Right now i am a one truck company. I have a 05 3/4 ton cummins dodge.
I need to add another truck this year. I know i am heading my company in the direction of just doing large jobs atleast a month or longer. Now i think i would use a completly different set of truck vs a company doing small 15 foot walkways.
Am i thinking in the right direction or am i way off?
If you're going to be tackling projects that take a month, they are going to be projects that require very large volumes of materials. So large that you should probably think of your vehicles less as material haulers and more as tool haulers. Not that they won't haul a small load of something here or there, but that should be the exception, not the rule.
There's a masonry outfit by us that has what I'd consider a very slick setup - the trucks have extended bodies with very short dump bixes at the back - the extra space between cab and dump box is used for tool storage. They pull behind them a 25' trailer which holds an enclosed storage area in the front half, and the back half is where the skid steer travels.
They can essentially get every possible tool for a masonry job to the site in one trip (compactors, saws, wheelbarrows, hand tools, skid steer, etc), plus have some room for small loads of materials.
My guess would be the trailer would run in the neighborhood of $8-10K, the truck about $40-50K.
But you'd never have to worry about forgetting something at the shop again, because the whole shop would be with you!
Oh yeah..........Some days I just run back and forth like all morning......forgot enough shovels........2 were broke in the trailer and no one told me....rakes to......tell the guys bring leveling rakes......they leave the 3 and 4' rake behind.......Shoot..... even wheelbarrows get left behind
I have a 18x8 enclosed trailer that is all set up as a hardscape trailer that will be left on site for the duration of the project.
Basically i am trying to find the most efficent way to run my operation. I look at my compeitors all with 40-70k trucks and i think there just has to be a better way. If i can keep my overhead lower than my main compeitors that would give me even more of a advantage.
I almost always try to get a 20 yard containter drop on site to keep the place clean. So i do not have to worry about trucking stuff off site. I sub out excavating so i do not have to worry about dirt. And i get everything delivered.
I am thinking of buying 1 ton crew cab bare bone trucks. I figure i could do half decent buying them with in the $15-20k range. All these trucks will really serve is taxis and a tow vehicle for the enclosed trailer and the skid steer. I really want to keep vehicle cost down, vehicle insurance and maintenance down also.
I look and see every other landscaper with a 50k f550 that sits st the job site everyday, and i try to figure how they justify it and i cant.
I really think my whole business model is different than most companies, so what works for me might not be best for everyone. In my entire business i am trying to do thinks different than my compeititors.
You sound like you think more like me. I have always found it hard to justify the cost of large trucks and skidsteers etc. With a 8 month season and 12 months of payments that is already a disadvantage. Then you add the fact that most of the larger jobs would be more efficient if excavated using large equipment and tandems or triaxles to haul away materials, and smaller jobs can all be fit into a 20 or 40 yard dumpster. After all the excavation is done and the material delivered ( in tandems or stone supplier) your own truck really does nothing more than move a few tools and people. Makes it hard to justify spending the money on a F550 just so it can sit parked on the road doing nothing all day. I feel the same way about skidsteers, and mini-x. It seems every job I do needs a different size and type of machine. I can always rent just the perfect machine for the job (and have it delivered and picked up to boot) It makes it hard to justify the payments for one specific machine.
The only way I could justify the cost for any of these machines or trucks is if I can get them PRODUCING revenue for 40 hours a week. For me I will leave the trucking and excavating to the companies that do that best and I will do the stone work.
A 3/4 ton pickup carries my tools, crew and if really needed a few sections of stone or few odds and ends to finish a job if required.
This works for me but everyones situation is different.
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Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways - Beer in one hand - Nacho's in the other - body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming : Woo Hoo, what a ride!
I have seen what STONE was talking about--- truck and trailor. That would be an awsome setup, and be very efficient. Mrusk, I think you have a good grasp on what you want and that'll help you do very well this year. Would that 1ton have a special bed on it?
Originally posted by 4seasons I have seen what STONE was talking about--- truck and trailor. That would be an awsome setup, and be very efficient. Mrusk, I think you have a good grasp on what you want and that'll help you do very well this year. Would that 1ton have a special bed on it?
Maybe a cheap flat bed of some kind with a big knnack tool box bolted down a deisel transfer tank.
I do have a skid steer. I just could not justify the cost of renting any more.
I do realize that this basically is a 8 month season. If the weather is good, a 9 month season. You got to do whatever you can to keep ALL the cost down. Running cheaper trucks makes it alot more affordable to run more than 1 crew at a time.
I think i kind of screwed up this year. I am out looking for certain types of jobs. And these jobs take a ton of planning etc before you can even break ground, i got a 2 jobs in the planning stages that are looking really good. I have 2 15k jobs book for end of may beging of june, since that is when the people want it done.
So now i am scrambling trying to find some small stuff to do. I got some clean ups and mulching booked for the next few weeks but no hardscapes. I keep telling my guys another 2 weeks, but they both have winter jobs and understand that when we start we won't stop till christmas!
I have alot of direct mail going out next week, which should be the best week of the year for spring like weather. So hopefully i get some calls for a small job or two that won't take 6 weeks from the first meeting till the ground breaking day!
one thing about owning large enough trucks and equipment. you own them. you may give your subs enough work to "own" their time, but if you do that much work then you are making their payments.
Trucks and equipment ownership are mandatory for us. our schedule is too volitile and changing with the amount of construction work we work around. working for john Q public may be different. I know some guys that we do a little sub work for and they work their schedule around us.
I do not know about your area, but i call to order a tri axle of stone or anything for that matter, i will have it in 90 minutes or less. Delivery is around 70 bucks.
you must have either more tri's at your disposal or they aren't that busy. We usually have to call a couple days in advance to get delivery. very rare when I can call and get it same day not to mention in acouple hours. That's why I feel my company has to go with a larger dump, not to rely on others. plus alot of times there isn't enough room for a tri to dump. So the 5500 or 6500 comes in handy.
mrusk, it sounds like you're already doing a lot of what I mentioned - I don't think your enclosed trailer is also carrying a skidsteer (unless it's a really small one or a mini), so a bigger trailer with an enclosure on the front half would mean you can take everything you need on one trailer.
But I think that to tow that you'll need something larger than a p/u, if for no other reason than to stay within the rated tow range of the truck (which should be reason enough). But you could still get a larger used truck within that budget.
stonehedge, I do not see how a trailer that can hold a skid and have a enclosed section could make any sense? If i am on the job for a month, why do i have to bring all the tools there and back in one trip?
In our area I can have any size load of gravel from 2 yards up to a triaxle delivered within a hour. And as for excavation it can be arranged for within a couple of days and equipment rental is just call for it and it is delivered as quick as it can be loaded and delivered. I have found that over the years owning trucks and machines, just doesn't pay for me. It would be different if you are doing large commercial type work but for the typical residential jobs it just dosn't pay. When I do get involved in a large job where there is a lot of earth moving and grading it is more beneficial to sub that part out. When you build a good working relationship with your subs scheduling isn't really a problem. For me I will do what I do best and that is stonework and landscape and I will let others do what they do best.....move dirt and material.
A pickup, saw, transit, packer and hand tools are the only thing I need to own to do quality profitable jobs whether they be large or small.
__________________
Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways - Beer in one hand - Nacho's in the other - body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming : Woo Hoo, what a ride!
Basically i am trying to find the most efficent way to run my operation.
Do whatever is going to work for you. Having to take two trips everywhere you go is less efficient than one trip. And having two trailers when you could do the same thing with one is also less efficient.
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