10 wheeler for tree work?

[treeman82]

I'm starting to notice a company over here that's doing their work with a 10 wheeler. I've yet to see them with a smaller truck such as a Mitsubishi, F550, F650, etc. etc. Just a big 10 wheeler (sterling I think?) with a box and removable roof. Hauling either a dual axle 18" chipper, or a heavy equipment trailer w/ skid steer AND big stumper. I mean they advertise for only topping, removals, clearing, etc. etc. no PHC or anything like that... but it would seem to me that with diesel costing over $5.00 / gal that's a BIG rig to be hauling around. Not to mention that all their ads offer to meet or beat the competition's price... senior citizen, police, fire, etc. discounts...

Just wondering what you guys would think about that... seems like a LOT of overhead to me to be doing rock bottom pricing.

 

[treemandan]

I'm starting to notice a company over here that's doing their work with a 10 wheeler. I've yet to see them with a smaller truck such as a Mitsubishi, F550, F650, etc. etc. Just a big 10 wheeler (sterling I think?) with a box and removable roof. Hauling either a dual axle 18" chipper, or a heavy equipment trailer w/ skid steer AND big stumper. I mean they advertise for only topping, removals, clearing, etc. etc. no PHC or anything like that... but it would seem to me that with diesel costing over $5.00 / gal that's a BIG rig to be hauling around. Not to mention that all their ads offer to meet or beat the competition's price... senior citizen, police, fire, etc. discounts...

Just wondering what you guys would think about that... seems like a LOT of overhead to me to be doing rock bottom pricing.

That's why I run small equipment and steal gas outta my neighbors cars.That is also why I have been chipping into my Subaru.
Seroiusly: I try to keep it around 100 bucks a week in fuel. That's for everything. It used to be 50 bucks last year. I stay very close to home unless it pays. I fuel up the Bandit 90 xp once a month. It is a very fuel efficient machine but that Dingo seems mighty thirsty( still beats hiring 2 guys to take its place).
It would not surprise me that a bigger company is using biodiesel.

 

[DDM]

Seroiusly: I try to keep it around 100 bucks a week in fuel.

Your kidding right?

I fuel up the Bandit 90 xp once a month. It is a very fuel efficient machine

How many days a week are you working?

 

[treemandan]

Your kidding right?

How many days a week are you working?

All of them. I stay VERY close to home, I mean within a 5 mile radius. If Jamie don't show its just me .
My set up is like this: do the job at one house, dump the wood and chips next door. This was my plan when I started a couple years ago. Its working.
Yeah around a hundred bucks a week on go-go juice is all I need. I really do not go far unless I know I have the job and it pays.
That Bandit is great on fuel.Thank God! The F350? Well its tough, but I keep it low. Its my schtick, being a tightwad with the petrol.
I guess come snow season its a little more.
I don't want to be gas guzzler company, Iam very thoughtful of how, when, where and what I drive. I will not get any bigger by choice. Take what you need, leave the rest.

 

[treemandan]

Don't beleive me? Ask the Afghans at the gas station down the road what I spend.
Now for a tangent.
Ban all motorsports and flights to Las Vegas. Show the people who control your lifes you don't need the oil that bad. Stop useing it just for cheap thrills and to be cool. Count it like a fat person on a diet counts calories. It makes me sick the wanton regard for what people are killing each other for, better stop before somone kills you for it. Like sheep to slaughter you run to the pumps to fuel some shiney and glamerous automobile fantasy and spend your lives dreaming of the non-existant open road and call it freedom. Like hell it is.
I heard a radio commercial selling Hummers, they said the gas mileage on em isn't as bad as you think! It makes me mad to know people think I am that stupid.

 

[Bigus Termitius]

Seems to me that there is more to it than meets the eye.

Our day to day contracts keep us out of trouble, the big money is in the storms. I'll bet they know FEMA's phone number, and visa versa.

I'd say there is a good unseen reason why this outfit can afford to cut the competition some. With all they get into in a years time, big contracts and what not, I'll bet the mantra is 'Go Big, or go Home!'

Not to mention that it might be a case where the 'money' was/is already there.

 

[lxt]

$100 a week my rearend!!! you`re not working very much then!! heck Ill spend a $100 a week in saw gas!!

my operation is small......Im still spending $350-500 a week in fuel & thats close to home with 1-2 days of average travel!!



LXT................

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

my operation is small......Im still spending $350-500 a week in fuel & thats close to home with 1-2 days of average travel!!

Do you throttle the chipper down between piles, or do you let it run full bore while dragging brush?

 

[ropensaddle]

100.00 per week wow, I do that in one day five miles away.
My stumper will eat 45 in a day something sounds fishy to me!
I will say this, if you have large equipment you can compete
much better than the chipping guys as you can do 4 jobs to their
one. I used to think the Mack grapple truck was more overhead etc.
but in reality one load verses four and one hour verses eight. My question
is if you can make 125.00 per hour using equipment and get four jobs
done a day while the guys chipping are doing one job and hopefully
making that what is the differance?

 

[lxt]

Do you throttle the chipper down between piles, or do you let it run full bore while dragging brush?

JPS.....you kinda lost me here!! the chipper is the least of my fuel concerns & to answer your question NO! I dont let it run full bore!!

Im talkin about chipper fuel, saw gas, fuel for Dump, Pickup & tow lift. not to mention back at the yard for the dozer & loader/backhoe. My fuel bills are alot cheaper than my competitors/friends, most want to sub me out cause their buckettrucks are killing them!!

One guy is fueling up 2 times a week at $1000+, he said it would be cheaper & less wear & tear to have me do the work & his guys clean up!!!

