Looking into reviving my 1 ton trucking business

[Ford LT-9000]

I have to try get self employeed again I ruled out running a tandem axle dump there isn't enough work for the costs. The profit margins are borderline for the money need to be spent. I have to have the freedom of being self-employed again and have a job I enjoy and not one I hate.

Here is the question I'am sick of searching for a used F-450 F-550 4x4 truck I have been looking for a long time :Banghead

So now I'am looking into buying new and options of buying a truck I know where I can get one tommorow if I want to.

I have been searching the net about leasing I don't know if its a good idea or not the low monthly payment looks good but you never own the truck. Most lease agreements allow you 75,000kms 120,000 miles for 4 years . The residual payment is what you have to worry about at the end of the lease term.

Then there is paying monthly payments for the truck its the most expensive but you own the truck.

The trucks I have in mind is at a dealer

2007 F-450XL 6.0 automatic 4x4 it has a 12x8 flatdeck on it for 49,000 cnd

2007 F-450XL 2 wheeldrive with a 12x8 6.0 automatic. The work I do I should have a 4x4 I can do without. I would rather have a 6spd manual but they are hard to find. The dealer has these two trucks instock ready to roll there are a few other dealers with similar trucks forsale.

I have a brandnew dump hoist that I haven't used yet so I can make the deck dump. I can go back to hauling construction debris and haul small loads of topsoil again.

Is it worth buying new trucks anything used right now is worn out junk ?

The one guy I work with at the gov't job says never buy a used vehical your buying somebody elses problems.

I calculated my payments to be 760 dollars a month which I can do I would have to do all jobs to make the truck work.

I figured my current truck is going to need 2500 dollars in repairs right now fixing the steering box and replacing the transmission. The truck needs tires this summer 1300 dollars. So 3800 in repairs pays 5 new truck payments.

Next year the truck will need new king pins and front springs and bushings along with brakes all around so add another 2000 dollars. I will have to replace the seat and windshield on the truck too but thats nothing mechanical.

Parts are not cheap in B.C. the prices I quoted are pretty close to what it would cost to repair the problems with the truck. If I invest 5 grand into the truck to make it last another 3 years is that a wise choice ?

I shouldn't have bought the truck I have its been run hard and abused by who ever owned it before me it started to become troublesome with the transmission and steering box giving me troubles. The way the truck is now I'am hoping to get 11 grand for it I paid 15,000 in 2005 the truck has 225,000kms (139,000 miles) on it.

Everybody says take a chance you never know. I know I can get work with a 1 ton truck I have been doing it for 14 years I'am a legal trucking company. I will just have to start advertising again to get the customers I had back and get new customers.

What do you guys think take a chance and buy a new truck if it doesn't work out I may loose the truck but I'am hoping I can make it go.

Oh ya I'am a stubborn Ford man and won't buy any other brand so I'am looking at F-450s.

 

[greywynd]

I figure that (minus fuel) if you can maintain ANY vehicle (let alone a working truck) for 2-3000/year that you are doing well. I would at least look into the work your truck requires. I'm just overhauling the mechanical (frame and spring work, repairing cab floor, plus other stuff) on my older ford dually....just for that reason. My goal is to get three years out of it, and that will show me, and the bank if necessary, that I can do more than enough business to buy new at the end of three years.

If you didn't have a truck already, then it's different....but you've already said you would need to advertise to start building your business up...during that time you would have to help cover/make payments, the trucking may not cover it all. I also figure that if/when I go new I will purchase.....too many things to go wrong with a lease with this type of vehicle. Getting loaded and a stone hits the cab roof....with a lease it pretty much has to be fixed, and well.....if you own it, it's up to you.....or do it when time permits it. That's the sort of thing that I would be concerned about with a lease vehicle.

If you use your existing truck, when it's time to go new, you can keep the existing while the new one is getting the hoist etc, and ready to go. Cuts down on the time that you are 'unavailable' for business.

