Trailers: tried & true

Photo: Hickory Leaf LandscapeFor Timothy Baird, purchasing an older trailer has been the path toward growing his one-man business. The owner of Mars, Pa.-based Hickory Leaf Landscape bought a 1999 International 16-foot dual axle open landscape trailer that wasn’t in the best shape.

“I decided a good way to save money over a comparable new trailer would be to buy this old one and fix it up,” he says. “This year I plan to use the trailer to help grow my business by hauling my mowing equipment, landscape materials and debris.”

Many contractors say a trailer is one tool they can’t live without. “There really is no way of being in the landscape business without trailers,” says Greg Bermes, owner, Oakwood Lawn and Landscape, a Fort Wayne, Ind.-based company with about $300,000 in annual revenue. Oakwood Lawn has four trailers – one 20-foot enclosed, a 16-foot high side, a 24-foot implement and one 10-foot utility – all from Sure-Trac. Bermes says that quality is the primary feature he looks for when shopping for a trailer because he expects it to last a long time.

“Other features I look for are things that will allow the trailer to be used easily and efficiently for as many different tasks as possible,” he says. “Sure-Trac’s hinge system on the open trailers is unique and allows the gate to be removed easily, locked in the upright position quickly, or laid down on the bed of the trailer. This allows pallets of material to be loaded without the gate in the way.”

The ability to customize his trailers is another draw for Bermes. Customization is also important for Ghani Kowsary, president of Kowsary Turf, a sod contractor servicing primarily commercial clientele in Elk River, Minn. He purchased two custom semi/dump trailers from Felling Trailers in 2006. Adding these two trailers has increased his company’s efficiency due to their size and versatility. “They’re kind of like transformers in the sense that they can do everything we need,” he says. “Rather than sending out two or three trucks to a job, we’re able to just send one truck.”

As part of ensuring a trailer will meet company needs, it’s also important to look at the weight they can handle, advises Kevin Payne, owner of TenderCare Lawn & Landscape, based in Derby, Kan.
“Ramps are also very important,” he says. “Just because the weight works, if the ramp isn’t solid enough to drive a skid-steer loader on, then it might not meet your needs.”

To Each His Own
When it comes to the right tools for the job, everyone has his own preference. Payne says that his company has found enclosed trailers are not for them.

“We’ve tried some and found they were OK for small landscape jobs that needed container plants or smaller items, but when you need to haul around a lot, they weren’t very helpful,” he says. “I find that an open trailer has more versatility.”

For others, trailers aren’t the best option. Shayne Newman, CLP, CLT, president of Yard Apes in northwest Connecticut, says he used trailers for the first 10 years of his business but, over time, found they didn’t work for him.
He says they require constant maintenance, don’t enough storage and can be difficult to back up.

“We’ve had issues such as backing into someone’s yard and hitting a shrub – just small accidents, but a hassle to deal with,” Newman says. “And no matter how many times we re-wired them, it seemed the lights were always going out.”

Today, Newman uses Mitsubishi FG trucks with a 14-foot landscape body and a five-foot beaver tail with fold-down ramp. “The beaver tail is removable so that we can plow in the winter,” he says. “This setup has worked great for us.”

The bottom line is that no matter what specific option you choose, it should be one that will grow your business. For Baird, that’s been the case. His advice to others is to opt for the biggest and best you can afford within your budget.

“I could have bought a smaller, lighter trailer in better shape for the same amount of money,” he says. “But since I’ve bought that trailer, I can’t imagine having one smaller. To me, I’m always willing to spend more money if it makes my job easier.”
 

The author is a freelance writer based in Royersford, Pa.

To read about how garden center owner Dan Gapski turned his trailer concept into a business opportunity, click here.