Need to Make some money with my Tractor.

[GreenWannabe]

Getting back to the OP's situation, there is an additional factor I haven't seen mentioned yet. When I was growing up in California, any construction equipment driven on a public road had to have a special equipment license plate. This even included rollers - they were rolling the asphalt after it was laid - so the paver didn't need one, but the roller did. This would also have it's own requirments for insurance, rules, etc. I have been gone from there for many years, so I don't know current DMV requirements - but then I have never known California to stop regulating anything either.

 

[workinallthetime]

so how did it go, make lots of doh?

 

[Dougster]

so how did it go, make lots of doh?

That directed at me Dan? I put in a nice, complete fixed-price bid as the client had requested. Haven't heard back yet on that bid. Been on a little mini-vacation in Maine, so he may have called me on my home phone and left a message... don't know.

I suspect the client will not accept the bid as proposed. If this is going to happen at all, it's going to happen with the client taking more of the risk by picking up the insanely high demo debris disposal costs himself.

Dougster

 

[LoneCowboy]

More thoughts on Dougster's continuing bid.

1. Call the customer, right now. "did you get the bid? any questions I can answer?" Let them know you want the job.
2. Expensive things are good, you make a percentage on those. At least you should be. (I have to put out money for the materials, run them thru my accounts, etc, you have to pay for that, not much, but a little)

3. Need to get the right kind of customers. Some people wnat the lowest price and don't care. I don't want those customers (and I rarely get them, I'm not the lowest price usually). I want the people who want things done the way they want them done and price isn't the most important thing.
You never know, they may realize what it costs and don't much care, they just want the job done.

 

[Dougster]

More thoughts on Dougster's continuing bid.

1. Call the customer, right now. "did you get the bid? any questions I can answer?" Let them know you want the job.
2. Expensive things are good, you make a percentage on those. At least you should be. (I have to put out money for the materials, run them thru my accounts, etc, you have to pay for that, not much, but a little)
3. Need to get the right kind of customers. Some people wnat the lowest price and don't care. I don't want those customers (and I rarely get them, I'm not the lowest price usually). I want the people who want things done the way they want them done and price isn't the most important thing.
You never know, they may realize what it costs and don't much care, they just want the job done.

Hi Brian - Client knows full well I am on vacation this long holiday weekend. Under the circumstances, it would be an awkward call. Maybe I did it wrong, but I am making zero markup on the very risky disposal cost situation. It is a straight pass-thru... with me taking all of the quantity/type risk.

In the end, it was more important for me to bid this job exactly as directed than to "win" it. This fixed price bid is just plain silly given the uncertainties of this work. The client is no fool. He knows that.

If he finds a true building demo/debris contractor to do it cheaper, fine. At least he knows I am for real and how far I will "stretch" to win a job. I'm more interested in him calling me about the next possibly far more suitable job than winning a job so financially risky and far outside my competitive core business capabilities.

Dougster

 

[patrick_g]

Disposal is always a problem. In Oklahoma I think you are only allowed to have something like 25 used tires in your possession at a time unless specifically licensed to do so. IF you use old tires to get a cat across a road and not chew up the pavement then 25 is not too generous.

Oh, by the way, the DEQ (Department of Environmental Quality) allows/encourages chopped up tires to be used as a septic gravel substitute. You can't go burying tires for disposal purposes but you can bury chopped up tires in place of septic gravel.

Properly used, tires and wire (barbed or barbless) can build a good fence across a creek when hung from a good stout cable. Flood water will push the "fence" up put of the way and it will gravity back into position when the water goes down. To be thoughtful you need to make drain holes in the bottoms of the tires so you don't have a mosquito breeding facility but these cound against yoiur 25 limit so choose wisely Grasshopper!

I have some terrific plans for making dams similar to the rammed earth (and used tires) "Earth Ship" home construction methods but concrete columns formed from vertical piles of tires where you leave the tires in place after curing will soon exceed the 25 limit.

