Business plans for Mulching

[snowboss]

Quick observation on the CDL issue. If it were not for this web site several of us would not know the difference. If your equipment is capable and in good working order and looks decent( not an F-150 with a landscape trailer and a bobcat) you are pretty safe. People who own travel trailers pull them every day and some of them are almost 20k lbs with no CDL's. I would personally get started and buy the correct size equipment and then when business is slow go take the test.

The air bake section of the test is a breeze.

Rob has a very good point -although payments on trucks and equipment can get scary, I have an 06 550 dump and an 04 250 both the same color with the same imageing, both my big trailers are red as well with the same imageing, I have been through 4 DOT stops just this last season and got away with, "nice looking rigs" "wish all you guys took this kinda care" and a friend of ours has a 95 dodge 1 ton with 2 different color fenders, a bent up trailer and his skid steer is white.....i think? he had 2 DOT stops last season and it cost him 8500 bucks ....... so keep em shiny and do it right the first time round ....plus customers don't want to pay crapping looking service providers top dollar.
I've had competiters/friends in this business tell me that driveing nice new stuff or showing up to do a bid in my 350Z will turn people off....and a few have commented on "boy you must charge to much to drive that thing" but Ive gotten some very nice cintracts with the same car/truck "well it looks like you have respect for your stuff and will respect my property" so in a nut shell, I don't have time or want to wotk for people who will nickle and dime me to death...hurts to walk away sometimes....but it doesn't hurt my wallet nearly as badly down the road......good luck

 

[dive2diver]

Ok guys I have been very busy lately work two jobs so have not had much time to follow this post. No I have not taken the steps to start up yet. Basiclly been trying to get back into the Marine Corps and finsh up my last 5 years and 3 months to retire with 20 years. I am still very intersted in this line of work and would like to be exposed to some of the equipment. I believe in 5 years I would like to maybe make some steps to start. But I cannot just jump in without having some knowledge first and some exposure too. And not I have not worked on Harriers yet, I have C-130 background.

 

[Willis Fecon Bushhogging]

Ok guys I have been very busy lately work two jobs so have not had much time to follow this post. No I have not taken the steps to start up yet. Basiclly been trying to get back into the Marine Corps and finsh up my last 5 years and 3 months to retire with 20 years. I am still very intersted in this line of work and would like to be exposed to some of the equipment. I believe in 5 years I would like to maybe make some steps to start. But I cannot just jump in without having some knowledge first and some exposure too. And not I have not worked on Harriers yet, I have C-130 background.

We thought you had dropped off the planet, LOL I think you are doing the right thing now, get that retirement, then you will have something to fall back on, there will still be work after you retire. I will send you a PM with my contact info, if you run across any work. I pay finders fees.

 

[TMTS]

dive2- I assume by referring to c-130 you mean the type the has wings and flies, not the type that Rayco makes...

 

[dive2diver]

That is correct. But I don't know if that is what I will be doing when I go back in, I hope to have it figured out by the end of next week.

 

[dive2diver]

The reason I would like to contine to explore this line of work is because I love to work outdoors. I like to clear land as I had to do to have my house built, I have cleared about 1/3 acre with my husky chainsaw and weed eater in July 05, hot as you know what but it can be fun and very tiring at the same time. 98% of it was by myself and I truly hate vines and holly trees.

 

[dive2diver]

I just talked with a guy I work with that just so happens to be a NC State Trooper and I asked him about the CDL requirements and he stated as long as you are under 26,001 Lbs you can just have a regular Class C with a Endorsement A to enable you to tow up to 26,000 Lbs and not towing hazmat. Does this ring true to anyone? Make more sense to me here but I may not have a full understanding on this matter.

 

[TMTS]

its been my understanding that if your trailer is rated for more than 10,000 GVW (which you would need to tow a mulcher) and your tow vehicle has a GVW of more than 16,000 GVW, then you need a CDL Class A. I think its when you have a 10K trailer - and then add the tow vehicle- and your combined GVW is more than 26,001 lbs, then you need a class A.

In my case I had a 14,000 GVW Foster BASS trailer and was towing it with a 6-wheel Mack that had a GVW of 33,000. So I should have had a Class A licence. I only had a class B. Got rid of that combo and got a 99 GMC T7500 rollback that has a GVW of 33,000 and a 26 ft bed so I can carry my ASV and several attachments all piggyback...

-TMTS

 

[john_bud]

I just talked with a guy I work with that just so happens to be a NC State Trooper and I asked him about the CDL requirements and he stated as long as you are under 26,001 Lbs you can just have a regular Class C with a Endorsement A to enable you to tow up to 26,000 Lbs and not towing hazmat. Does this ring true to anyone? Make more sense to me here but I may not have a full understanding on this matter.

It's complex, but the general rules are that if the trailer is 10,001 pounds or more (as it will be for a mulcher!), then the whole kit and kabootle needs to be under 26,001 to avoid CDL. A 1 ton dually probably won't fill the bill by the way.



BUT, if the trailer is 10,000 or less, the tow vehicle can be up to 26,000 and not need a CDL.


