# Dumpster OR Dump Trailer?



## BamBamm5144 (Jul 12, 2008)

I have posted this in another roofing forum some of you may have seen. Anyways, what does everyone use?

I use dumpsters right now but am really leaning towards purchasing a dump trailer. However, I dont know how much of an advantage that will give me. I pay 300 a dumpster with no weight limit. Usual price around here is 350 but a friend from high school owns the company. It gets dropped off and picked up on time 90 percent of the time and I never have any problems with driveways because I lay down one inch plywood under it.

I want a dump trailer because he will charge me around 100 dollars a load if I have get a 6 ton trailer. He recycles all his asphalt material. I am trying to figure out how long it will be until the trailer starts to pay for itself. I figure it would be around 30 jobs.

Anybody lean one way more than the other or know of a place where I can get used dump trailers near the Milwaukee area?


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## Greg Di (Mar 12, 2005)

Dump trailers are a license to print money IMO.

For instance, I ordered a 20 yard box for a big job today and it was $575.00. That's more than it would ever cost me to dump my own trailer, time included. Only reason I got the box was that the job is almost an hour away, it's going to generate a ton of debris and I don't want to deal with getting my trailer tied up for that long.

You still charge for debris removal, the only difference is that you are shattering your costs so it becomes a money maker every time you dump it.

I never ran numbers, but I would bet that my trailer has paid for itself 4 times over in 5 years.

Used dump trailers worth buying are next to impossible to find. Unless you find a creampuff, buy a new one.


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## seeyou (Dec 12, 2008)

I haven't used a dumpster in 5-6 years. 

Besides the obvious cost savings, the trailer can be moved around the job site making loading less time consuming and often we can combine several small jobs into one dump trip. I can also get the trailer into spots that would be impossible for a dumpster.

The other pro is that we use the dump trailer for other tasks - scaffold and material hauling for instance. 

The down side is extra wear and tear on the pull vehicle and time spend going too and from the dump.


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## MJW (Jan 27, 2006)

We have a F550 with our own 5 dumpsters. It can save you money, but it takes up your time. You have all the fees, licenses, DOT, etc, etc. Most guys aren't even legal pulling a dump trailer because you need a class A license. Now, one of local counties are starting a license for commercial hauling to the landfills. An extra $200 a year, 10K bond and $25 per truck.

It is nice being able to move the dumpster around the jobsite, but besides that it's almost easier to order a dumpster. Plus you get the write off.

One more thing.....if you run low on work, the payment is still there. With a rental, you have nothing over your head.


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## Mike Finley (Apr 28, 2004)

We got very excited about dump trailers for about 3 days... until I ran the real numbers, between the cost of the trailers, upkeep, yearly costs, and travel time two and from the job site, to the dump and back, the exposure to liability, the extra room needed to park them on sight on the job... it wasn't even close at all. Dumpsters are like anything else that you can outsource and have somebody else carry all the operating costs.

I just ordered a 30yrd roll off for a job, had it delivered for $350.00. 

I didn't have to pay an employee to take it there and drop it off (2.5 hours minimum) won't have the liability of them driving through town hitting a car with it on the way, no insurance costs, won't have to pay an employee to haul it away when we are done and bring it back to the yard (2.5 hours minimum), and on and on.


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## Greg Di (Mar 12, 2005)

Mike Finley said:


> We got very excited about dump trailers for about 3 days... until I ran the real numbers, between the cost of the trailers, upkeep, yearly costs, and travel time two and from the job site, to the dump and back, the exposure to liability, the extra room needed to park them on sight on the job... it wasn't even close at all. Dumpsters are like anything else that you can outsource and have somebody else carry all the operating costs.
> 
> I just ordered a 30yrd roll off for a job, had it delivered for $350.00.
> 
> I didn't have to pay an employee to take it there and drop it off (2.5 hours minimum) won't have the liability of them driving through town hitting a car with it on the way, no insurance costs, won't have to pay an employee to haul it away when we are done and bring it back to the yard (2.5 hours minimum), and on and on.



