Tips for new debris removal service?

[CoolRide]

Hello all!
Hope this is the right spot to ask this, if not I do appologize.

I helped a friend of mine move this last fall and he ended up with a huge pile of junk in his yard (old washers, carpet, tires, etc) and since he didnt have a pickup I looked in the yellow pages for him for a debris hauling service and called the ONE in there. He was six weeks out!

Since that time my wife and I have been talking about starting a small biz hauling limbs, old water heaters, and such.

I was looking for a 2 ton flat bed with a dump for a few weeks, but souldnt find anything around here, so last Sat. we got to talking and decided to just buy a full size pickup cheap, put a name on it and see how things go.

So I did, found a 78 gmc flatbed, racks, 4x4 within 3 blocks of my house. $800 I offered $500 and drove it to the shop that Im having it serviced at (needs brakes, and tune)

Called L+I they said I dont need anything from them as Im not involved with construction.

Got my state license, and insurence for my pu. Ordered buisness cards.

Called all the local contractors in the book (17 of em) and told them about my new service, IE that I will be doing construction site cleanup and asked if they would be interested in my number. Everyone of them said YES! (This makes me feel a little better) Told them I charge $40 hr plus dump fees and they said that sounds fine.

When I get my business cards I will take them to the local realtors and ask If I may leave a few with them. Should make their job a little easier having a card to hand to a landlord who just got left with a lot of junk.

I have not been able to find any work around here (putting in apps) for the last two years so Im not doing anything anyway. I am paying cash for what little I need up front so Im not going into hawk to start out.

Anybody have any more information or thoughts on what else I can do to make this work?

I sure appreciate any help and your time!

Sam

Fly-By-Night-Hauling

 

[Steve Frazier]

Welcome to Heavy Equipment Forums!!:drinkup

I have two suggestions for you:

1. Pre-qualify the contractors you do business with. I've found with my business that contractors are notorious for non-payment.

2. You're business name. I hope you're not planning to use the "Fly by night" name in your post. If you want to be taken seriously, come up with a name that will present a professional image to potential clients. I know if I were scanning the yellow pages, I would be hesitant to call any "Fly by night" service of any type.

 

[CoolRide]

Welcome to Heavy Equipment Forums!!:drinkup

I have two suggestions for you:

1. Pre-qualify the contractors you do business with. I've found with my business that contractors are notorious for non-payment.

2. You're business name. I hope you're not planning to use the "Fly by night" name in your post. If you want to be taken seriously, come up with a name that will present a professional image to potential clients. I know if I were scanning the yellow pages, I would be hesitant to call any "Fly by night" service of any type.

WHOOOPS! Well the license and advertising are already done with "Fly-By-Night Hauling"

My card says "Establishd Yesterday"

Well I thought it was funny.

Everyone that I have talked to (cept you of course) said they liked it, but who knows?

If I was building something, or opening up a dentist office etc. I would have used something a little more appropriat (sp) but how seriously can you take a junk hauler? lol

I do understand your concern for my new business well-being and do appreciate your thoughts. Like I said, I may have made a big mistake, and have to change the name to get work, only time will tell.

As far as Pre-qualifying the contractors, Im not sure how to do that? I figgured I wouldnt do any billing as such, just tell them that payment for services will be needed at time of service. I spose they could still bail on me, but this is a small area and we will all know each other in a few months.

Thank again.
Sam

 

[Steve Frazier]

The image you present to your customers will reflect how you are treated by them. If you are planning on a good portion of your business to come from residential, they will most likely find you in the yellow pages and you don't have much other than your name to get them to select you.

It will be difficult to work with contractors without extending credit of some sort. Being in a small area works to your advantage, word gets around quick about deadbeat contractors. Check with other small contractors and suppliers who have worked with potential clients and see if they are paid on time and in full. As a start up business, it won't take much noncollectable revenues to put you in serious trouble.

 

[jmac]

Good points Steve, The name sounds funny now but if this thing takes of he will not want his name to be "fly by anything". Plan for success and success has a better chance of coming your way.

 

[Ford LT-9000]

If you want to be in the junk removal business you have to do a good job and run a respectable truck. If you show up to a site with a truck that is leaking oil and looks like a piece of junk thats not good.

You also need to learn the rules and regulations for your area and what you can and can not haul. Hauling any dangerous goods is probably not legal. Old car batteries is one of them your only allowed to haul so many at one time.

You have to know what your local landfill or transfer station will take and how it has to be sorted. You load your truck up with a mixed load of trash you may not be allowed to dump it.

Learning how to load the truck so its easy to unload and get the most on the truck will come with time. You can't throw things onto the truck anyplace because it may have to come off the truck in order at the landfill.