Here's some examples, you have an F350 dually rated at 11,000# GVWR capacity and you tow a 15,000# GWR trailer - No CDL. 11,000+15,000 = 26,000 and you are under the CDL limit of 26,001. BUT you are probably over weight for the GCWR - different ticket.

You have that same F350 towing a 16,000# trailer - you need a CDL. 11,000+16,000 = 27,000 and you are over the magic 26,001 limit.


You have an F550 flat bed dump with a load in it total is 26,000 exactly (including the trailer tongue weight) and you are towing a trailer weighing 10,000 exactly. No CDL needed. This is a goofy loophole where if the trailer is under 10,0001# it does not count against the 26,001# total (but the tongue weight does).

I don't know the state regs for NC, but some states require you to have USDOT numbers and conform to the same rules and regs that a big rig must follow. Inspections, driver logs, safety kits, drug tests the whole ball of wax. The magic number is 10,001 pounds for truck + trailer. Some states don't require for in state only transportation. No matter what, if you cross state lines and the truck + towed load is 10,001# you have to have a USDOT number if you are doing anything that remotely smells like getting compensation.

Aren't you glad that congressmen and senators are working hard to promote a healthy business environment? (puke)

jb

 

[Willis Fecon Bushhogging]

I just talked with a guy I work with that just so happens to be a NC State Trooper and I asked him about the CDL requirements and he stated as long as you are under 26,001 Lbs you can just have a regular Class C with a Endorsement A to enable you to tow up to 26,000 Lbs and not towing hazmat. Does this ring true to anyone? Make more sense to me here but I may not have a full understanding on this matter.

If you are going to get a mulcher and the necessary truck and trailer, to pull it, you will need a CDL in our area (NC) no problem to get, just study the guide.
I know you are not ready to buy a machine, but a friend of mind has a Bobcat T300 with the mulching head, low hours $55,000. He doesnt work that hard, so I think the machine is a good one, with some warranty left.

 

[elk land restoration]

Please send me a message about the t300. I am looking at one here in virginia. I would be interested in finding oyt more about it.

 

[Landwise]

Trust me on this...from experience...

NC is a little strange on requirements, and it can be very hard to find the right answers...

An f250, with a GVWR of #8800 lbs can tow a 7 ton trailer GVWR of #14,200 lbs with no CDL. YOU DO HAVE TO HAVE A CLASS A CLASSIFIED LICENSE, but not a CDL.

No matter what the tow vehicle weighs, if the trailer is over #10,000 you must have a class A License. If your combined GVW is over 26,001, you must have a Class A CDL.

Also, if your trailer has brakes or weighs over #4000, now it has to be inspected.

GCWR in NC can be purchased. It does not matter what the sticker in your door says. If you want to tow a #30,000 trailer with a Nissan Pickup, you can, as long as you purchase the right plates for your truck.

I pull a 10 ton gooseneck with my f250s, and it requires a Class A CDL (Which means that I have to have a DOT inspection), but I do not have to keep logs unless we drive over 150 air miles per day. Also, you must have a fuel sticker, but until you go over #50,000, you pay nothing for that sticker.

I have been round and round trying to get the right answers, and ended up calling the HP at a weigh station. I just happened to catch a Sargeant there that told me the answers, and where to find them.

 

[john_bud]

GCWR in NC can be purchased. It does not matter what the sticker in your door says. If you want to tow a #30,000 trailer with a Nissan Pickup, you can, as long as you purchase the right plates for your truck.

I pull a 10 ton gooseneck with my f250s, and it requires a Class A CDL.

I do wonder what happens if you cross state lines with either the Nissan (I know, it's a joke...) or more seriously your F250 and find yourself in a hard bottom state like WI?

The whole CDL / USDOT number thing makes my head spin and I understand the WI regs fairly well!

jb

 

[Landwise]

NC, as well as many other states use the Bridge formula to figure the weight you can move. As long as the state you are gong into uses the bridge formula, you should be ok.

 

[john_bud]

NC, as well as many other states use the Bridge formula to figure the weight you can move. As long as the state you are gong into uses the bridge formula, you should be ok.

It'd be my luck to only visit states that did not follow that!

As they say, if I had no bad luck....

jb

 

[dive2diver]

Landwise

Ok that makes more sense to me and goes along the lines of what the State Trooper told me as well. The CDL hand book is so vague on this issue and only refers to unless exept from CDL requirements and you cannot find that information in the hand book.

 

[rrinc]

The short answer - Check out YOUR local market. Not the guy in the next county. Develop your own business and niche market. You will do much better developing your own business if you do not assume that the guy driving the new truck with the new mulcher has all of the answers and is either charging too much or making millions.Undercutting other peoples prices,
Its bad for both of you.Evaluate the market first. Determine if there is enough work to sustain you.Figure you need to bring in 1% of your gross cost of your machine per day.Take whatever a dealer tells you avg life is and cut it by half. Then figure that every hour you run requires at least 10 minutes of service.It is not romantic, the ego feed will be very short and then reality sets in. In most cases , most people get a bunch of work in the beginning and then it quickly tapers off. Then you and everyone around you starts dropping prices until no one makes any money.