Looking to get into dump trucking

It's expensive to get started. Insurance alone is several grand. Dump truck is fun but it's seasonal depending on what you get into. Research what's in your area as far as possible dump contracts. If you can feed a plant then you might have something. Sitting around a rock quarry you'll go broke. You could start you own paving or excavating business which are money makers.

You don't like being an electrician? I have a family friend that done that. He makes real good money. He use to travel but now he has a local job.

 

Stay with electrical. Trucking can be a fantastic way to make a living, but you have already invested 3 years into a good and lucrative profession. Plus with a DUI nobody is going to be trying to bend over backwards to help you. The guys I know doing electrical work seem to be doing a lot better then the guys I know doing electrical work. Just my worthless opinion. Regardless the best of luck to you no matter what you decide and thank you for your service. Happy veterans day.

 

Getting into the dump truck side of trucking is probably one of the most expensive sides of the industry. If you are going to get on with a company hauling to a plant you can't just use any truck you see especially then ones you say are going for 10k. Most of the plants pay by the ton so just having a tandam axle truck will cause you to go broke because you wont be able to haul enough weight to make a profit. Also since most of the plants already have long standing relationships with larger dump truck companies you'll probably have to lease on with another company to be able to haul. This means either the other company you are leased to will take so much a ton off the top, the fuel surcharge, or a percentage of what the truck makes to be able to work for them. This will cause you to have to always run heavy so you can make money. Doing that will cause you to put more ware and tare on the truck, burn more fuel, etc. just to make it worth it. The truck will also cost you ALOT, new tri-axle trailers are going for over 60k, the wet kit, pinned fifth wheel, and fenders will cost 5k to convert the truck you buy to be able to use a dump trailer.

If you are not looking to haul to a plant and are looking to just haul dirt, sand, etc. in a tandam like mentioned earlier is very seasonal. The rain will shut you down, and the winter is slower. if you go this route I suggest getting a pindel hook installed on the back of the truck with all the air lines so you can use the truck to move machines around when its slow. I would also suggest you get atleast a tri-axle dump truck. this truck will allow you to haul move, and can be used on more types of gov't jobs to keep the truck busy.

Another cost you have to look at is that youll need to have a place to work on the truck at. Dump trucks have very hard lives. They are loaded heavy, driven off road constantly, and are going to break down more often because of this. You can easily snap drive shafts, or axles when going off road onto softer ground, so you need to look at having a major break down when planning a budget. I have a buddy who in the first week of owning his own truck was backing into a yard the truck sunk and ended up cracking the oil pan of the truck. You also need to look into tires because the more off road driving you do the better chance you have of damaging a tire, also if you spin a tire while stuck can cause you to rip tread of the tire or cut all the way through it.

I am trying to start my own dump truck business and just by running the numbers the truck has to gross close to 4k a week to turn a profit which is roughly 800.00 per day. Those numbers are for a trailer truck hauling to plants.

If you need any more info just let me know I have a pretty good backround in dump trucks.

 

If you have DUI issues, insurance could be a problem. Being an electrician is a skilled trade that can make you quite a bit of money just by using your own two hands and your knowledge, without the overhead of a truck. But you want to know if your dream is possible.

A $10,000 truck could cost another $10,000 in repairs. If you are not a mechanic, learn to be. And figure that $20,000 before tags and insurance and fuel until you get paid, which could be two weeks to 30 days +. Remember, if your truck breaks and you can't pay the bill, you are done. If you can't pay your insurance you are done. One DOT stop could cost you thosands of dollars. Any or all of these things can happen at one time. Plain and simple, this business is about survival and preparation. If you are not prepared, you will not survive.

With that being said, there are people that do well with their truck(s). I hope that gives you an idea what's involved. Good luck.

 

Are both DUIs convictions or deferred adjudications?
If they are 2 convictions esp in the last 3 years forget about this idea for a few years...insurance will kill you, one is bad enough 2 is horrible on your record.

 

Other options is to find a mega carrier to hire you for training and your license. You dont necessacrily need school, but it helps a metric ton if you dont already have a gig lined up. I didnt go through school, got mine through my employer

 

with the CSA 2010 regs put into place I believe you can no longer just go to a tester and get your CDL. I think you have to go to a school now to get a CDL. I didnt go to a school, and it makes it a lot harder to get a driving job. Most companies now require you to go to a school simply because their insurance wont pick you up. If you have never driven a truck before, and have very little to no experience in trucking I would suggest you go to a driving school, AND work for someone else before you buy your own truck. How do you know you'll like trucking enough to say in it? By driving for someone else you can get the feel of the industry and see if you enjoy it then you can make the decision later to buy your own truck.