Just some thoughts to add to the mix.

Mark

 

[wrenchbender]

Old trucks

Hi I'm new around here and don't know if my 2 cents count or not.But anyway here goes I do a little trucking (1ton style) with an older truck.This is not my main means of income but realy helps support my family.I don't like the idea of going in debt for new unless I know I can pay infull when the time comes.Bad credit :Banghead is a very hard thing to over come.I own and operate a small biz welding,mechanic on heavy equipment/light trucking and well whatever puts food on the table. My point is think it over very well before the plunge and Good Luck

 

[wrenchbender]

Some of the things we do.

Not anything big but work is work and that =$$ in the last pic ia my old work horse (Lil Red) 1971 F-250 made into a dually and a few other mods she's old but still putting grc. on the table>

 

[thejdman04]

you know waht your truck needs, and how you maintain it etc. Heres my opinion if you buy a new truck, look at the topkick 4500 5500 6500 or 7500's. They ahve much more brake capacity, bigger payloads, and about the same turning radius. Also look at international, for the dollar they make a decent truck. Id stay away from the 6.0 motor thats been a nightmare. the 466 international or the duramaxes are good. Also, Id look for a 4x4 if it were me. I know your a ford man but really theres better trucks out there. I know around here, there wouldnt be a market for you as every liandscaper has thier own 1 ton and does all their own work.

 

[Ford LT-9000]

Truck looks good :yup

For me I have been dealing with junk for the last 14 years and I'am getting tired of it. For the last 14 years of trucking its always been a struggle because when your self-employeed the bank pretty much tells you to ----off. So anything that I have done is all with money that I made or used a credit card because the bank wasn't intersted in loaning money.

My first 1 ton truck was a old 77 scraped every cent I owned together to buy it run that for 3 years it was my first start in trucking. Then I bought a 1980 Ford it was a lwb truck that I could have a 12 foot deck. Again struggled along making enough money it was tough when the area was in a recession and not much money floating around had that truck 4 years dumped money into it.

I bought a 88 F-450 I had to borrow money from relatives to buy that truck but it was a struggle making money the area was still very slow. The truck was my first dump truck I started to get work with it. I had to sell the truck because I couldn't keep the 460 fed with gas at 6mpg she was too piggy.

Bought a 89 F-450 diesel had to dump 6000 grand into it total investment was 9500 dollars not probably the wisest move. I didn't have enough money to put a dump on it so I did mostly junk and lumber hauling for 4 years. I sold that truck and bought the 95 F-450 I have now I like PSD power I wish I did a VIN check before I bought the truck and found out its history.

It is very hard to make money here you have to do 100 different jobs which I can do. From 1995 when I got out of school to 2002 it was hard to scratch out a living nothing was happening. The area actually from the 70s when my familly moved here to 2002 if you had a job you were lucky to have it or you were self-employeed.

Its always been with me struggling make money working for homeowners that didn't want to pay or complained I charged too much. The area is changed now you pay up or you don't get anything done especially for the new people to the area. If you have the money to buy a 500,000 dollar house you pay your bills you complain about the price tough luck. You come to the area and drive the cost of living up because you have the money.

Now that the economy in general has picked up its time for me to try get back into the trucking and landscaping. There is a need in the area for a 1 ton trucking service and nobody in the area does small load soil delivery. The guy I was hauling wood for still has lumber to deliver another mill in the area has lumber to deliver. They don't have trucks because their customers expect delivery should be free. They get a shock when they get my bill for 100 dollars. I usually ask for a check before I unload the wood it doesn't come off my truck till I'am paid.

I would like to have a "Superduty" bodied F-450 or F-550 is they are heavier trucks over my current OBS F-450. My current truck lacks braking power the newer F-450s have brakes designed for a 15,000lb gvw truck my current F-450 has brakes that just stop a 15,000lb truck. With the roads getting more crowed having good brakes is a must too many idiots from the city driving like they are in the city on rural roads doesn't work.

