Mansfield is 30.9 driving miles from the Dispatch Office in Dorchester — 0.9 miles past the 30-mile flat zone. The fee is $100 + ($4 × 0.9) = $103.60, billed at $104 per load. Mulch caps at 10 yd/trip; stone, sand and soil at 6. Loads are counted per line item.
What is the fee, and how is it derived?
One formula, no surcharges: $100 + $4 × (driving miles beyond 30), rounded to the dollar.
| Input | Value |
|---|---|
| Yard | 18 Jan Karski Way, Boston MA 02125 (Dorchester) |
| Driving distance to Mansfield | 30.9 mi |
| Flat-rate zone | 30.0 mi |
| Overage | 0.9 mi at $4.00 = $3.60 |
| Fee per load | $104 |
Mansfield is the cleanest boundary case on the map: nine-tenths of a mile costs four dollars. Easton, at 26.1 miles, pays the flat $100 across all four of its ZIPs, so bid the two towns $4 apart per load.
What are the load caps and freight per yard?
| Material class | Cap per trip | Freight/yd at cap |
|---|---|---|
| Mulch | 10 yd | $10.40 |
| Rock and stone | 6 yd | $17.33 |
| Sand | 6 yd | $17.33 |
| Soil and loam | 6 yd | $17.33 |
Two rules follow. Order to the cap — freight per yard halves between 3 and 6 yards. And one yard over the cap doubles freight, because it triggers a second trip.
How are loads counted?
Per line item. Two products means two trips regardless of total volume. This is the line that catches crews out.
| Order | Loads | Freight | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 yd Black Mulch | 1 | $104 | At the mulch cap |
| 11 yd Black Mulch | 2 | $208 | 1 yd over the cap |
| 5 yd Black Mulch + 5 yd Red Cedar | 2 | $208 | Two line items |
| 3 yd Stone Dust + 2 yd Concrete Sand + 2 yd Loam | 3 | $312 | Three line items, 7 yd total |
Carry freight as its own bid line from load count, never as a percentage of material — markups underprice small multi-product orders.
How do I bid the material?
Yardage: cubic yards = (square feet × depth in inches) ÷ 324. Mulch covers ~100 sq ft at 3", ~160 sq ft at 2".
A 2,800 sq ft bed refresh at 2 inches is 17.3 yd — round to 18. At the 10-yard cap that is 2 loads, $208 freight, plus Black Mulch at $58/yd = $1,044 material. Delivered total $1,252, or $69.56 per yard.
What do neighbouring towns cost?
| Town | Fee per load | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Easton | $100 | 26.1 mi — inside the flat zone |
| Mansfield | $104 | 30.9 mi |
| Taunton | $123–$126 | 35.8 mi |
| Attleboro | $133 | 38.3 mi |
Mansfield is inland Bristol County — heavier glacial till through most of town, with gravelly pockets near the Canoe River headwaters. Base courses need real compaction and beds need drainage designed in, because the subsoil does not take water quickly.
Site and scheduling notes
- Curbside is the default drop. On-property placement requires a signed liability waiver.
- No minimum order — but freight is the same at 1 yard as at 6.
- Exact fee from the ZIP checker on any product page or in the cart — never quote from memory.
- Seasonal weight restrictions can reroute a loaded truck; the Massachusetts Department of Transportation publishes the postings.
Frequently asked questions
Why is Mansfield $104 and not $100?
It is 30.9 driving miles out. The flat zone ends at 30, and the 0.9-mile overage bills at $4 per mile — $3.60, rounded into a $104 fee.
Can I combine materials onto one truck to save a fee?
No. Loads are counted per line item, so each product is its own trip. Consolidating to fewer products is the only way to cut load count.
How should I show delivery on a client bid?
As a line item: load count × $104. It is defensible, survives a change order, and explains itself when the client adds a second material.
Price everything by the yard in the full catalogue, or go straight to mulch, crushed stone and Black Mulch. Town stock is on the Mansfield landscape supply page. Bidding coastal plantings further south? The spec in watering new Fairhaven plantings through coastal wind matters to your warranty as much as freight does. Crew quotes: (617) 286-2740.
