Driving The Industry: Trucks

Lawn & Landscape surveyed 1,000 readers and asked them about the service vehicles used by their company. According to that survey, the average contractor operates about nine service vehicles, from full-size pickup trucks and spray rigs to management vehicles.

"Trucks have to be the most important equipment we buy," observed Dan Standley, owner, Dan’s Landscaping & Lawn Care, Terrytown, La. "We don’t make any money if we can’t get the equipment to the jobs."

WHEELS OF FORTUNE. As fleet manager for Swingle Tree Company, Denver, Colo., Steve Geist oversees a collection of 85 vehicles, most of which are set up for spray applications.

"We’re moving to smaller cab and chassis trucks or pickup trucks for spray crews," Geist noted. "These are smaller and they make less noise without the slave engine in the back. Plus, they aren’t as noticeable in the neighborhoods."

Big trucks fill the needs at Four Seasons Landscape & Maintenance Co., San Jose, Calif., as well. "We use full-size pickup trucks for supervisor vehicles, ¾-ton crew cabs for the crews and 1-ton flat bed stake body trucks for the mowing crews," explained Jim Marcus, chairman.

Geist observed that his biggest challenge actually involves the people who drive the trucks. "We struggle to find qualified people to drive the trucks, so we usually buy automatic transmissions," he said.

Using an automatic transmission leads to additional challenges as well. "We have to make sure our equipment can run off of an automatic since there’s no power take off from the transmission," Geist noted. "We end up powering the equipment hydraulically. We get plenty of power, but there’s a sacrifice in terms of repairing the systems because anything hydraulically driven leaks."

THE BUYING GAME. Philosophies vary when it comes to buying new vs. used trucks. In the L&L survey, more than 48 percent of respondents buy exclusively new vehicles. That’s the route Swingle Tree prefers.

"The only things we buy used are the sales and management cars," Geist said.

New is the name of the game for Church Landscape Co., Lombard, Ill. "The key with new vehicles is that we know exactly what we’re buying," said John Mitten, vice president of operations for the installation department.

For Standley, new vehicles carry extra price that doesn’t always equate to extra value. "We like to buy one- or two-year-old trucks, so we look for dealers who sell used trucks with warranties," he said. "We get a good product, but we don’t have to pay that jump in the sticker price."

Marcus agreed with Standley about purchasing used vehicles. "Almost everything we buy is used, and we’ll buy a truck that’s up to eight years old," he noted. "One-ton trucks are built with axles that can drive for 200,000 miles, and a used truck only costs about one-third as much as a new one."

Preston Leyshon, safety and equipment manager, Chapel Valley Landscape Co., Woodbine, Md., emphasized the importance of anticipating when a truck will need to be added to the fleet. "Manufacturers can ask for a lead time of at least two months in order to meet exact specifications on a truck," he noted.

Leyshon also pointed to insurance as an area requiring attention. "When insurance costs started going sky high in the 1980s, we dropped the comprehensive on older vehicles, and we took trailers off the policy because they weren’t causing accidents," he noted. "Any fleet manager has to manage the daylights out of this because of the damage that can be done when trucks have the company name on them."

DURABLE DRIVING. "We have trucks that have been running for 10 years," noted Standley. "We keep a written log on all truck maintenance. And we don’t do oil changes based on mileage, but based on the viscosity of the oil and how it feels. Relying on the mileage ignores the various wear and tear on the vehicle."

In addition to regular maintenance, Standley is not afraid to put money into an older vehicle. "When our trucks get around 100,000 miles, we change the entire power train and install a new engine, which costs $2,500 to $3,000. This lets us get an extra 80,000 to 100,000 miles out of a truck," he said. "The key is to be willing to pay extra and make sure the job is done right."

At Four Seasons, where the fleet includes nearly 150 vehicles, Marcus has chosen subcontracted maintenance. "We have one in-house mechanic to address emergencies and other issues, but it was too expensive to have all of the mechanics on staff," Marcus said. "Plus, in-house staff isn’t as programmed to fix everything right away, whereas our subcontractor has more motivation because he’s paid by the work he does."

Mitten recognizes the downsides, but he still favors having an in-house staff. "The big advantage for us is quick turnaround since most of our repair work is done by second-shift mechanics."

For a fleet as large as Four Seasons’ preventive maintenance is a must. "I do a company-wide fleet inspection quarterly, while each branch conducts biweekly inspections," Marcus noted. "The driver is also responsible for daily inspections."

FUTURE WHEELS. Contractors are always looking for more productive equipment, but they seem relatively pleased with their trucks.

One trend Marcus identified was an increase – albeit a subtle one – in the popularity of diesel trucks, which he guessed was driven by cost conscious contractors’ concerns about fuel. "Diesels do cost less to run," he recognized, "but they cost about $4,000 more to buy, and engine replacement costs are almost double.

"I think the jury is still out on diesel vs. gasoline trucks," Marcus concluded.