Story of my business, starting from the trunk of my car

[Aliate]

Congrats man that's quite an accomplishment in 3 years. Good luck in the future.

I find the reasons for you starting your own business interesting. Since I didn't take over my father's business for those exact reasons just a different point of view. When I was off work I wanted to be off work. Not worrying about vendors, jobs, employees, and etc.

Your story reminds me of one of my old employers. He started out just like you pretty much. He would remove concrete slabs by digging a hole underneath the edge. Using an old mechanical jack he bought from the railroad so he could lift it to break it easier with a sledgehammer. Then he would hand loaded all the broken concrete in it in the 1970s ear F150 that he converted into a dump bed.

I wished I had a dump bed, I was breaking them out with a sledge hammer and loading them into a U haul truck. Hand unload at the dump!

Congrats on the company you've built. I too have followed the old threads on HEF and your company FB page and enjoyed watching the progress. Hard work and determination still gets results.

Just a question about the commercial backfill jobs. Here the initial site contractor usually takes all foundation backfill, I do in my contracts. Just curious as to why the GC's break out the foundation backfill in your work area.

Another contractor did the sitework on that one then passed on the foundations, some projects go that way, other times the sitework contractor will deliver the finished product. I would imagine because the foundation work is usually very time consuming being that there is so much sidewalk grading and small work, weve been on this job since november just doing backfills and grading.

 

[Wastepro]

Nice work Aliate. When people work hard, good things can follow.

Couldn't agree more with Junkyard on this one --- I didn't document the startup of my business because I would rather not remember the 4AM to 11pm work days.

First truck I bought for my business 1982 Toyota long bed with 22R. Still got er, and runs better then ever.

I'm and always amazing at people complaining about not being able to find work, If only they would work at finding a job!

Good Luck Aliate.

 

[murphy777]

Nice work Aliate. When people work hard, good things can follow.

Couldn't agree more with Junkyard on this one --- I didn't document the startup of my business because I would rather not remember the 4AM to 11pm work days.

First truck I bought for my business 1982 Toyota long bed with 22R. Still got er, and runs better then ever.

I'm and always amazing at people complaining about not being able to find work, If only they would work at finding a job!

Good Luck Aliate.

I love to hear other peoples start up stories....great stuff!
my first "work Truck" was a ford focus with a roof rack.....Haha!
Second work truck was an 88 f350 dump, with so many holes every where your feet would get wet if you drove through a puddle....

 

[TVA]

Very good story!
The only problem is whiners cryers and lazy complainers is not on this forum! This would be story for them!

I still catching a lot of flack about my 1997 F450 as being too old and that I wasted money and should have bought newer truck!
Well, I bought it because it has 7.3 in it and 6000# crane instead of 2000#! And I can fix it myself! After reading this thread - I understood that I actually started out pretty good! Compare to OP and lots of other people who had to start out like that. And people who criticize me for buying old truck - can kiss my ass every time they sign the payment check for their trucks!

 

[murphy777]

TVA- well put!
Ive also have 97 f350 with the 7.3 and a dump....I love it...
Let it be known I also have a 2016 f350 6.7 Love the power windows, hate the payment!

 

[TVA]

TVA- well put!
Ive also have 97 f350 with the 7.3 and a dump....I love it...
Let it be known I also have a 2016 f350 6.7 Love the power windows, hate the payment!

The mirror heaters and power window, at least on passenger door is what I lack!

 

[Birken Vogt]

The mirror heaters and power window, at least on passenger door is what I lack!

Think about how much it would cost to have that option.

Think about how much [little] time you lose wiping it with a rag vs. how much time it would take you to earn the money to pay for that option, that is what I do.

 

[Aliate]

2024 update :

Crazy to look back at this thread. So I’m still at it and we’ve grown a lot. We own about 10 excavators now, 2 dozers, 2 loaders, dump truck etc. We’ve gotten into design built work and went union. Also purchased 5 acres of industrial zoned property for our yard and office. We bought a new D71pxi and HM300 as a package deal for a job we’re about to start.

 

[Aliate]

Some more pics. Just wrapping up this hospital we’ve been working on for 3 years.

Edit - seems like it’s hard to upload pics but maybe I’ll try when I get to the computer.

 

[skyking1]

congrats to you on your success and for going Union, brother. (Local 612 in Tacoma).

 

[CM1995]

Fantastic man!

You have worked your arse off over the years and it shows. Keep up the good work and keep us posted.

 

[Aliate]

congrats to you on your success and for going Union, brother. (Local 612 in Tacoma).

That’s funny, we’re 302 and 612. Next big job is in Lakewood.

 

[Aliate]

Fantastic man!

You have worked your arse off over the years and it shows. Keep up the good work and keep us posted.

Thanks I appreciate it. We demoed the D71 against a cat D6 btw. You should try out some of the new komatsu dozers!

 

[skyking1]

They balance nice, the visibility is better.

 

[Aliate]

They balance nice, the visibility is better.

Way more power and $100k cheaper

 

[skyking1]

Yikes 100K?

 

[CM1995]

Way more power and $100k cheaper

Yep that's a decision maker. Bought a D6R XW new back in 2007 and it was right at $300K. What are they going for now - $600-650K?

Our D3 has appreciated in value since we bought it back in 2021. Never in my 20 years of owing yellow scrap iron has that happened. Crazy times.

 

[Aliate]

Yep that's a decision maker. Bought a D6R XW new back in 2007 and it was right at $300K. What are they going for now - $600-650K?

Our D3 has appreciated in value since we bought it back in 2021. Never in my 20 years of owing yellow scrap iron has that happened. Crazy times.

The D6 with GPS was about 695k. A D6 is not even a true comparison to a 71, with the 71 slightly larger. 71 with GPS was right around 600k brand new. Our best dozer hand and myself ran both machines all day, the 6 was a really nice machine but the 71 just felt like something that was 5 years ahead. Way more pushing power, better control, amazing visibility. You can see the top of the blade from where you sit.

The 6 XE stacks up better to the 71 with what is basically a hydrostatic drive but I’m sure that’s even more expensive. They didn’t have one we could try out. Just the standard 6 non LGP. We buy all cats but they’ve gotten out of control with their pricing. I told them flat out too. The 71 is hands down a better dozer than the 6 and someone who says otherwise hasn’t ran both.

 

[CM1995]

Man you gotta move a lot of dirt for $600K. I could get 2 - D3's with GPS and have some change left over but then you would have to find another but to put in the seat.

 

[Aliate]

Man you gotta move a lot of dirt for $600K. I could get 2 - D3's with GPS and have some change left over but then you would have to find another but to put in the seat.

We pushed out a few thousand yards of dirt in a day with those two machines. Two D3s couldn’t even keep up with the 71. I have a D3 also, it’s a great machine. Around here though you can’t always take an extra few days to get the dirt moved, you gotta beat the rain. An operator also costs about $95/hr.