Also the newer F-450s come in 4wheeldrive my 95 is a 2wd. It is getting to the point on some of these places you need to chain up to get out of the places people have. The driveways are okay for a 4x4 or a front wheel drive car but a dually 2wd with no weight you cross your fingers. Some places I have been turning around can get you stuck have to be very carefull not to get into a bad situation. I imagine a locker in the diff of a 2wd might help but usually it takes 4wheeldrive or a winch.

A 4x4 is almost a must for the area now because the easy building lots are gone your into tougher terrian that requires long steep driveways some have switch backs.

A 50 grand investment might be a little much I have been looking at 2004s with lower kilometers they are selling for 40 grand. I know the 6.0s diesels don't have the best record but its been hit or miss with the lemonmobiles. A familly friend has had a 03 and never had a lick of troubles with it but another friend of the familly his 03 was a problematic truck. I know where I can find a few 03s cheap I'am not touching them.

Keep in mind this truck is my daily driver too so its going to be driving me to my gov't job if its not hauling its getting me to work where I'am making money to help with the truck payment when things get slow. The truck isn't my only income source I wouldn't tempting this if it was my only income source.

This will be one step in maybe getting my foot in the excavating business door I can rent the skid steer or the mini excavation from the rental shop.

 

[Ford LT-9000]

I don't want to get involved in running a medium duty too expensive anybody with a single axle 5 ton dump doesn't get much work. Not much demand for single axle hauling the rules and regulations for a single axle are the same as a tandem axle. The only difference a single axle only needs a gov't inspection once a year a tandem twice a year.

Out of a population of 3000 there is only 3 landscapers only one owns a 1 ton dump truck and it doesn't haul much and he doesn't do soil deliveries or haul away garbage. The other 2 landscapers are lawn mowing and weed pulling. Being this is a rural area many people in the area have 1/2 to 1 ton P/U trucks I guess I can safely say there are more pick up trucks than cars then there are the people with little trailers that they pull behind a SUV.

There is only 1 disposal company they don't do rubbish removal just residential pick up (nothing bigger than a garbage bag).

Nobody else does 1 ton trucking thats why the two local mills hire me or their customers try use their P/U truck. The building supply has 2 crane trucks they do their own deliveries.

I don't really have any competition if I go back into business.

Mini excavators on the other hand they are all over the place homeowners have them in their back yards for puttering around on the acreage.

 

[Coastal]

Id hate to buy a new ford when the new engine is just around the corner. The 6.0 is a turd that was built as a temporary engine to replace the 7.3 that wouldnt meet emission standards. I believe the new one is a 6.4.

Have you looked at the LCF fords? They are nice trucks, same GVW as a 550 with super turning radius. My Sterling turns sharper than my 04 550 did.

What about getting a bin system on it? If you are doing just trucking, I think you'd be miles ahead getting into little bins. THen you can do soil hauling, and disposal, leave bins for homeowners to load their landscaping waste into...etc etc.

Theres a company in ontario called ON-Trux that makes a really nice bin setup, and its not too badly priced.

What happened to our lousy housing based economy and your pension??? :bouncegri


Heres a link to ontrux...they also sell work ready trucks and will ship them out pretty reasonably

http://www.ontrux.com/home.htm

 

[Ford LT-9000]

I looked at the LCF Fords briefly when I was at Dams Ford in december when I was looking at a few used tandem axle dumps.

The LCF would work if I stuck to pavement but I'am offroading in the truck if I buy a 2wd truck I will have to install a Detroit True Trac or a Detroit locker in the rear axle and maybe add a winch to the front. I should have a 4x4 but they are really hard to find a new 4x4 truck is a extra 3000 dollars or so.

The bin system is really handy to have because I can still work for the gov't as I can drop a empty bin off before or after work and go pick up a full bin the next day.

