This is a question for the person who got the paper route (Cathy Horn??) recently. How have the gas prices affected your profits? Do you use your regular vehicle for the route or do you have an old car you use? How many papers do you deliver on average and how long does it take you? I realize most of thes answers will very greatly depending on where someone lives and how far apart the houses are etc., but I'm just trying to get an idea. Have been considering this for a long time, but the routes availabe in my area (S WA) are few and far between, unless I want to travel a 1/2 hour just to get to the route area. Thanks for any info. Amber

-- Amber (mikeandamberq@hotmail.com), November 15, 2000

Answers

Hi Amber. There are so many variables here. I still live in a fairly large urban area, and there are lots of routes available. When I first started this, I had one route, about 40 papers, and I had to drive to the area to deliver, as it was several blocks from my house. Once I got to that neighborhood, I walked the route. Shortly after, a closer route became available, another 45-50 papers. I kept the first one, but because of time constraints, (papers MUST be delivered by 6 AM), I now drive/walk both routes. I drive to a spot, hop out and deliver a section, jump back in the truck, drive to the next spot, etc. The paper pays me a few cents per paper that I deliver, and 33 cents for Sunday. Actually, I'm an "independent contractor", I'm sure that benefits the paper to do it that way. I spend a few extra $$ a week for gas, not much. I wish I could say "If a carrier is good, it's reflected in the tip", but that's just not the case. Some people never tip, some are pretty generous. I like the fact that it only takes me an hour. At first, it was hard figuring out house #'s,and remembering who got daily, or wekend only. Now it's easy. Collecting stinks, once a week I have to knock on the doors of a dozen or so subscribers, most of them are really great, some not. All in all, I enjoy doing this part-time job, as I've never minded getting up really early. Sure has helped my financial picture. Would it work in the country? I wouldn't want to have to travel 30 minutes through snowstorms, so, I don't know...but can't hurt to look into it. I wish I'd done this sooner.

-- Cathy Horn (hrnofplnty@webtv.net), November 15, 2000.

I've been delivering my route now for over 9 years. I have 550 customers that takes about 3 1/2 hours a day and 6 on Sunday. It's a good paying job as long as you can deal with 7 days a week....but then if you have animals, that's already on your schedule..... I had previously delivered in a "city" route, and find the suburbia routes faster, less demanding, and better tippers. Get one before those christmas tips roll in!!!

-- Sue (sulandherb@aol.com), November 15, 2000.

Sue, do you have to drive very far from home to your route? Does the paper drop the bundles at your home, or must you pick them up? What time do you get up? I thought 4:30 was early, but you must have me beat by several hours! This will be my first Christmas (tips) whatever I make is going right into my savings. I would love to be able to do like you are, just not enough hours inthe day. Any more carriers out there?

-- Cathy Horn (hrnofplnty@webtv.net), November 15, 2000.

I unloaded my route last spring to the first sucker I could find! I had to drive down the canyon in all weather, then back up the canyon and around the valley for less the $400 a month. Sometimes, less than $300 because of vacations. (Not my vacation, all the rich people I delivered to.) The gas was a killer. The paper kept promising to bring the papers up here or even have me bring the papers here for all the routes. They didn't want to actually have to pay me hard cash however! The seven days a week without a break in bad weather even if extremely ill was a killer. My teenage son and I did the route together and sometimes seperate. I did not enjoy getting out of a warm truck, in a blizzard, to get more papers from the back because they couldn't all fit up front in the extended cab. Nor the big paper days, day after Thanksgiving and every sunday before Christmas. It took 3 people and 2 cars! The paper does not care if you damage your car and in fact if you slide into a tube or mailbox, you will pay out of your own pocket to replace the tube and mailbox. People were constantly going on vacation and stopping the paper which meant less money for me. Not to mention the wear and tear on my truck. The paper calls their carriers 'contractors' for a reason. It saves them alot of money and prevents legal problems. And don't even start me on the low lifes that steal papers that I then had to replace from the rack at the store out of my own pocket. And the roads that have 3 different legal names. AGHHHHHHHHHH! Thank heavens I got out of it before the paper began ALL morning deliveries. Think and think and think again. All my boys had routes in the city so I thought I knew what I was getting into. The rural routes are different and you are not paid more when gas prices rise. Plus, you have to have money to pay for your gas for at least the first month.

