dump, hook, dumpster truck ... opinions and advice needed

[imjustdave]

I curently own a dodge 1 ton and have voed to never get a bigger truck, and or get into the hauling buisness but I might .......

I do a lot of landscaping and hauling away of debris, + hauling of my own equipment + topsoil, and gravel delivery. Curently haul a tracked skid steer + rental equipment mainly a mini- Ex mainly. But realasticly my truck is small, I hire trucks all the time to haul stuff for me and Im at the point where I might want to buy a mini-EX 5 ton range and Im thinking of getting a hook style of roll off dumpster. If I get a big enough dumpster I could drive and haul my skid steer in and or a mini Ex, around + I could haul my own stuff and recoop some money as well as, renting out dupsters to other people keeping the truck and a driver bussy. So am I crazy? Can 1 truck with say 3-10 dumpsters make $$, should I get a dump truck instead? what is the best setup for a roll off box- dumpster? brands of trucks and dumpster boxes? Advice please

Thanks

 

[Ford LT-9000]

It depends on what size of truck your after I looked into it and the price of the truck makes it cost probhibitive. If your looking at a hooklift on a F-550 sized truck then your looking at 70 grand or more that doesn't even include bins. If you are going with a 5 ton excavator then your going to need minimum 33,000lb gvw single axle if your doing that you might aswell try find a used tandem conventional rolloff truck then your going into big trucks big money.

You might be better off sticking with a F-550 or Chev 5500 with a mason dump on it. To make a mini bin service work you will need a large customer base you will never make it with 3 bins your going to need a fleet of bins.

It all depends on how much money you want to spend and how much you may loose :crying

 

[jazak]

1. You will want a truck thats under CDL. So that you or your workers can drive it. Something around the GVW 20-23,000lb. range.
2. A hooklift or roll-off is great because you can leave a body at the job to fill with the mini-ex while the truck is getting some supplies or dumping a second body. So its like have several trucks in one.
3. Since you will have several bodies you could also get into removal or stuff like that if you wanted to. Like you said yourself you could rent the bodies out to other contracters, ext.
4. You can put your tracked skid in the back like you suggested. Since its a roll-off or hooklift body it work like flatbed tow truck so you can put just about anything in the back of the truck with no problem except the weight limit.
5. I would get 2x solid sided boxes & 1x solid sided box but one thats like a rack body in that you can take the sides of to make it a flatbed.
6. Here is a great picture of a guy who has two rolloff/hooklift trucks that he loves. If you would like to get into contact with him to ask some questions I could probobly get you his phone#.

 

[imjustdave]

Well I was thinking tandom axel maybe even tandom with a drop. I ues a local company curently they drop me a 40 yard box all the time and its nice, they do have a few smaller trucks and I have gotten 1 smal bin once and the truck couldn't lift it, so I had to transfer some assphault out and split between two boxes. so I dont' think small is worth it plus im looking for something that can handle my curent and future equipment with out to much issue. I assume I could pull a nice sized equipment trailer with a hook truck

 

[imjustdave]

1. You will want a truck thats under CDL. So that you or your workers can drive it. Something around the GVW 20-23,000lb. range.
2. A hooklift or roll-off is great because you can leave a body at the job to fill with the mini-ex while the truck is getting some supplies or dumping a second body. So its like have several trucks in one.
3. Since you will have several bodies you could also get into removal or stuff like that if you wanted to. Like you said yourself you could rent the bodies out to other contracters, ext.
4. You can put your tracked skid in the back like you suggested. Since its a roll-off or hooklift body it work like flatbed tow truck so you can put just about anything in the back of the truck with no problem except the weight limit.
5. I would get 2x solid sided boxes & 1x solid sided box but one thats like a rack body in that you can take the sides of to make it a flatbed.
6. Here is a great picture of a guy who has two rolloff/hooklift trucks that he loves. If you would like to get into contact with him to ask some questions I could probobly get you his phone#.

My skidsteer weighs in at almost 12K lbs and the Ex I want is about the same so I need a larger truck, I have a class A so I'm not worried aobut that, curently im just under 26K with my 1 ton dodge and 14K trailer, the issues is my trailer is always at 14K or higher and its only a matter of time before it fails, I have looked into a goosneck trailer, 20K capasity, but Im looking at another 10K in a trailer, nice option but maybe a better one is a hook truck with a second line of work,

I think the bigest Q are
How hard will it be to keep a truck bussy?
How much in real life does a truck cost per HR to operate?
Fuel, ins, driver, maintainance.. etc
How much work is there? Seattle area
How many containers will I need to make it worth wild?
Which truck is right? hook, dump, tilt, tandom, ETC
Is it worth the trouble?

 

[jazak]

A tandem axle is WAY overkill. Go look at a Peterbilt 335 or Kenworth T300. There is no way you need a tandem axle truck to just carry a skid and mini-ex. I would like I said go with 3 boxes. Plus a tandem axles is a pain to drive in residentail areas. Talk to SCAG48 about work over there, last I heard there is tons of it. The truck is only worth it if you want to grow, if you want to stay a small one or two man operation then keep the dodge and just keep contracting trucks out, but thats only if you want to stay at the size you're at now. Go with a double pivot hooklift so the truck act like a roll-off and, a dump truck & a flatbed tow truck. Also the truck will stay as busy as you are now if not more. Just because its a bigger truck doesn't mean that it won't stay busy; HOW MUCH IT STAYS BUSY IS HOW MUCH YOU WANT IT TO STAY BUSY. What I mean is by that is if you don't advertise, ext the truck will sit along with the rest of your equipment now if you advertise and maybe add a few services that truck will stay busy because work will always be coming.