I can build my own hoist I have the shop to work in and my brother owes me favors so he can do the welding. I can build a set of rails for under 1000 dollars they are made out of rectangle tubing that is 1/4 inch thick. I would have to try sell the brandnew 3 stage telescoping hoist and buy a scissor hoist as the scissor hoist doesn't eat up space between the truck cab and the rails. If I used the post hoist it would limit me to 10 foot bins with the scissor hoist 12 foot bins. The winch system I would make it similar to a switch and go buy using a electric winch. I would be building the same as a switch and go but my rails would touch the ground.

It is the bins that are the expensive part there really isn't many used mini bins around. I would have to search around for old used flatbeds that I could convert to bins by welding deeper sills under them and build some sides.

I have to try do something on the side that interests me so I keep my sanity if I had to do the gov't job and nothing else I prolly go bonkers. If this venture doesn't work I still have the gov't job keeping me employeed and the repo company off my back :laugh

 

[PSDF350]

If after 14 years of trying too eek out a living part time with your trucking and it isn't working. Might I suggest to either take the plunge full time and make it work. Or find a differant type of work. If not, your not serius, just hobby trucking. I mean come on if after 14 years in business you are going to worry about a few grand price differance in a 4x4 and 4x2. Then your not serius. Get the right tool for the job let the price fall were it may. Also quit being so brand specific. Who cares if it's Ford, Chevy, or a hino. Get what fits your budget and needs. I myself (and I know you have said many times dot looks at them like big trucks) would go with the Chevy 4500-7500. If you are going to be buying it new it should be awhile before you are having any violation. Like bad tires and all the other old truck problems you were saying get you write up.

 

[Ford LT-9000]

Its not easy to make money the trucking is just part of the work a person has to do. There are not many jobs in this area. Four main industries here Logging, Commercial fishing Construction and Gravel mining. You try to get a job with one of the companies that work the resource industry which is very tough to get into because they are the year round jobs. Fishing is a seasonal job but you make 70 grand a year as a deckhand the owner of the boats make around 500,000 a season. Most guys work in the construction trade.

If you don't have many different skills your SOL to make enough money to survive in a area like this with limited job oppertunities. A Jack of all trades is a must or prepare to be stuck with a very low paying job like working in a grocery store or restaurant.

For me I need to have two jobs my gov't job isn't enough even at 21 per hour so its why I want to get back to trucking to help with my annual income.

When you do trucking here its not general freight the loads range from junk from peoples basements to 26,000 dollars worth of tires for a articulated trucks There are many odd loads I have hauled over the years and some expensive loads.

Untill 2 years ago I wasn't completely legal as a trucking company the laws and regulations changed in B.C. which deregulated the trucking industry to make it more fair and even out the competition.

Now I'am legal I applied for my number so now I can haul other people freight legally. Years before I had to operate as a subcontractor for the companies I worked for and they were renting my truck. In the years previous I had to have a motor carrier plate and had to be approved by the gov't and they only allowed so many trucking companies in one area. I never could get a license to haul in this area.

Trucking is a tough racket to make a go at because the work is so limited you have to be willing to haul anything everything and go anywhere with your truck. Delivering a load of lumber can entail leaving the paved highway and miles into the back bush to lakeside cabins. Those roads are fairly rough they are logging roads with steep grades.

The only trucks that haul full time are the ones that work for the two large cartage companies that haul general freight. They are not interested in hauling other loads like hauling lumber from the sawmill to somebodies house. The owner operators that work there are fighting for the work that is out there. They are not making big money either its a job so they have it. They make less per hour for their trucks than what independant guys like me but they have a semi steady work.

There is a need in the area for a 2 ton trucking service but its not a full time job and I doubt it will ever be. The contractors I know would like to have me back especially the sawmills because they have had to find alternatives. I know there is a need for somebody able to deliver upto 3 yards of sand gravel or topsoil.