I started doing junk removal in 1995 using a 1/2 ton pickup then went to a 1 ton truck then to 1.5 ton truck. Junk removal isn't a big money maker there is no way I could make a living from it I only make part of my living with it you need to be in something else like landscaping aswell. With a area like where I'am most people have a pickup truck and try do it themselves.

I get the jobs that they don't want to try with a pickup or just too much to get rid of. I also get the jobs from the people that don't have a truck just a car.

My rates are all hourly I never get normal jobs. Sometimes it takes 3-4 hours to get 1000lbs of junk loaded on the truck because I'am carrying the junk a long distance by hand or I'am gathering up the junk. It physically labour intensive and my back knows it at the end of the day. When you work on you own like I do you learn how to do things differently. I have gotten stuff onto the back of my truck and people ask how did you do that.

I have to watch myself I pushed myself too hard where I have been out of commision for a week laying on the floor because my back. I don't do things that I used to do.

Good Luck

 

[CoolRide]

Thanks guys.

My HOPE was just to be a little different and have a name that sticks in peoples minds. My wife wanted "S+H Hauling" but I can never remember business names with just initials so I thought maybe others wouldnt be able to either.

"The phrase implies that the quality of work done or goods sold is shoddy enough that the person responsible must leave town under cover of darkness to evade angry customers",

I think that people will be smart enough to realize that the name is only used in fun as somebody actually doing "shoddy work" would use a name like
"Trustworthy Hauling" as criminals dont advertise as being criminals.

The magnetic signs on the side of the truck just makes it that much funnier.

Till I go broke hahahahaha

This looks to be a great forum and I hope to learn and hopfully add to it down the road, if only as a "dont do it like this" lol

Sam

 

[Ford LT-9000]

If you are going to be specializing in junk removal you should have it in your name. Myself I'am not just junk removal company I'am a legal "numbered" trucking company the only name on my truck is my personal name. Thats all what legally needs to be on the truck because I'am the owner and operator of the commercial truck.

You should think of a slogan to put on your cards that makes people remember you for the next time like "One call removes it all".

I just went back into the junk removal business after a 2 year leave. Almost 90% of my work is from word of mouth.

 

[CoolRide]

If you want to be in the junk removal business you have to do a good job and run a respectable truck. If you show up to a site with a truck that is leaking oil and looks like a piece of junk thats not good.

You also need to learn the rules and regulations for your area and what you can and can not haul. Hauling any dangerous goods is probably not legal. Old car batteries is one of them your only allowed to haul so many at one time.

You have to know what your local landfill or transfer station will take and how it has to be sorted. You load your truck up with a mixed load of trash you may not be allowed to dump it.

Learning how to load the truck so its easy to unload and get the most on the truck will come with time. You can't throw things onto the truck anyplace because it may have to come off the truck in order at the landfill.

I started doing junk removal in 1995 using a 1/2 ton pickup then went to a 1 ton truck then to 1.5 ton truck. Junk removal isn't a big money maker there is no way I could make a living from it I only make part of my living with it you need to be in something else like landscaping aswell. With a area like where I'am most people have a pickup truck and try do it themselves.

I get the jobs that they don't want to try with a pickup or just too much to get rid of. I also get the jobs from the people that don't have a truck just a car.

My rates are all hourly I never get normal jobs. Sometimes it takes 3-4 hours to get 1000lbs of junk loaded on the truck because I'am carrying the junk a long distance by hand or I'am gathering up the junk. It physically labour intensive and my back knows it at the end of the day. When you work on you own like I do you learn how to do things differently. I have gotten stuff onto the back of my truck and people ask how did you do that.

I have to watch myself I pushed myself too hard where I have been out of commision for a week laying on the floor because my back. I don't do things that I used to do.

Good Luck

Thank you FORD LT.

I dont think I will get enough to make a living at it either, but like I said, all Im doing is watching cartoons all day anyway, so as long as I dont go into debt to do it.....

The truck looks pretty good. Its in primer but other than that the racks are fairly new and I have a brand new set of fancy chrome wheels sittin in my basment from a hotrod truck I did something else with.

The land fill/ transfer station here can be a bit demanding. I used to rehab houses and got to know them pretty well but it has been a few years, but yes, you do have to know how to sort and not put the limbs where the iron goes.

EVERYBODY and his brother here own a pickup too which is why I am amazed that there is only one ad in the yellow pages!

This is a big retirment area and I use to do a lot of things for people that are too old to help themselves, I imagine I will get some work from them, but at this point, its a lot of guess work.

Contractors are booked! Talked to a plumber the other day that is not taking on anything till Oct. And they all seem to be the same way, so Im sure I will be able to get at least a little work from them, at least in the summer months when they cant burn.

I bet there will be a lot of jobs where I should have /use a 2 ton dump or so thats why they would call a hauler cause they dont want to haull all of it off in their pickups, like you said.

