OR |
| Now that I've got a nice clientele, they are always | | | | Short Cut - In step one simply include the amount of |
| asking me to convert pricing for them so I decided | | | | packages and pieces in your calculation. |
| to do two things. Put up an interactive calculator on | | | | 2 x 4 x 96 x20 x294 / 144 = 31,360 and multiply it |
| our website so that they can do it themselves AND | | | | by step 2 (0.25). You have your answer of $7840.00 |
| write an article helping others that find themselves in | | | | NOW, you will notice that there is almost a $20 |
| the same boat. | | | | difference? That's because in the first calculation we |
| So let's give an example and then how to convert it. | | | | rounded down all those decimals to just two. That |
| You need a truckload of 2x4x8'. You phone around | | | | adds up over 5880 boards (by $19.60 to be exact!) |
| and get quotes on the material. The best quote is | | | | So you definitely want to use the shortcut now that |
| $250/M for 20 packages (294 pieces per package). | | | | you know how. |
| What is that per piece? So how much is it for the | | | | So one last question. Why do lumber companies |
| whole load EXACTLY?!? | | | | quote per thousand? Simply because of volume AND |
| Here's the formula on how you calculate per piece. | | | | multiple sizes. It's much easier to give one quote on |
| Step 1 - Get the board feet per piece. (See my | | | | 2x4x8, 2x4x10, 2x4x12, 2x4x16 at $250/M then |
| other article - "Board Feet? How to Calculate") | | | | having to calculate all the different sizes and them ad |
| Thickness X Width X Length / 144 (Make sure to | | | | them together or quote each size individually (there |
| change the 8 foot to 96 inches (8x12)) | | | | may be ten different sizes on the truck!). Also, if the |
| 2 X 4 X 96 / 144 = 5.33333 | | | | truck is heavy and a package has to come off, the |
| Step 2 - Take the price per thousand (or Per M) and | | | | lumber company would have to re-quote all over |
| divide by 1000. | | | | again when it was already painful to do it just the |
| 250 / 1000 = 0.25 | | | | first time! |
| Step 3 - Multiply the board feet in step 1 by the | | | | There you have it. Hopefully this now gives you a |
| answer in step 2. | | | | clear understanding of how to calculate and convert |
| 5.33333 X 0.25 = 1.33333 | | | | per thousand to per piece. Oh, one last thing, if |
| Your answer is $1.33 per piece (Rounded down of | | | | you're really stuck and still can't get the calculations, |
| course). | | | | simply visit our website and a free calculator program |
| Okay, are you still with me? Good! Now how much is | | | | can be found there! |
| the total truckload? Well, there are two ways to go | | | | |