My truck isn't just used for trucking freight it also carries the tools I need for the jobs I do it also gets me to my other jobs. I could be hauling lumber one day and another day could be working on a construction site pouring a foundation. My work days are never the same the phone rings the night before contractor wants me to help on a site off I go the next morning. I like the variety of work I never get bored like I do at the gov't job its the same thing day in day out.

The West Coast has one unique problem which is most of you in the US probably never rode a ferry. When you live on the West Coast of B.C. like I do you depend on them to access the rest of B.C. Any time you haul from here to Vancouver it costs me 104.00 dollars in ferry fare for a F-450. Also when you ride ferrys you have wait time and schedules to haul from here to Vancouver and back can take a easy 6 hours and your hustling you azz.

There is a demand for a same day service where you make a special trip for them to haul something back from Vancouver. Its not a regular hauling job so thats why you charge a higher price for the special run.

If you have a 5 ton truck and trying to do that trip forget it your looking at a full 8 hour day. You need the smaller truck to beable to pass scales get through back routes in the Vancouver to avoid the grid lock traffic. You could be waiting a hour to 2 hours waiting at a highway scale with what a 3 ton payload. I need to beable to run around get the loads thrown on the truck and get back out of the city. The load could be a 4 ton spool of used wire for the logging contractor or it could be a engine for a boat. The load I haul back I would charge 400-500 dollars depending on what it is and how far into the bowels of Vancouver I have to go.

Now that I can get financing that I have a gov't job for 4 years I can finally get a more reliable truck. My biggest struggle is I never could get a bank loan to get ahead. Now that I'am able to get a bank loan and some financing I can try move forward instead of moving backwards. Self-employeed people have a tough time dealing with banks you go talk to a loans manager you get kicked in the nuts and sent away.

How was I supposed to move forward without and financing and working with the money I made and the cost of living and keeping my truck running.

I would be happy if the truck makes me a extra 1000 dollars clear a month so the truck would have to work 40 hours a month to make me approx 1000 clear a month. I would be happy if the truck just paid for itself untill the area picks up again because I will be ready when the boom starts up again.

If I see the venture is going to go then I will quit the gov't but the local economy right now is like looking down a barrel of a loaded shot gun you don't know if its going to go off. I'am not going to quit a gauranteed paycheck to self employement. I need the gov't job to restart my self employment.

 

[capt_met]

sounds like a mitsubishi fuso fg would be great for your purposes. that is if its not more important to drive a ford than have your own bussiness. to be so brand loyal doesn't sound like priorities are in order.

 

[stuvecorp]

For our business I bought a 94 F450 back in 99, bought it as a cab chassis and upfitted with a 11' contractor box. Still use this truck and like it but my advice is to buy a new truck. I used this truck for acouple of years as my daily driver, fuel mileage wasn't the greatest. One winter when I was doing drafting for a lumberyard I would do emergency deliveries with it. Starting out alot of times all day Saturday and in the evenings would run mulch, black dirt, base, and other loads for people.
The reason a new truck maybe a better option is any used truck tends to be used up, our truck had roughly 220,000 on it. Two weeks after I got it the motor went, later the transmission, suspension, needed tires, and on and on. So now I have a truck that has 315,000 on it and nobody wants it, had we bought a new one would have had warranty, air conditioning, better fuel mileage. I added all the repairs and price of the truck up once and it was all most the same money but I was chicken to buy the new truck. You also may get some finacing from your dealer that could be decent.
Whatever brand you pick go with the 20,000 gvw, its more payload. Good luck

 

[Ford LT-9000]

I have been looking at them but they are not cheap the only dealer in B.C. had one with a dump on it and the truck was well over 50,000 dollars CND.

There are two of them running around the area one is a flatdeck belongs to a rental company and the other is set up as a concrete pump.