My other concern is, it IS a hard job! I have had shoulder surgery and docs told me NO physical labor, at least using my arms. However I have been puttin in apps all over this little town and nobody seem intersted and we gotta eat. Ill just have to be carfull.

Thanks again for the help, I appreciat it.

Sam

 

[DKinWA]

Since you've had shoulder surgery you don't want to cause problems, so "work smarter, not harder". Get the truck as close to your work as possible and try to eliminate carrying stuff with your hands. I'd make sure you have a wheelbarrow or lawn cart along with a hand truck and dolly so you don't have to pack things to the truck. If you're hauling stuff out of a house, take time to set a ramp up on the stairs so you can wheel stuff rather than carry it out. Also remember one man's junk is another man's treasure, so keep your eyes open for opportunities to sell things you're hauling away. Check out craigslist and you can see what things sell for and what folks are buying and selling.

 

[Countryboy]

Also remember that metal will make you money. Before you just throw it away see if it will make you money at the scrapyard if there is one near by. That way your making money twice off the same load. The customer pays you to haul the scrap and the yard pays you for the metal. Its a win-win situation.

 

[jhill]

If you are in a retirement area I would be available to do all kinds of handyman work. I have a cabin in Northern Mi and there is a guy there with a company called Dirty Deeds underneath it says in small letters Done Dirt Cheap. On the side of his trucks (he has 2 a pickup and a 1 ton dump both late models) he lists all kinds of stuff from light carpentry to landscaping to junk hauling to small demo jobs. He also says he is available for week end work. Sometimes people want to help (or watch). He seems to be busy.

Make sure your truck is clean and not a rustbucket. It reflects on you.

Good luck I hope it works for you.

 

[digger242j]

If you are going to be specializing in junk removal you should have it in your name.

I'd disagree with that. Sometimes (or maybe many times) businesses grow and evolve from their original specilaty. If you put "junk" in your name from the get go, you might handicap yourself somewhere down the road.

As far as "Fly by Night", at least it sort of guarantees that your clients will have some sort of sense of humor. Those who are too stuffy to get it, won't call, and you might be better off without that kind anyway. I'm looking forward to any input from our resident ultra-mini-excavator guy haF.AST.

 

[CoolRide]

I'd disagree with that. Sometimes (or maybe many times) businesses grow and evolve from their original specilaty. If you put "junk" in your name from the get go, you might handicap yourself somewhere down the road.

As far as "Fly by Night", at least it sort of guarantees that your clients will have some sort of sense of humor. Those who are too stuffy to get it, won't call, and you might be better off without that kind anyway. I'm looking forward to any input from our resident ultra-mini-excavator guy haF.AST.

I agree with the name. This is one of the reasons I didnt want to use a place for a name, IE "Colville hauling" sounds dumb if I move to Spokane.

In response to a couple other posts, as far as scrap metal go's if I had a place to store it, which I will look for, I could stack it up and run it into town (Spokane) when I get enough. Spokane is the closest place to take metal and it is about 70 miles, so I would need to be able to take 3 tons or better I would think, but am not sure, thanks for bringing it up though and I will work something out if I find Im getting enough scrap metal.

Somebody brought up doing several different things "handy man" type stuff.
I USE to do this here, and even though there are tons of people doing it, I think there is still room for more. My concern is startup costs. Here in Washington I understand you need a contractors license to do just about anything (aside from debris removal lol). I cant advertise in the local rag without a L+I number and bond and such. Now I dont have a big problem GETTING all the licenses and ins. bond etc. except for the costs involved.
Since I havent been working for 2 years now, I am trying to get rolling on the cheap. I have had business before that cost thousands a month, and we werent making anywhere near that much, that realy hurts and I will not put myself and family through that again.

They say that 9 out of 10 new buiseness's fail within the first year.
The GOOD news is, this will be about our 8th or 9th business in the last 20 years, so the odds are starting to look pretty good! Lol

B.C. Forbs said: "History has demonstrated that the most notable winners usually encountered
heart breaking obstacles before they triumphed.
They won because they refused to become discouraged by their defeats"

Thank you for all your information and input.
We need all the help we can get hahahahaha

Sam

 

[Steve Frazier]

I am trying to get rolling on the cheap.

While I understand the need to be cautious in your spending when starting a business, you need to know you will only get back as much as you put into it. You need to spend money to make money, there's a fine line between throwing money at the business and investing in it. Anything you can do to present a professional image will only help you gain the respect of your customers.

Once you are up and running, honesty and reliability will play a huge part in your success. Return phone calls, keep appointments and do the job you promised at the price you quoted. If you have a problem with any of that, let the customer know immediately, communication will carry you a long ways.

 

[haF.AST]

bad name???

