Which setup for my business? (work vehicle content)

Trans_Maro wrote: In reply to mtn: What year? Sorry, I've been shoved around by a loaded trailer in a short wheelbase truck, I won't do that again. A V6 4-runner is not something to tow a good sized trailer with. For towing, more is better. I love my big F-250HD, it turns what would be a long, hard slog with a trailer into a sunday drive in the country. Edit: 1994 4-runner tow rating: 3500 lbs, 150hp with the V6 1994 Pathfinder tow rating: 3500 lbs, 153hp, V6 You can try it, I wouldn't.

I've had experience with 2, a 2003 and a 2007. So we're speaking a different language here. Both of them had the same engine, V6 245 hp (183 kW) and 282 lb·ft (382 N·m). Towing capacity 5000lb for the V6, and I believe over 7000lb for the 8.

I've been self employed for most of the last 30+ years.

I am going to disagree with most of those posting here.

BY FAR the best vehicle decision I EVER made was to have dedicated work trucks.

It lets you set up the vehicle with all the tool you need, improves efficiency, allows graphics and exterior signage/ advertising, and gives a professional image that BUILDS BUSINESS.

I wake up on Monday morning, walk to the truck, and go to work. I already know I've got everything I need. I am FAR more productive than most of my competitors (and ALL of my competitors with dual purpose vehicles).

Plus, it is completely tax deductible.

That's not to say I never rode my kids. In fact, for most of the years I went straight from work to the ball fields, etc (I coach), which meant I would show up in my work truck. That's OK...just increased my advertising exposure.

NONE of my customers would have been very impressed if I showed up in a dual purpose vehicle (that looked like it). MANY of them would have never been my customers.

I have used many trailers over the years. It's not the same. Difficult to park/ maneuver, harder to work out of, and they are much too easy to steal. (I've had several friends loose all the equipment assets of their businesses).

I promise you won't regret it.

One more thing... If your truck looks like this, put your COMPETITOR'S name on it:

(I'm not joking)

Also it might be worth keeping an eye on something like sites like Government Liquation and the like because sometimes there are very good deals on them.

Example

http://www.govliquidation.com/auction/view?auctionId=6622393&convertTo=USD

I've got a truck similar to this that needs some TLC I'd sell cheap:

In reply to mtn:

Exactly, he said mid-90's which is why I was questioning it.

Shawn

In reply to SVreX:

I like this!

But what if our trucks looked like that one but were restored and one solid color blue!?

ebonyandivory wrote: In reply to SVreX: I like this! But what if our trucks looked like that one but were restored and one solid color blue!?

We've had this discussion in the past. Sounds great in theory, but WHEN (not if, but when) it breaks, you need to be able to take it to the nearest garage and have it fixed NOW by a pro. When the truck is out of action, you're not making money, so it needs to be as new and clean as financially possible.

Listen to SVreX.

In reply to Ian F:

I must've been lucky, mine never broke.

I'm sure if they had, being 70's Chevy's with 350's and TH350's and 12 Bolt rears, they could be fixed from shelves at Walmart!

It's not as if we were driving obscure vehicles.

But then again we were kids and not adult professionals

In reply to ebonyandivory:

And I seriously doubt you were putting the miles and wear on them a professional truck gets. You need to have 100% confidence that truck/van/whatever will start and get you to the next job 6-7 days a week, week after week, with minimal maintenance.

There's this place about 90 minutes from here that specializes in surplus government and fleet vehicles. I drive by the place from time to time.

2003 51,000 miles, $3975

They say it's a flood vehicle, but water only hit halfway up the tires. So the floor board may have gotten wet? I think it's probably perfectly fine. Salvage titles are very easy to get around here in Kentucky.

If I had 4K sitting around I'd do it. Now.

ebonyandivory wrote: In reply to SVreX: I like this! But what if our trucks looked like that one but were restored and one solid color blue!?

I own a truck very similar, only in green and yellow and gray primer. They're OK for running errands, like the guy in the picture appears to be doing. As a commuter - maybe, if it's in great shape mechanically. For a work truck which sees a thousand miles a week? Not if you want to hang on to your business or sanity. While they are easy to fix, the downtime (and lousy gas mileage) aren't going to be worth it.

Yes, you could stuff a modern work truck drivetrain in there. Also not the best idea, though; you'll end up with something that can cause your average mechanic no end of confusion if it breaks. Starting with a good mechanical restoration (including the suspension!) may be somewhat better, but expensive... and would still be at a running cost disadvantage.

Oddball work vehicles can be an image booster. Geek Squad started out with Simcas. You'll notice they didn't take long to switch to New Beetles.

MadScientistMatt wrote: Oddball work vehicles can be an image booster. Geek Squad started out with Simcas. You'll notice they didn't take long to switch to New Beetles.