I was looking at a 2007 5500 4x4 with dump box duramax for a cheap 77,000 dollars. I found 2005 4500 4x4 12' dump duramax 5000km for 58,000 dollars another 2006 5500 2wd with a flatdeck 30kms 63,0000 dollars.

I think Chev must beleive these trucks are worth that much I can get a Ford F-450 or F-550 cheaper than that.

I found a 2007 Mitsubishi FG140 4x4 with a flatdeck and 22,000kms (13,670kms) on the clock for 47,000.

The Mits are a little low on power wonder how well it would do pulling steep grades maxed out. At 147hp and 347ftlbs its definatly no power house it prolly gets good mileage thou. The other thing is the 140 is lighter gvw than the F-450 the Mits only has a 9480lb rear and 5730lb front axle and a gvw of 14050lbs.

I did find a 2006 F-550XL 6.0 4x4 with a switch and go and 11' box for 69,000 dollars I did the number crunching on it the payments would be 1400 dollars a month a little too much.

I was talking with one of the better building contractors on sunday he said I should go back to what I was doing before. He figures the house building is going to pick up again we are just in a lull right now.

 

[PSDF350]

I would stay away (far away) from the 6.0l. I haven't had lots of trouble with mine. But others have had nothing but trouble. Also mpg just isn't there. I am getting 13-15mpg.

 

[jmac]

would stay away (far away) from the 6.0l. I haven't had lots of trouble with mine. But others have had nothing but trouble. Also mpg just isn't there. I am getting 13-15mpg.
Today 02:08 AM

I have a 06' F350 PSD crew cab and I wish I was getting 13-15. Never have seen 15 mph. Today after using 4x4 my milage is 11.5 mpg. I have not had any motor problems as of yet, but nock on wood. Only 8,000 miles on it, better not have any problems. The PSD is better than the V10. Have you looked at GMC? If I was to do again I think I would go with GMC or if Dodge puts a Alison and Cummings together that would be the best.

 

[PSDF350]

I have an 04 with about 75,000. I have had a few small issuse but nothing major. I just know I wouldn't want to have this motor in anything bigger than my 1 ton pick up.

 

[jazak]

I have to try get self employeed again I ruled out running a tandem axle dump there isn't enough work for the costs. The profit margins are borderline for the money need to be spent. I have to have the freedom of being self-employed again and have a job I enjoy and not one I hate.

Here is the question I'am sick of searching for a used F-450 F-550 4x4 truck I have been looking for a long time :Banghead

So now I'am looking into buying new and options of buying a truck I know where I can get one tommorow if I want to.

I have been searching the net about leasing I don't know if its a good idea or not the low monthly payment looks good but you never own the truck. Most lease agreements allow you 75,000kms 120,000 miles for 4 years . The residual payment is what you have to worry about at the end of the lease term.

Then there is paying monthly payments for the truck its the most expensive but you own the truck.

The trucks I have in mind is at a dealer

2007 F-450XL 6.0 automatic 4x4 it has a 12x8 flatdeck on it for 49,000 cnd

2007 F-450XL 2 wheeldrive with a 12x8 6.0 automatic. The work I do I should have a 4x4 I can do without. I would rather have a 6spd manual but they are hard to find. The dealer has these two trucks instock ready to roll there are a few other dealers with similar trucks forsale.

I have a brandnew dump hoist that I haven't used yet so I can make the deck dump. I can go back to hauling construction debris and haul small loads of topsoil again.

Is it worth buying new trucks anything used right now is worn out junk ?

The one guy I work with at the gov't job says never buy a used vehical your buying somebody elses problems.

I calculated my payments to be 760 dollars a month which I can do I would have to do all jobs to make the truck work.

I figured my current truck is going to need 2500 dollars in repairs right now fixing the steering box and replacing the transmission. The truck needs tires this summer 1300 dollars. So 3800 in repairs pays 5 new truck payments.

