Chip Truck Question

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You will regret not having 4x4 in the green mt state. I promise!

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More words of wisdom right there. But for the proper impact, perhaps it could be phrased "You WILL regret NOT having 4X4" hahahaha!

-Tom
 
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No CDL <26,000lbs gvw truck, <10,000lbs gvw trailer
Class B CDL >26,000 gvw truck, any trailer under 10,000lbs gvw
Class A CLD any trailer over 10,000lbs with combined GVW of truck and trailer being over 26,001 lbs

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That's exactly what I said earlier, you just said it better :)

-Tom

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Only thing that isn't clarified still is that you can tow a trailer over 10k lbs if your GVWR is under 26k combined, depending on your state laws apparently though. This is true in WA at least.

I.e. my F350 is 11k GVWR + my dump trailer 14320 GVWR = 25320 Combined GVWR. So, legal without a cdl.

Same trailer on the F550 is cdl. -- F550 - 17500 GVWR + TRAILER = 31820 GVWR which requires a class A cdl.
 
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Royce, check out a Fuso FG-140. I own one. And I love it. The dealer listed below could easily swap out the body to a dump and install a cross-frame toolbox for you. You will NOT regret having 4x4 with a truck like this.

Here's an example:

http://www.truckpaper.com/listingsdetail/detail.aspx?OHID=4779257

[/ QUOTE ]those are sweet.... But with a gvwr of 14k how much is left after a dump box and loaded tool boxes? I have to imagine that weighs at least 7k empty? Especially with a 4x4?
 
Jon- you've asked a lot of questions about equipment. When I started my business. I bought a brand new Chevy 4500 and a used chipper. My thought process was that I could always rent a chipper if mine went down. It's hard to rent a chip truck. If you can afford new I would. I would also buy once and buy right. Get all the options you want. I wouldn't buy a truck you can get by with. I would the truck you want for the next 10 years. Chippers are simple machines. Buy a used chipper. I would look at a bandit or morbark 15. And I would never buy a chipper without a winch. I demoed bandits new 15 with the heavy hydraulic package. It's almost as good as my 12klb morbark 18 and it's under cdl. A lot of guys worry about the payments. If you have the payments you will find the work to support them. At least I did. It's just going to make you network and advertise harder your first year. Good luck. You can call me anytime to talk shop.
 
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Jon- you've asked a lot of questions about equipment. When I started my business. I bought a brand new Chevy 4500 and a used chipper. My thought process was that I could always rent a chipper if mine went down. It's hard to rent a chip truck. If you can afford new I would. I would also buy once and buy right. Get all the options you want. I wouldn't buy a truck you can get by with. I would the truck you want for the next 10 years. Chippers are simple machines. Buy a used chipper. I would look at a bandit or morbark 15. And I would never buy a chipper without a winch. I demoed bandits new 15 with the heavy hydraulic package. It's almost as good as my 12klb morbark 18 and it's under cdl. A lot of guys worry about the payments. If you have the payments you will find the work to support them. At least I did. It's just going to make you network and advertise harder your first year. Good luck. You can call me anytime to talk shop.

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Jon,
The advice from DJM is some of the most sound I have seen in response to your particular question/situation. First off, I am by no means a business expert. That said, I have been able to significantly upgrade my fleet over a very short time periond. I started with a 1988 F350 and a 1965 Mitts and Merrill chuck and duck. I was constantly working on/repairing the chip truck, and couldn't seem to get out of that funk. I finally bit the bullet and bought a brand new F550 and (over) built a chip box. The fact that I now had a payment made me push harder for work. However, in the years that I owned that truck, I never spent a dime on repairs, and was never unable to make it to the job. I was subsequently able to upgrade my chipper three times in the next ten years, and have a very new fleet now. I believe if you can swing a new or nearly new chip truck, with the specs/options that you have identified as necessary, you can move forward from there. If you look hard enough, you will find the exact chipper you need at a reasonable price.
Best of luck.
 
Financing new equipment will be easy, they can always come and take it back if you default. Just be careful that the debt you create with the new equipment don't handcuff you with your ability to secure lending for other things such as a line of credit, etc. In my experience, banks are reticent to lend to new small businesses without much of a track record. It's a different world than it was 10 years ago.

-Tom
 
I like what DJM said. The chip truck is the key element of your operation. The rest is available through rental co's. Make sure it has all the features you need for your area.

And don't forget the cost of putting your signage on it!
 
ROYCE said:
So, Been looking into buying a used chip truck. Found a few locally. One is a top kick with 150k miles and all set up for tree work. Has tool boxes, has a 15 or so yard box. Truck body is in real good shape, but body of chip box could use a little work, nothing too major, it still looks really good.
My question is, what do you look at when you go and look at chip trucks? I mean, how do you really look the truck over, so you know your not getting a raw deal? Bring a mechanic along with me?
I know there will be small issues that will arise, and will need to be fixed. My fear is buying a truck to bring it home and find out after a month that it needs a new transmission or engine, or something else really costly.
Any help would be great.
Click to expand...

If you're looking to do more with less, Highway Products chipper bodies are a great body for the tree trimming industry. Our Standard chipper bodies are popular general-purpose models and the favorite of residential tree trimmers and arborists alike.

All of our chip truck aluminum service bodies can be built with your size and ideas built in. Get exactly what you want, not just what they have. We don't have standard sizes, because we build them just to fit your needs. These bodies are very well suited to work only anything from a heavy-duty 1-ton cab and chassis trucks to larger CDL class truck chassis. If you do a lot of chipping, and want to avoid frequent trips to the landfill, our chip truck service bodies may be just what you are looking for. This unit has a ton of pass through storage for your saws and other equipment.

http://www.highwayproducts.com/product/chip-truck-service-bodies

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I like the whole set up. Truck and the box. How much?? Prob way too much for me right now, I am saving. Just put aside another 5K in the saving account. I will get there. Just takes time.
 
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