# Dump Truck



## earthmover (Feb 17, 2009)

Well to start off I have been hiring tandems and tri's for the passed couple of years and have finally come to the point where I might pull the trigger on purchasing my first tandem. I would still be hiring trucks for bulk hauling but would use the truck for the small 1 or 2 load jobs and to trailer the machines instead of paying someone to haul what I could put on a tag trailer.

Those of you that have dumps do you find it worth the costs to own to have them at your disposal? 
Is it worth hiring them out to haul for other companies when there not busy? I'm not trying to get into the trucking business but maybe just recover some cost.

I'm waiting to get my quote back from the insurance co but what do you guys pay for truck insurance? I know rate vary from company and area etc.

Sorry for the long post. Just trying to get some feed back before I pull the trigger.


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## rino1494 (Jan 31, 2006)

Beware that trucks are cost money and alot of time to maintain. Tires are expensive along with the insurances. It can be a real pain for the upkeep to avoid DOT fines. Be prepared to work late nights sometimes changing flat tires or a leaky air hose.

In the end, we would be crippled without our own truck. Especially if you need material right away and you cannot get somebody at the drop of a hat. We also use our truck to dip stone out of alot. We have tailgate locks and use the dumptruck just like a bedding box. 

Shop around for insurances. My buddy "had" progressive and it went from $4,200 to $7,800. He had no claims, but they said they lost too much money from tornado's and floods.


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## tgeb (Feb 9, 2006)

I own a single axle dump. I rent tri-axles when I need to do any serious hauling.

I don't know what you do specifically, but most of my work is small residential. Having a small dump truck and trailer works very well for me. I don't move a lot of material on a regular basis.

I will tell you this, one of the "Big Boys" near me rents trucks when needed, 20 years ago his fleet of tri-axles was well over 50, (maybe 75), trucks on the road. My thinking is... If a company that size subs out the hauling...there is a reason.

There are some weeks/months I wonder why I have my truck. It is for convenience mostly, I doubt I actually make any money with it, it facilitates the job.


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## Moxley-Kidwell (Jan 28, 2011)

I pretty much run the same way Tom has explained, rent tri-axles as needed. Although we do have an older Ford Tri that is stuck in the mix hauling asphalt, stone or whatever. I wouldn't want to go back to 5-6 trucks due to maint., but mainly having to find and deal with the drivers. Having one truck is very worth it though, especially if you just need a few loads of this or that or if you need a truck all day to clean up, work on the side of the road and dip out of. Knowing you can have a truck whenever you need it is well worth it to me. It will cost you $ to keep it, but if you rent a single truck a bunch it will save you when you can't find rentals. We've also been doing a bunch of T&M work so it has paid for itself some since we've had it. We can rent tri's for $65/hr here and I'm not sure how they make any money at that rate.


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## Precision10 (Apr 6, 2010)

My business would stop without my tri axle. I don't know how you can really be in the excavating business without at least a tandem. If your going to buy one, get a newer truck that has been well maintained and keep up on ALL the maintenance. The most expensive thing to pay for is down time when a truck/equipment is broke and you have a crew sitting on the clock. I charge $90 an hour or $4 per yard depending on job.


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## TMatt142 (Apr 28, 2006)

The company I work for uses rentals quite a bit but for different reasons than the obvious. We also own 6 tri-axles that for the most part, get used on a regular basis. We find ourselves saying all the time, "Jesus, we need to get rid of those damn things!". They are of course nice to have around at times when taking care of the little odds and ends when smaller jobs with less space are winding down. Other than that, a tri, at least in MN, is not a cost effective way of import/export in regards to larger quantities. It is good though to have a couple around. 
BTW.....Hi guys!.....Been awhile since I've been on the site, hope all are doing well in the "hole digging" business"


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## Gnella (Jan 16, 2009)

We have 2 tandems strictly for our use. We use at least one almost every day for dirt, stone or asphalt. They definitely cost and plenty to keep up with. We also use them to keep the rental trucks moving. We will load our truck first, then run 2 rentals and then run our other. This way trucks keep moving and don't waste time.


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