Starting a dump truck business.

Running a dump truck is probably the easiest way to get in to hauling, only need a class B. But therein lies the problem, too easy to startup. Guys either buy a brand new rig, drenched in chrome, that will be near impossible to pay for given the low pay rates. Some signing their house as collateral to do that, real bad decision. While others buy an older used-up truck, with no warranty, and one major truck failure / repair, after another, chasing that rabbit, but never quite close enough to grab onto. I drove tri-axles, but thankfully never had to pay for one. (Yes I had the dream too) Company I drove for had a trucking division and also a construction outfit, and they still went bankrupt. Their new Peterbilts were right off the truck show floor, already painted with the company colors, really sharp looking beautiful trucks, sure everyone noticed, but it didn't save them, or a few others doing the same thing. On top of that there was a local firm that dispatched most all of the dump trucks in the area. If you wanted to play, you had to pay for that service. Nobody dared to complain, for fear of not being dispatched. And we ran overweight constantly.

The only really good jobs hauling dirt or stones, is done by the quarries own fleets, all Teamsters. And all perfectly maintained and cleaned everyday.

This thread is just plain depressing, but honestly truthful.

 

Why do you think they are paying about $86 hr for quad axle dump truck think about it if it was easy work would they ?

 

Well i might as well beat this dead horse.After 20 years of bieng an owner operator, I Had 2 tandems that could legal 15 tons of load.But some truck broker here in so cal convinced a bunch of big construction outfits that he had tri axles that legal 18 tons .He began a whole new niche in the market . Oversaturating the market. Everyone with a tandem either got rid of their truck and bought a tri-axle but the truth is a tri-axle in California can only legal a little over 16 tons so now we have a insanely oversaturated Market because of one broker and greed. Then all the contractors want to overload the crap out of you.Now the last 5 years the THREAT of CARB compliance. All the old timers sold or retired and all the new scool guys buy more and more trucks to work around the clock to pay for it all.More drivers and payments.Now who can say no.The rate hasn't gone up in over 10 years yet everybody and their brother is still buying and building and selling dump trucks everybody's willing to work harder and longer for less money than last year .when everything said and done I take home driver's wages. I work all the time because the weather is great in Southern California. First off learn math what the truck makes you keep half if you baby it.If your wife works then you aren't supporting a family or household with it then who cares.Glorified driving job....not a business...good luck to you

 

Over loading is easy, volume of stone required to match the dump truck's GVWR and then build the dump bed only that big. Not one inch higher. Excess stone fall down. Presto, overloading solved.

 

funny u mention this. my truck has a 17 ft bed and my friend is always telling me about his truck. he has a 13 ft bed and only physically holds 12 yards, not a drop more lol. he says he never has to worry about getting overloaded.

 

I bought several dump truck loads of gravel a few weeks ago. It was an eye opener how little dump trucks make although they probably make up for it on busy days with volume. The lady broke down the cost on a per load basis. I forget what it was but I think roughly about 40-45% of what a 22 ton load cost me went to the dump truck, 9.75% state sales tax, and the rest went to the crusher. The 2"-3" rock was about $400 a load and the crusher run was $300 a load delivered and spread. I was 11 miles from the quarry.

 

One day several neighbors banded together about 14 homes on significant land. They decided to pool money together and have a common road built to access all of them.

It took about 14 plus hours in two trucks playing relay. I load em, other man drove it back and forth, the time it took to load was the exact round trip and dump time so it was perfect clock work.

100 yards went down that day. One of our records.

 

I just shortened my box to a 16 and put it on my old 359 which is a little bit shorter Well everybody's jealous that I can make a U-turn where they have to make a four point turn my lightweight is1 ton lighter

 

Now my payload in one ton less but were working hourly why would i want to haul more. The contractors are driving around with brand-new pickups and they are paying labors $40 an hour to stand and hold a shovel or stop sign everybody get Triple time and overtime and weekend pay if your a owner operator they say you should be happy you're working I'm tired of making everybody rich hauling illegal loads so the contractor can get a bonus and be the hero.Meanwhile i rebuild my truck every year so that the DOT can inspect me because my truck is actually clean and not held together with duct tape.

 

amen. every weekend im working on my truck, even its something small.

if i end keeping this thing around, im chopping it down for a 14 or 15 ft bed for sure. im contracted with a local dirt pit..12 yard loads is all we haul anyways. and when i do other material loads that go by weight, 13 to 14 tons is the most i put.

 

Funny thing is guys cant do math . Carrying 3 tons extra tears up your truck and guys are always afraid to speak up and lose $. Then if something goes wrong its the truckers "responsibility".So now nobody respects them anyway.And tell me about the rates.If I keep 45% of $3000 a week,and It takes working 60+ hrs for that. $1350÷ by 60hrs is 22.50 per hour.WTF