Pat

 

[tlbuser]

I can not afford to buy a trailer and pick up at this time. I own a full size van not a pickup. I can only do this on the weekends. I have a friend who makes a living with his tractor and he said he chargse $ 150.- dollars each way to haul someone's equipment.I have done no advertizing at this time. My tractor is a TLB that weighs 9,500 lbs and is about 20 feet long. I believe I would need a 20' 14,000 gvw trailer as a minimum. David

Another option, check some of the local towing services. Might be cheaper than your buddy, especially if you can accomodate their "non-rush hour" schedule (slowest time is usually late evening and early morning)

 

[workinallthetime]

hope your busy as can be doug !!!
im working from 7am to 6pm m-f for the man
from 6 till dark and all weekeknd im making money !!!
got a 200.00 tip this weekend and it really made it all worth it. This 2 job thing sux as im so tired right now i cant even think straight.

 

[Dougster]

hope your busy as can be doug!!! im working from 7am to 6pm m-f for the man from 6 till dark and all weekeknd im making money !!! got a 200.00 tip this weekend and it really made it all worth it. This 2 job thing sux as im so tired right now i cant even think straight.

Good Lord Dan! Tips are very cool indeed! But try not to kill yourself!!!

What are you going to do with all the money you are making??? Buy another dang Yuppie Kubota so you can work all night too???

I've got some jobs I'm working this week and a few in the pipeline... but still not enough to be self-sustaining. Plus the heat here is slowing me down bad. I need a sun shield!!! I lost that demo debris job to my local competition with a full-size hoe and a beat-up old dump truck. Apparently, the client split the job up 'cause no way my competition could have done it all unless he partnered with a bobcat guy. No big loss... the job as bid had far too much financial risk for me given all the costly equipment upgrades and problems I've been up against lately. The business bank account is going down a lot faster than it is refilling.

Like you, I got another offer to go back to work in my old career... this time on a part-time basis. I'll learn more about it next week. Normally, I say flat-out no... but this time I must admit that I am tempted.

Dougster

 

[prosperity]

Dougster,

I've been following this thread with great interest, and decided to jump in.

Trying to make a long story short, about 2 years ago I left a government career at age 47 because I just couldn't take the stress and politics anymore.

During the next year, I tried truck driving - something that I always wanted to do, and found that I really didn't like that. But, I got that out of my system now - at least I gave it a try, and know what it is like now.

I've had a lawn mowing business on the side for years, and wanted to give that a go full time to see if I could make it go.
Now, I live in a very rural, poor area, and I knew it was going to be tough to make enough to sustain my household.

Also, last winter, my wife had back surgery, and I needed to be at or near home to help her out - she's been taking care of me all these years, and it is now my turn to take care of her.

So, I jumped ship from the truck, and started advertising to gain more clients.
One of the biggest problems with the mowing, is that my competition works out of the back of an old pickup, does it "on the side", has no liability insurance, and uses old "Wal-Mart Special" equipment. I have myself setup with a Deere Z-Trak (commercial), plus eveything else commercial grade, with of course insurance.

During the course of the past 4 months, knowing well that the mowing alone would not be enough, I've been working on finding other related work. I had a Deere 2210 (sub-compact 4wd diesel) and a brush hog, so started advertising that getting a little more work.

Then I got together with a local excavating contractor, who does not like to do seeding/mulching work, so I am sub-contracting to him for that work. In the meantime, I found that my little 2210 was not quite enough to do this, so I made a great deal on a trade to a Deere 2520 so I could use more implements.

So, in trying to find my "niche" in the market, I've gone from just finish mowing, to brush hogging, to seed/lawn installation. I am now starting to advertise driveway repair using my box blade and rake (did my first job last Tuesday - came out great).

Now to my point....

Like you, I got another offer to go back to work in my old career... this time on a part-time basis. I'll learn more about it next week. Normally, I say flat-out no... but this time I must admit that I am tempted.

Some weeks are certainly scary when the phone doesn't ring. And, beside all the regular household bills, I now have to pay for our health insurance. Plus, the big one, is winter is always knocking on the door, and wonder what I will do to make it through.

So, I was very fortunate to pick up a part time job. It is driving tractor-trailer only on the weekends. I leave Saturday afternoon, and return Sunday afternoon (actually going to Mass from Penna and back). Pays by the hour - prevailing wage.
This has really given me some peace of mind - that little extra income, that is steady, and still lets me persue my business full time.

Leave your options open, but don't give up on the business yet. Maybe try to find some other "niches" as I have to grow your business.