Next year the truck will need new king pins and front springs and bushings along with brakes all around so add another 2000 dollars. I will have to replace the seat and windshield on the truck too but thats nothing mechanical.

Parts are not cheap in B.C. the prices I quoted are pretty close to what it would cost to repair the problems with the truck. If I invest 5 grand into the truck to make it last another 3 years is that a wise choice ?

I shouldn't have bought the truck I have its been run hard and abused by who ever owned it before me it started to become troublesome with the transmission and steering box giving me troubles. The way the truck is now I'am hoping to get 11 grand for it I paid 15,000 in 2005 the truck has 225,000kms (139,000 miles) on it.

Everybody says take a chance you never know. I know I can get work with a 1 ton truck I have been doing it for 14 years I'am a legal trucking company. I will just have to start advertising again to get the customers I had back and get new customers.

What do you guys think take a chance and buy a new truck if it doesn't work out I may loose the truck but I'am hoping I can make it go.

Oh ya I'am a stubborn Ford man and won't buy any other brand so I'am looking at F-450s.

Here we go again.... Guys just to give you the heads up he's been talking this for the last yr....remember me (gravelrat)???:wink2

 

[Ford LT-9000]

double posting

 

[Ford LT-9000]

I was at the Ford dealer today if I want a new truck its going to be the new 2008 with the 6.4 litre. The salesman that I have been dealing with is a good guy he sells lots of trucks and has been at the dealer for 20 plus years everybody likes him.

Anyhow he looked on the computer and the there is only 2 07 F-450 XLT 4x4s with 6.0 6spd 165 wheelbase trucks in Canada both of them are in Alberta. He looked up 550s with the same specs there is one left its in Nova Scotia I wanted a XL but there is none left I want a 4x4 which isn't common in B.C. and I want a 6spd manual no rotten automatics for me. To import a truck from the US is allot of work and it needs to be certified for Canada.

I don't want to wait for a 08 model and plus I don't think I want to be a guinea pig for the 6.4 supposidly the new Piezo injection is more reliable but the twin turbo set up

The dealer is going to get back to me with a price and see if the two trucks in Alberta are not spoken for. If they are I'am SOL I will have to find another option I would like to deal with the local Ford dealer they been here for close to 30 years.

The 6.0 scares me too I have been hearing and know people with problematic 6.0s. I know of and heard people complaining about the mileage currently with my 95 F-450 with 7.3 I get 12mpg and it doesn't change much. The 6.0 is only doing 10mpg at best those were 03 model trucks.

The guys that do have the 6.0 love the power most 6.0 owners are previous 7.3 owners they say the difference is night and day. I have rode in a familly friends 03 dually 4x4 the truck is close to 9000lbs with fuel slip tank and tool box. He was showing off the power because he knows I have a 7.3. The 6.0 puts you back into your seat I was impressed for being a stock truck dually.

The people with 03s some have been good trucks never been touched then one guy I know he sold his truck at a loss just to get rid of it and bought a 07.

The cost of running a tandem axle dump truck has gotten way to high your working for borderline profit. The high cost of tires, fuel is still 4 dollars a gallon and dealing with people that don't want to pay their bills forget it. Its to the point now with tires if you ruin a drive tire that eats into a days pay especially when your paying close to 400 dollars for a recaped drive tire.

I know the local contractors are getting to the point now is if they could they would park the trucks. At 80 dollars per hour that just pays for expenses and drivers wages. Its been roughly calculated out the truck makes 20 dollars per hour for the contractor.

So if I want to make any money its going to be hauling anything and everything with a little truck. At 50 dollars per hour its fairly easy money to go get 3 yards of topsoil from the topsoil supplier would put 100 dollars in my pocket for a 1.5 hours of work.

If the construction picks up again there should be enough work especially if the one subdivision starts building because in the rules of the developers the new homeowner has to have the property landscaped in the same year the house is completed. Some of the most expensive houses will be in the 1 million mark.