Speaking of this, you might also consider buying the tractor [at least] & hauling trailer dumps, that supply Concrete, & Asphalt plants. I'm in the quarry, almost every day, & the Trailers Run, run, run. They haul sand also, out of Pageland, mostly. Some start with a load or two, of sand, at 3 -4 am, then switch to stone, by 7am. Outfits like Reynolds [Bruce], also haul concrete pipe, to job sites. Reynolds owns most of the trailers [I think], & some tractors. The rest are independent contractors.
You sir are correct. Bruce Reynolds is a good man to get hooked up with, he is into a lot of good ways to make money, he owns the trailers and carries the insurance on them, I do know if you haul bulk (pneumatic) tanker for him, he will actually finance the price of putting a blower on the truck. I'm in dump trucks myself. Around the triad our concrete sand comes out of Candor, but most of our concrete plants do not pay very well for time it takes to make a turn around from the triad to Candor. Prices could be different down there so I can't speak on that myself. Rock prices are pretty decent, but with places like Trexler and now Hilco that pay their guys like shit and run cheaper, it's harder to get into hauling for concrete and asphalt plants again at least in the triad area.
Now personally I would suggest looking into a sleeper truck (even staying local) and flatbed or hopper, or something similar because of the reasonably less cost to do everything yourself and be in business. Example, dump wagon, you need a light truck, more so than other things, right now the prices of a day cab (especially with a wet line or blower) are surprisingly higher than a similar sleeper truck. In the same aspect the price of a good dump trailer is up right now, while a decent flatbed or hopper bottom can be picked up very reasonable.
Now don't get me wrong, I am absolutely not trying to discourage against one or the other (as a matter of fact I'm the complete opposite, I am all for people going out on there own and making it because the industry is filled with to many selfish people that think they have to keep everything to themselves), but as an owner that deals in the aggregate industry everyday, concrete plants, asphalt, sand, I know how it can be a little harder to get into when new, and know that other things can most of the time be a little better money maker. Shoot I know people hate container hauling but I have a contact right now, $1,000 a day, to Norfolk and back to Martinsville, no port, no twic, run under a company authority, base plate and insurance paid. If I could find an experienced driver I would have my Volvo on it, on a regular day it's a good $500 in the bank. I want to make sure I make it clear my perspective is from the triad area and damn near 20 years in the dump truck and aggregate industry, I don't have many contacts in southern NC so it could be different. Being very honest, if I had it to do over again, I'm not real sure dumps would have been my first choice due to many factors, the only reason I went with it is literally all my experience and contacts were in dump trucks and it was so easy for me to get into. As soon as my business grows to where I can branch out away from aggregate and dump truck related things I will be doing so.
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