I think "fly by night" is OK and I like the "established yesterday"...all this coming from the haF.AST guy. Everybody needs a gimmick. I am hafast, but only the name. All of my equipment is spotless unless it's a muddy job and then it's spotless the next day. You could put pigpen on your door, as long as your image does not portray that. I am the only excavator in my area that doesn't wear ripped oily clothes and spit chew juice on peoples driveways and that makes a bigger impression than any name ever could. People appreciate professionalism even if its a pair of shorts with a clean company logo t-shirt.

I had a friend who brought the name thing up to me when I was starting and we both agree that the name matters not but the job you do that does!!!

Gotta have a catch. I am a one man business and have one truck...

People ask all the time how many yellow trucks I have since they see them everywhere. The name is easy to recognize and much easier to remember than a phone number. I have 70+ year old ladies stop me at the gas pump and say "that name is so cute honey...my husband says that all of the time" I usually get a call not long after for driveway gravel, topsoil, yard drains, etc...Call that haF.AST guy...I heard he's good...

 

[Cat420]

The name could go either way depending on how much thought people give it. By me there is a "rhombus construction" with a picture of a warped house on the truck doors:lmao . Like everyone else has said, the work you do will be remembered for a long time, good or bad.

 

[jhill]

My brother always kidded about calling his 1 man carpentry company
"From a Distance Construction - When we're done it looks good from a distance" but of course he never did.

 

[CoolRide]

There is a fine line between funny/catchy and Professional, but I think it will be ok for a "debris Hauler" Ill keep yas updated on what customers say, if I get any lol.

I agree 100% about what Steve and others have said, do the BEST work at a good rate, and for the MOST part the name aint gonna be what the client will be thinking about when they call you again. The trick is getting them to call a place with a funny name the FIRST time, but I believe supply and demand is on my side. Theres nobody around here doing (advertising) it anyway.

I am the type that will do what I say. I have bid on small jobs in the past and sometimes went a little over or worse went WAY over what I thought, but the person I was working for never knew as I paid for anything over the bid and hopefully learned from it.

If, for instance I have a couple jobs lined up to go clean out and my truck breaks down, I would find/beg/borrow/rent/ another ASAP and get to the jobsite and git er down, I wouldnt even think twice about it.

I havent done anything for anybody on my own in years, I was working for a recycling outfit and tore up my shoulders, surgery, a little over a year of PT, and now nobody wants to hire someone with bum shoulders and whos been out of work for two years, and I guess I cant blame them. Im 37.

While Im thinking about it (speaking of hurt shoulders) I was thinking about how I would lift heavy things (motors, old fuel tanks etc) and I looked up some truck mounted cranes. Most where $500 an up, yeeps, but I did find one that has 360 deg swivel, 1000# cap, hand crank winch with 13' cable for $199. I dont know how often I will have to use it, but it sounds like the cheapest way for me to be able to get the heaver stuff up there without my arms falling off.

Of course I would like to have a lift gate ($1300 or so) but maybe later.
Just wanted to get an opinion if somebody else has ever used one and or if there is a better idea.
I dont think I will be doing a lot of heavy stuff, with just a half ton pickup, I will pretty much need to keep to the smaller stuff at first.
Nice thing is, I can skinny my way into a back yard and grab that old hotub where somebody with a 2 and half ton dump cant get to.

If I were to find a job with a lot of things too heavy for me to lift, I have access to a equipment trailer (that I JUST built 4' racks for) and I could rent a mini excavator with a thumb.

OR I know a fellow with dozers, trucks and such and I talked to him and if the job was too big for me, than I will just kick the job over to him.

So I can take care of them (the client) One way or another I WILL do my best to make sure and get done what they want done, quick, and reasonable.

I have also thought about a shirt with my name and logo on it, dunno what it conveys exatly, but it seems to show that IM not really "Fly-By-Night"

At least not spit chew juice on their shoes! (I only chew gum)

Thanks for the help.

Sam

 

[Ford LT-9000]

I had a good swing crane a few years ago it would prolly lift 2000lbs in close I sold it because I needed the money. The guy I sold it too never did use it I'am pretty sure its sitting in his back yard. I wish I never sold it I could have used it and I will never beable to buy it back from the guy I sold it too because he never parts with anything.

I have another little swing crane it will only lift 1000lbs at the most tried lifting more and I broke the turn table. The old 1 ton I had it on would make the truck lean over picking up something heavy. Dad has a Hiab 1500lb crane but I don't want to us it. The crane is full hydraulic but it will add too much weight to my F-450.

I may end up setting my dump deck up with a rounded tail similar to a oil field deck so with a winch at the headache rack. With a rounded tail on the end of the deck the winch line slides over the end and pulls anything onto the deck. I have used comealongs to pull stuff onto the deck of my truck pulled old scrap cars on this way it is allot of work. A Jackall works good to.

I was considering making a mini rolloff truck but that is a considerable expense. Dropping a box on the ground sure makes loading heavy stuff easier but you need to have quite abit of work to justify it.