That's the difference. In NJ, garbage is a revenue stream. In other parts of the country, it's a liability. If I could get a 30yd dumpster for $350 I would have no need for a DT. However, my cost on a 30 yarder is nearly $700. 

My one buddy in Louisville pays like $20 a ton to dump. I pay FOUR TIMES that!


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## Mike Finley (Apr 28, 2004)

I'm guessing my numbers would come out more in favor of them if the cost of dumpsters was higher here.


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## CookeCarpentry (Feb 26, 2009)

Greg, or anyone else for that matter,

Just curious, but do any of you have a dump trailer and a cargo trailer? I currently haul a 7x16 cargo trailer for all of my tools and select materials. But I am paying pretty much what Greg is for dumpsters...

I have been on the fence about a dump trailer for a while. My biggest obstacle, besides cost, has been the logistics of juggling two trailers. 

I suppose if I kept the dump trailer on the job, weekends included, and treated it like an actual dumpster, it would only involve one extra trip in the beginning and end of the job. Can it be that simple? :w00t:

Any input would be appreciated.


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## kubie (Oct 19, 2008)

dumpster all the way


handle the trash once and let someone else deal with it.

not to mention the dump hrs. mos of the time you have to pull the trailer home and then u miss an hr of work or your worker is gone for that hr or more.

when we do roofs, we want to get done as fast as we can.....loosing a guy to go unload wouldnt work for us


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## Greg Di (Mar 12, 2005)

CookeCarpentry said:


> Greg, or anyone else for that matter,
> 
> Just curious, but do any of you have a dump trailer and a cargo trailer? I currently haul a 7x16 cargo trailer for all of my tools and select materials. But I am paying pretty much what Greg is for dumpsters...
> 
> ...


I have several trailers.

I used to drop off the DT at the job on day one and leave it there. The problem I have now is that we are running 3-5 jobs at a time, so I can't leave it there the whole time. But yes, think of it as dumpster you have ultimate scheduling control of.

If it works out, I will bring the skid loader to the site in the DT, leave the DT there, leave the skid there and pick up the skid in my enclosed trailer to relocate it. 

The other benefit it gives you is carrying capability. Need two palettes of concrete? No problem. Need gravel? No problem. Need to move furniture or large objects? No problem.

I have two vehicles that can tow any of my trailers. So logistically, I'm covered. One guy I have working for me now I discovered is a trailer backering up champ, so I'll let him pull a trailer if I need two in one place at the same time. Or, I'll send him to the dump if I'm not around.

You have to remember too, that a DT is VERY easy to position compared to a roll off. A few years ago, I USED the DT to demo a deck. Yes...I opened up the rear gates and just backed the trailer under this 4x4 raised landing. When the trailer hit the posts, the deck fell into the trailer. Greatest moment of my life. :laughing:

Of all the trailers I own and have owned a DT is the best. I would literally own five if I could make the numbers work.

Plus, I enjoy the 20 minute ride to the dump. It's peaceful for me. I have a little routine I always follow on the way back where I stop for home made doughnuts at a farmstand. :thumbup:


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## Greg Di (Mar 12, 2005)

kubie said:


> dumpster all the way
> 
> 
> handle the trash once and let someone else deal with it.
> ...


Unload? Is pushing the "up" button too tiring? :laughing:

This is all dependent on your costs. For me, it works. For you it may not.


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## kubie (Oct 19, 2008)

well we never had a dump trailer, just a junk trailer 



we had 2 tires in it chained togeather and another chain out the back with a loop.
then the crawler at the dump would drive up and i would hook the chains from the crawler in ours and then pulled out the trash. 


sometimes it worked....some times not


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## 232323 (Mar 31, 2008)

Greg Di said:


> That's the difference. In NJ, garbage is a revenue stream. In other parts of the country, it's a liability. If I could get a 30yd dumpster for $350 I would have no need for a DT. However, my cost on a 30 yarder is nearly $700.
> 
> My one buddy in Louisville pays like $20 a ton to dump. I pay FOUR TIMES that!


I guess I shouldn't feel so bad, here we rent a 30 yard container for $130 + $20 a ton for disposal. Everyone around here complains about the price, but I guess it could be a lot worse...........


