Summary: Mat users are concerned about price, cost of transport, and quality and longevity of mats. Creating a solution that works for you also creates a lower Total Cost of Ownership.*

Conversations with customers have shown that mat users are concerned about three things:

  1. Initial purchase price
  2. Cost of moving mats to and between jobs
  3. Quality and longevity of their purchased mats

Creating a solution to these three concerns also creates a lower Total Cost of Ownership (“TCO”) for you, the customer.

With lower TCO you win!

You want:

  1. A well-designed, superior mat, priced right. And, it’s priced right because you buy direct.
  2. To get as many mats per truck so that you can use mats in a wider geographical area.
  3. To make sure your mat is long-lived, so your customers and employees have a simpler life.

The Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) of a World Forest Group timber mat is less than the total cost of ownership of a mixed hardwood or southern red oak timber mat. You save significant money.

Your first savings will come in purchase price.

Your next set of savings will come in transport cost. Whenever you move our mat you are reducing the total cost of your mat.

For 18’ x 8” x 48” mats one truck is approximately 16-18 mixed hardwood mats vs. 22-23 eucalyptus mats.

The lifetime difference between mixed hardwood mats and eucalyptus mats can be as much as $60+/mat. You can download a spreadsheet here to do the calculations yourself.

Your final set of savings will come in longer life.

In other words, TCO is comprised of:

  • Initial purchase price +
  • Cost of initial transportation +
  • Cost of transport of subsequent moves ÷
  • Number of uses or life of mat.

So, if the purchase price is $500/mat and the initial transport cost is $30/mat and the total cost of transport of subsequent mats is $70 then the cost of the mat is:

$500 + $30 + $70 = $600/mat.

If you get three uses per mat, then total cost of ownership is $600/mat ÷three uses = $200/mat-use

If you get four uses per mat, then cost of ownership is $600/mat ÷four uses = $150/mat-use.

In later posts we’ll start at the beginning of our process and explore how design, material choice, standardized processes, quality control and a stable supply chain all contribute to lower Total Cost of Ownership.

*Total Cost of Ownership looks at your cost. But, there are costs outside this simplified analysis such as environmental clean up costs. With Eucalyptus mats your clean cost will be less and you’ll be able to tell your customers and stakeholders that your mats are carbon neutral.