A $100 a week.....I dont buy it, you have to bid too!! Like I said I use $100 a week in saw gas............NOT COUNTING BAR OIL!!


LXT...............

 

[Lawnmowerboy48]

It is big for tree work but it iwill pull the equipment a lot better than a smaller truck. Also when work is slow they can haul stuff for other companies with it too so that is just not sitting around.

 

[treeman82]

The thing about using a 10 wheeler around here though is...

1) you pay road use tax on those big trucks based on mileage. Not a lot per mile, but those miles DO add up.

2) the big trucks get what? 3 - 4 MPG? 5 TOPS? @ $5.00+ / gal... that's over $1.00 per mile for FUEL.

3) bigger trucks cost more to insure, service, register, etc. etc.

4) they can't get into as many places.

 

[treemandan]

Do you throttle the chipper down between piles, or do you let it run full bore while dragging brush?

I am one anal SOB.

 

[treemandan]

$100 a week my rearend!!! you`re not working very much then!! heck Ill spend a $100 a week in saw gas!!

my operation is small......Im still spending $350-500 a week in fuel & thats close to home with 1-2 days of average travel!!



LXT................

Well it might be true that I am not bringing home the bacon 4 tons at a time. I do go out everyday but sometimes its just estimates, or small jobs where I use my Felcos all dam day.
I will add up the last 3 weeks in gas reciepts and if the average ain't around 100 buck you got a BJ coming! Trust me I ain't giving no one a BJ, its around 100 bucks.
My best work days are when I stay on my place and take care of my trees.

 

[limbwalker54]

treemandan, where did you learn to be an arborist? I'm curious. You sound like someone who was described to me by a good friend of mine.

 

[mckeetree]

Anybody that is using $100.00 per week in fuel in this business is doing practically nothing. You all know that.

 

[TimberMcPherson]

Anybody that is using $100.00 per week in fuel in this business is doing practically nothing. You all know that.

Anyone that thinks that knows practically nothing.

Gas is more expensive here and Im running at about $100 a week. Im making good money, keep good gear, get jobs done nobody else would touch and generally do by best to be a good arborist.

Your are probably a successful arborist in your city, but thats just where you live, your making frankly arrogant assumptions based on how you work, you dont know about other guys work environment or how they operate or have to operate.
For example for the first time in 6 months the other day I looked at my first job in which a crane would be useful. I do big trees, its just where I work there is seldom the access for cranes, and only lines clearance companies have bucket trucks, as they are near useless for anything else.
A little while back I had to fell a tree which I had to get scaffolding put around it because the ground was so steep that there was a 6 foot difference in height of the cut to the ground between the front of the tree and the back, and my 42inch bar on my 88 was only JUST long enough to make the back cut. And yet I couldnt use a bigger chipper or truck more productivley than the 6 inch and 4wd 3 tonner I have now.

Dont tell a man about his shoes unless youve walked the same path.

 

[ropensaddle]

Anyone that thinks that knows practically nothing.

Gas is more expensive here and Im running at about $100 a week. Im making good money, keep good gear, get jobs done nobody else would touch and generally do by best to be a good arborist.

Your are probably a successful arborist in your city, but thats just where you live, your making frankly arrogant assumptions based on how you work, you dont know about other guys work environment or how they operate or have to operate.
For example for the first time in 6 months the other day I looked at my first job in which a crane would be useful. I do big trees, its just where I work there is seldom the access for cranes, and only lines clearance companies have bucket trucks, as they are near useless for anything else.
A little while back I had to fell a tree which I had to get scaffolding put around it because the ground was so steep that there was a 6 foot difference in height of the cut to the ground between the front of the tree and the back, and my 42inch bar on my 88 was only JUST long enough to make the back cut. And yet I couldnt use a bigger chipper or truck more productivley than the 6 inch and 4wd 3 tonner I have now.

Dont tell a man about his shoes unless youve walked the same path.

Do you pull your equipment to the jobsite with mules? I admit I don't know
what ya are doing but I could burn 100.00 in chipper fuel in two days alone
not even counting dump. I try to avoid saying that your not doing anything
but really 100.00 in fuel per week? I would have to stay at home in my own yard and still would spend over that, splitting wood,chipping brush and running my bush hog my weekly chores will burn that much!

 

[tree MDS]

I'm starting to notice a company over here that's doing their work with a 10 wheeler. I've yet to see them with a smaller truck such as a Mitsubishi, F550, F650, etc. etc. Just a big 10 wheeler (sterling I think?) with a box and removable roof. Hauling either a dual axle 18" chipper, or a heavy equipment trailer w/ skid steer AND big stumper. I mean they advertise for only topping, removals, clearing, etc. etc. no PHC or anything like that... but it would seem to me that with diesel costing over $5.00 / gal that's a BIG rig to be hauling around. Not to mention that all their ads offer to meet or beat the competition's price... senior citizen, police, fire, etc. discounts...

Just wondering what you guys would think about that... seems like a LOT of overhead to me to be doing rock bottom pricing.

I havent even read any of the other posts yet, but I'll go with either drug money or inheritance, or lawsuit money. There is more and more of that lately, they must hear a crazy price on some tree and thing "thats the buisiness for me to invest all that money into". Just my 2 cents.

 

[Curbside]

Wow a 100.00 per week. If I could do that it would be like winnin the lottery. My fuel bills can be 2000 to 3000 a week. At least when were really rocking. This might make a few people feel better about themselves and their fuel bills. A farmer friend of mine spends on average 2500 per day on fuel. Big farm.


If you compare tandem trucks to 5 ton trucks for tree work fuel mileage is comparible. Its when your hauling heavy loads at highway speeds that the trucks start chugging but even heavy loads at highway speeds with the 5 tons they chug it back as well.