Possible Rollback Purchase

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  • traveller

    The one with two L
    Nov 26, 2010
    18,259
    variable
    I’ve got the next 8 months to keep figuring it out.

    Well, maybe. Many small businesses buy those kinds of assets at the end of the year when they know what their finances are. There aren't all that many dealers that stock rollbacks, bucket-trucks and mechanics bodies. If you start shopping in November you may have to drive to Texas to find someone who has what you need.
     

    motorcoachdoug

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    I as well would recommend the medium duty truck chassis also. Here is the link from JerrDan medium duty rollback that can carry 15k payload. Not only vehicles but you could also carry other products with it as well.::::: https://www.jerrdan.com/equipment/carriers/medium:::: When I drove rollbacks i was driving a Jerrdan and I tell ya what I loved the way it road and loading and unloading was not trouble at all. Hint soap and water mix keep it in a bottle so when you need to have a vehicle slide off the bed due to no keys it works wonders...
     

    Stoveman

    TV Personality
    Patriot Picket
    Sep 2, 2013
    27,986
    Cuba on the Chesapeake
    No experience with rollbacks but I bought one of these Isuzus with a 16' stake body and liftgate new in '04 and that sucker is still in use every day. It's got a really tight turning radius which is great getting around the alleys in the city, seats three comfortably across and just runs. Whenever mine eventually gives up the ghost I will replace it with another one.

    5bbe5a88810d874070588b5f.jpg
     

    Johnconlee

    Ultimate Member
    Mar 8, 2019
    1,149
    Mechanicsville
    The 2 things I learned in the twonig business were buy a bigger truck and don’t tow for junkyards. Junkyards wear your truck out and don’t pay well and those 550s you see with two cars are always too heavy on the rear axle weight and usually overall weight. They also only have 19.5’ beds so a 4 door 8’ bed pickup wont fit on the truck. Buying a med duty truck with 21 foot body and a 26k gvw allows you to safely and legally tow 2 average cars or one heavy vehicle.

    An e350 full of tools with ladders on top can easily weigh 8-10,000, a suburban weighs 5500, a mid size car probably 3000. the empty tow truck is probably in the 12-13,000 neighborhood. This was the biggest problem I had with my rollback even if I could fit something on the truck I was often overloaded which meant I have to avoid scales.

    I often had people wanting me to move heavy farm and construction equipment that didn’t run and other things besides cars but the weight problems really limited what I could do. The car towing market was very competitive and required an impound lot that I didn’t have but other rollback work was pretty good. If I was moving something odd say a boat on a trailer that wasn’t t roadworthy I charged by the hour and they would pay because the average tow company seemed to shy away from anything other than cars. If I did it again I would go as big as possible while avoiding ifta which I think starts at 26,001.
     

    Johnconlee

    Ultimate Member
    Mar 8, 2019
    1,149
    Mechanicsville
    I must also say as a mechanic those Isuzu’s are pretty tough trucks from what I have seen. I personally think the cabovers are the way to go for a med duty truck like a rollback.
     

    Hollywood Ball

    Mountaineer
    Aug 26, 2013
    3,049
    NC WV
    So for those with experience... Can a single rollback get a company off the ground?

    I feel like it can, but there’s lots of variables that could prove me wrong.

    Buying a $70-100K truck is a huge risk. But I could see it paying off.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
     

    motorcoachdoug

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    It would be hard to do and you would need something to bring in the $$$ besides accident tows from the local PD and or SO. If you also did tows for auto clubs that would bring in $$$ but i would start with at least a rollback and wheel lift truck for that plus not to mention how are you going to pay your driver and or drivers?? Are you going to be a 24/7/365 operation if so you would neat at least 2 to 3 drivers per truck and you have to follow CDL truck driver laws as well. that means on duty time and the amount of hours that they are allowed to drive.If you do auto clubs and or accident tows what about dispatch? are you going to dispatch yourself and or have the driver take the call and roll? I used to work for a company that started out with 2 trucks one rollback and one wheel lift and that company grew to 25 trucks until they were brought out by Road One a division of Miller Industries which make the Chevron Tow trucks and Jerr Dan. IMHO do not Run AAA road calls because they will not pay as good as Geico, ERS, Allstate and other motorclubs as well. Just a few thoughts for ya as well. On a side note, the company that I drove for we had a few high end car dealers that we would do what is called a DX, take a $80 thousand car to one dealer and bring one back as well when the customer wanted that vehicle from the other dealer. That might work for you as well if you have the right towing equipment that offers damage free towing. I made quite a few trips with a nother driver doing DX from Silver Spring all the way up to Main, as far west as Chicago, down to Miami FL driving straight thru but of course now that would be a major no no unless you had a sleeper birth behind the drivers seat. Anyway sending to you the best of luck to you and please keep in touch...
     

    antco

    Ultimate Member
    Apr 28, 2010
    7,044
    Calvert, MD
    I've never been in the tow business, but I spend >$1M every year with a few.

    I'll echo the sentiment of buying a truck in the F650 or larger class while staying at or below 26,000lbs. Doing so opens your arms to the equipment transport world instead of being stuck in the competitive auto transport arena. Farmers, tractor dealers, construction and excavation contractors, lumber yards, equipment rental yards, RV dealers, etc all need their stuff moved when their trucks or drivers are broken or booked. Get a wheel lift and have a 2" or 2.5" hitch receiver sleeve welded onto the lift so you can tow trailers.

    Be prepared to work your ass off until you can afford a 2nd truck and a cheap, reliable operator for it. The workload never stops, but once you're up to 5-6 trucks you'll be 90% in the office doing paperwork and dispatch with 4-5 full time drivers and a part-timer or two in reserves if your client list needs it.

    As a client, I'll state these two things:
    1- Acknowledge the customer. Always answer your phone, respond with an immediate text, or return my call within five minutes.
    2- Never cause your customer to call a competitor. If I'm a loyal customer and you are my number one call but your trucks are all booked up and unavailable, I want you to make the arrangements with another company to cover the workload I'm giving you. Please don't put the burden back on me; I might end up liking them more than you.
     

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