-- Cheryl (bramblecottage@hotmail.com), November 16, 2000.

I would like to add that I was informed by the paper that I would be earning $500-$600 a month. That is a big difference and when I mentioned the discrepency, I was informed that the higher figure was if every person payed for every day which they don't. Even with pay- by-mail. Too many stops while they are out of town. Meanwhile, I still had to drive the same number of miles and used the same amout of gas.

-- Cheryl (bramblecottage@hotmail.com), November 16, 2000.

I was a motor route carrier here in NE Ohio for 6 years.Although I lived in the city my route was in a rural community about 15 minutes from here.I had 250 customers weekdays and about 270 Sunday's.My pay was about $200 a week.Everything was pay by mail and there was a dropoff near my home where all the rural carriers for this region picked up.The paper was an afternoon daily and weekend/holiday morning. There were many good points for me and that's why I did it for so long.My route was about an hour and a half start to finish.I could take my kids with me and had no childcare worries.I could still do volenteer work and take care of my kids and grandmother.My time was my own and I could take a break if I wanted on hot days. GREAT sunrises on early morning deliveries .Christmas $$$ last year were about $500.There were always fresh produce stands ,great rummage sales and frankly many customers would give a good deal on price or leave produce in their tube for me. Lots of fresh tomatoes,beans and apples.:) The down side is the only day off was Christmas. The paper didn't provide substitutes so you had to find your own and that was almost impossible.If you did find one and they screwed up you could be fired for it.Lots of wear and tear on the car. Especially brakes.You're responsible for your own taxes. Road Rage became terrible. It was scary sometimes.Some papers also have quotas that you're expected to keep up. Make sure that you don't sign away your right to refuse delivery.There will be times when you will need to say enough is enough and refuse delivery. I found that the best car was a 1986 Chevy Caprice Estate Wagon.Lousy on gas but darn near indestructible. It has a large wheel base and solid front end also plenty of room for kids and papers.The other thing about it was that we could easily and cheaply repair it. We replaced brakes about every 3000 miles and did an oil change then too. Good Luck

-- Raya Amick (Raya2448@ivillage.com), November 16, 2000.

I have had a motor route in Central Washington as well as over here in the Olympia area where I am now. All total, I delivered papers for 15 years, cannot even begin to remember the amount of vehicles I went through in that time period. I think it matters a lot just where you live and what paper company, you deliver for--I made money when I delivered for the Central Wash. paper, lost money consistently due to length of the route with gas prices and wear and tear on the car in this area of the State. I would not deliver one again because of those reasons--plus I'm getting old--starting the day at 1:30 am seven days a week is no longer appealing!

-- Lynn Royal (homesteadmama@yahoo.com), November 16, 2000.

Had a paper route as a kid for many years and always see it as a fallback position. Reason I don't have it now is...I make ok money at my business and a paper route requires that you pick up the papers from 11PM-12:30 AM here. And the winter driving in the wee hours isn't appealing.

-- Anne (HT@HM.com), November 16, 2000.

Wow, I consider myself very fortunate after reading about some of your experiences!! I get up at 4:30, the papers are dropped on my porch around 5:00, and I'm home by 6:15. I drive a Mazda pick-up with a cap, and get great gas mileage. Compared to the other part-time jobs I've had in the past three years (deli, cleaning businesses at night, waitressing), this pays the best and allows me to still enjoy 2 days off per week from my real job, minus an hour each day. I plan on doing this for a couple more years. Thanks for sharing, everyone!

-- Cathy Horn (hrnofplnty@webtv.net), November 17, 2000.

Thanks for all your answers and experiences. I'll definitely think about this some more before I decide on way or the other. Thanks again, Amber

-- Amber (mikeandamberq@hotmail.com), November 17, 2000.