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## seeyou (Dec 12, 2008)

Greg Di said:


> My one buddy in Louisville pays like $20 a ton to dump. I pay FOUR TIMES that!


I might have to start hauling to Louisville. We're paying about $70/ton at the transfer station. I think it's about $60 if we haul 10 more miles or so to the landfill.


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## NICKPAUS (May 11, 2008)

My dump trailer has paid off 10 times over easily. Looking to get a custom 16' with removeable sides to double as a flat bed. Thought about another flatbed truck but registration is to much trailer here is $10 for 5 years registration. My F450 cost $1400 a year registration 1/5 the price of a new trailer.


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## rock16 (Feb 25, 2010)

14ft dump trailer - some of the best money we ever spent.


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## BuildersII (Dec 20, 2009)

I'm a big fan of dumpsters myself. I used to have a big 16' double axle trailer, but I could never get it to the dump and back in less than 3 hours, and every time, my work vehicle (what I want to look professional in) came out covered in mud or with a puncture in the tires. I even hit a huge rut in the mud at the dump once, and dropped the front bumper on a big rock and ruined my bumper. If it were another foot forward, I would've crushed my oil pan into my crankshaft and ruined my engine. Not to mention there was always the looming fear that something would work itself loose and fly off of the trailer on the highway, or worse, that I'd have a blowout with a 3 ton trailer in tow. Of course, there's always maintenance and upkeep as well, and the extra wear and tear on my truck having to haul around heavy loads of debris.


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## Taylor8 (Feb 17, 2010)

Theres a lot of talk here about dump trailers, but has anyone considered using a hook-lift system? Its not necessary for my small fleet yet, but I find the idea of one truck being able to perform multiple tasks very appealing.


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## Grumpy (Oct 8, 2003)

IMO when I do the math a dump truck or trailer just isn't worth the investment. I haven't read all the replies to this thread, but this is something that has been argued about time and time again. What I find is most of the time that people don't factor in the time spent to drive to the dump several times per day to drop off debris. Time is money, and even if you are doing it yourself it's still money, you should be paying yourself. 

For my average job a dump trailer won't fit all the roofing debris. This would require multiple visits in a day, thus adding on one full time position to my crew at an average cost of $280 per day incl burdens plus the truck/trailer. This would also require the addition of one vehicle to the fleet, assuming a van at an average cost of $50 a day assuming the vehicle is used every day 20 days a month. If you're only using it one or two days a week, that $50 goes up. Don't forget the dump fees at $45 a ton. 

For $350 I can get a 15 yard dumpster delivered to the job site and picked up and tonage is included. Most trailers don't hold 15 yards, those that do will cost you $10k purchase price or more. So don't forget to factor that into the bottom line as well. If I were to buy a trailer, it'd have to be no less than a 15 yarder, but preferrably a 20 yarder.

It doesn't make financial sense for ME to have a trailer or truck. I suggest you have your accountant run the numbers for you.



BamBamm, you are a new business. My advice is keep the overhead LOOOOOW for now. Don't make the msitakes I made when I started my business and get every toy I thought I needed. This killed the bottom line and I am still pulling out of the hole that I dug 5 years ago. You don't NEED a trailer yet.


Edit: Now after reading the other replies, I guess it varies regionally primarily based upon dump fees and dumpster pricing. You're really going to have to run the numbers.


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## seeyou (Dec 12, 2008)

My advice is keep the overhead LOOOOOW for now. Don't make the msitakes I made when I started my business and get every toy I thought I needed. This killed the bottom line and I am still pulling out of the hole that I dug 5 years ago. You don't NEED a trailer yet.

Good advice, but in my case, buying a trailer helps with that.

Apparently there aren't enough dumpsters here. I sometimes had to wait a day or two to get one delivered. Plays hell on scheduling. And local dumpster fees are nearly twice what you're dealing with. Running the numbers is sound advice. 

If I didn't already have a truck to pull the trailer with, the trailer wouldn't work for me. If I had to go very far to dump it, it wouldn't work as well. And if I didn't use the trailer for other tasks, it wouldn't look as good.


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