I know a guy who has a pool service business. His main truck was a Sprinter, but he also had a classic Mini traveler (the panel-van, dual rear door version) that he had his business name on. He had to sell the Mini a few years ago but I saw him recently on the road driving an old panel truck hot rod - again with the business name on the rear side panels.

Ian F wrote: In reply to ebonyandivory: And I seriously doubt you were putting the miles and wear on them a professional truck gets. You need to have 100% confidence that truck/van/whatever will start and get you to the next job 6-7 days a week, week after week, with minimal maintenance.

Actually you shouldn't doubt that. We worked six days per week for years with these trucks pulling a trailer and loaded with mulch and other equipment.

Says a lot about old trucks and good msintainence I guess.

If by "professional" truck means it got used and abused for extended periods of time, then yes they were all of that.

I'm not trying to argue here but the facts are what they are. Not a single breakdown in all that time. I'm sorry if it defies what has been your experience.

Edit: this was in the late 80's... Mileage and gas prices were not issues for us!

Many auctions out there, keep an ear out on anyone going out of business and you might be bale to cut a killer deal before they take anything to the auctions!

It's not primarily about the reliability. Most of us can make something run.

It's about image. Like it or not, it is an important business issue.

"Don't judge a book by it's cover". Yeah, right. We all do it.

You don't walk in the store that is in the bad section of town, or smells funky, or is run by those (insert ethnic group) people.

Anyone know anything further than the "cover" of those ladies in the GGA thread? Didn't think so.

People will judge your business by the appearance. The problem is that many of those people are pretty important customers.

Your friends will be your customers, regardless of what you drive. The people who love your work, same thing. The people who can not afford your service (who probably won't judge you for the turd you drive) will make lousy customers. The people who may have a little money to spend on the services your business provides are the ones most likely to be judgmental of your appearances, and the ones you need to attract as new customers. Plus, they've got judgmental friends with money who will also make good customers.

If you drive a vehicle that looks cheap, people will expect your services to be cheap, or your quality to be poor, or both.

There is only one legitimate business reason to drive an older vehicle- business branding. So, a VW Splitty Bus for a surf shop, a restored vintage Carryall for a delivery truck for a speed shop, etc. Other than that, you gotta look good, and fairly new.

For a mobile business, the appearance of the vehicle is the curb appeal AND the primary marketing strategy.

My first dedicated work truck was a black Chevy panel van with a fresh paint job and a beautiful graphics job. I frequently met people who would say, "Oh... Fenner Construction. I see your trucks all over town. I hear you're really good". I would smile and thank them. I never told them I only had 1 truck.

I always worked hard to park my box truck where it could be seen. It's a rolling billboard.

I also trained my crews to keep the work trucks clean, and park them visibly everywhere they went.

Over the course of 20+ years, I am absolutely confident that my vehicles have brought me hundreds of thousands of dollars of work. So the question is not how much I would have saved by buying a raggedy truck. The question is how much I would have LOST.

In reply to SVreX:

Big plus 1.

Looks are everything. Clean professional vehicles are as important as clean professional people.

My vans aren't new or fancy by any stretch, but they are clean and presentable. In the next couple of months we are going to be updating the graphics on all of them. They are starting to look a little dated.

This isn't a good picture, but it's the only one I have on photobuckt at the moment.

The one in the middle is a spare. Still runs great, but it's on the side of the road for sale because it looks bad. It has some rust issues, and a bent bumper.

I'll try to post a better picture tomorrow.

Toyman01 wrote: In reply to SVreX: Big plus 1. Looks are everything. Clean professional vehicles are as important as clean professional people. My vans aren't new or fancy by any stretch, but they are clean and presentable. In the next couple of months we are going to be updating the graphics on all of them. They are starting to look a little dated. This isn't a good picture, but it's the only one I have on photobuckt at the moment. The one in the middle is a spare. Still runs great, but it's on the side of the road for sale because it looks bad. It has some rust issues, and a bent bumper. I'll try to post a better picture tomorrow.

can you give some lessons to my old employer? He insisted on running an E350 that had -every- panel dented with the paint falling off of it because it was paid for. It was a rolling DOT failure and while it took everything we threw at it (including a couple of accidents) it did nothing to enhance the company's image.

Last I heard he still had it.. and it looked worse. Used only for going up to NYC where it didn't matter if it got wrecked again or not

Here's a better picture.

1st van, 350K, 2nd van 280K, 3rd van 430K, 4th van 340K.

None of them are new to say the least. We do take pretty good care of them. The 4th van is the worst of the lot. It's the one that is for sale.

In reply to mad_machine:

Good luck with that. Our next door neighbor has a beat to crap old Dodge that is the same way. It's always broken down. I would have gotten rid of it years ago, but they keep fixing it.