 

[T Red]

I looked at this a while back. Mainly a F550. But the problem was payload. I think you need a 33,000 lb truck to do much.
Truck wt 10,000
lift 4000
container 3000 just guessing on the container

end up with 17,000 tare wt

if you used a 33,000 lb truck you would have 16,000 lb payload.

If you used a 23,000 lb truck you would have only 6000 lb payload.

Also some contractors fill those containers with alot of wt. especially drywall or demo work. Better be sure it will pick up about anything. Don't limit yourself make it profitable.

 

[Ford LT-9000]

I never noticed it the first time that you were from the Pacific Nortwest area.

I would go with a tandem you will find more used tandems you can buy to get your foot in the door than a single axle.

The benefits of a tandem axle rolloff is you can use the truck for a dump truck that will haul 15 ton of gravel, you can have some 40 yard bins for brush hauling. You can build a set of logging bunks on a set of rails for hauling short wood logs a flatdeck for hauling general freight.

A tandem axle with a conventional rail hoist is handy to have I would have one but there is already 3 companies in the area competing the the work.

If you go with a single axle rolloff your payload isn't that great plus most demolition contractors want 30-40 yard bins. Also if you get jobs clearing brush you really need a big bin because it is light but bulky material.

 

[Wawrecker]

Hi Dave, I am in Wa st and just put a T800 hooklift on the road and have no regrets. GO WITH THE BIG DOG!!! I use my truck for our own demolition but have also been helping the local recycle guys with hooklifts when there truck goes down at $105 hr. I put a Trailmax 30 ton tilt behind it and then roll a can on backwards and I can roll down the road legal with 26 tons in the cans. I just helped a buddy that was doing some concrete demo in Wenachee get all his scrap rebar back to Seattle. I did it for 50% of what the load paid, well with 2 cans of steel and 8 hours port to port the truck grossed $1000.00 for the day or around $125 hr. These are opertunitys that will not present themselves in a F-550. Buy a truck with no less that 425 HP, 13SPD 15 or 18spd, walking beam type suspension, 40k plus axles a 16k plus upfront and go with a Stellar bed. Having just spent $228,000.00 on a 07 Kenworth and 8 cans I can help you cut some cost due to hindsight being 20/20. Send me a private mail and I can help you out.

 

[Ford LT-9000]

Thats good to hear your getting lost of work with your T-800 Wawrecker :thumbsup

To keep cost down for a first time starter a conventional rail hoist truck would be cheaper especially for a used truck. Once you see there is a market then go for the new truck.

 

[earthmoverv]

Do your self a favor

Buy a rollback wrecker style truck go in the wrecker service on the side no epa to deal with no dump fees and you can choose which one you take or not . dumpsters are a 24 hr turn around usallly always over loaded never small enough to put where they want it etc wrecker truck big enough to haul your equip AND BUILD SIDE PANNELS for it and triple your debrie cap.

 

[90plow]

The dumpster buisness is not one I would want to be in. My friend does it and between the insurance, drivers, and breakdowns theyre lucky to break even at the end of the day. Even if you made $150 an hour if you blow a rear you've spent a weeks pay between down time and repair costs. I don't know how you could really make any money with one truck unless your using it for yourself. The amount of cans you need to move to turn profit is rediculous. This is only my opinion there are guys making good money at it but is cut throat.

 

[Dwan Hall]

this is a three year old thread. Which way did he go?

I make a fair profit with my hook lift, but it is not my only means of support.

 

[deer3245]

How do you unload debris from an auto wrecker rollback?

 

[Dwan Hall]

good question Most don't dump steep enough. Suppose one could load a skid steer on first then load your scrap behind it then push it off. Ha Ha

Here is one of my Stellar shuttles on a F350 without the bed. This one will dump at about 53 degrees.

 

[deer3245]

Have you ever seen the lift hook system on a trailer for a p/u? I imagine you can tow more that you can carry?

 

[Dwan Hall]

Stellar industeries mounts some of theres on trailers. It has been a long time sence I have seen one but they will adpot one to a trailer if you have enough money.

http://www.stellarindustries.com/pages/hooklifts.htm

 

[Deeretime]

I got 2 T330 kenworths bolth with swamp loaders and it has been the Best thing we have ever bought. I haul skidsteers in the dumpsters and also have a water truck deck, a genset on a deck, and a large deck with a fithwheel and a winch. they are by far the best trucks we have ever owned ill post some pictures of the decks and setups later if you are interested

 

[ScottAR]

I'd love to see pics of hook lifts. I'm in a thought exercise about
what trucks we'll need in the future. A hooklift/rolloff type truck
is looking attractive.

 

[CM1995]

ill post some pictures of the decks and setups later if you are interested

I would also like to see your set up. Hook-lifts are under utilized in NA, IMHO.