TRUCKS & TRAILERS: Keys to the Work Truck

Durability. Functionality. Versatility.

This is landscape contractor Ken Pagurek’s mantra when he considers a new work truck for his fleet at Philadelphia-based Cenova.

“It’s got to stand up to the jobs we need done, it needs to perform those jobs consistently and it needs to be able to perform other duties – like snow removal in the winter,” says Pagurek, Cenova’s president. “All those things need to be considered so you don’t get burned on a truck that, after a year or so, can’t go the distance. Then all you can think about is getting rid of this headache – quickly.”

The work-truck market can be a minefield for landscape contractors to maneuver through successfully. Under constant pressure to control costs but boost productivity and efficiency, landscape contractors ideally hope to select a vehicle that, in the long run, can handle the aggressive requirements of their landscape duties.

One danger is to under equip a work truck, a cost saving approach that leaves a landscape contractor with a vehicle insufficient to handle the long-term rigors of landscape chores.

On the flip side, some contractors over purchase by adding excessive heavy-duty upgrades and flashy additions but are left with vehicles that are costly to operate, maintain and repair.

A solid work truck fleet starts with smart, informed purchasing decisions. These increase a contractor’s odds of obtaining the caliber of work truck, whether it’s a one-ton dump or a light-duty vehicle, that meets his operation’s immediate and near-future landscaping needs, increases productivity and goes the distance with dependable and reliable service for many miles and years.

THE ESSENTIALS. Landscape contractors begin to give serious consideration to truck purchases around the first of the year. Typically, the decision to purchase or lease a new vehicle comes from either the need to replace a failing vehicle or to boost the fleet in order to accommodate business growth.

With a March start date for the new landscape season, most commercial truck dealers say it’s important for a landscape contractor to get the purchase finalized by at least mid February because it may take six to eight weeks for the truck chassis to be equipped to the landscape contractor’s specifications, says Wes Grizzel, sales associate at Kelley Commercial Truck Center in Atlanta.

The classic landscape truck is made up of a cab, chassis and a basic flat-bed style trailer, which may range in length from 10 to 18 feet, depending on the amount of equipment and materials a contractor intends to haul from job site to job site. If affordable, contractors suggest opting for the crew cab (up to seven workers) over the standard cab (three workers comfortably) due to the overall convenience it affords in transporting an entire work crew in a single vehicle. Workers also appreciate an air conditioned work cab during the dog days of summer.

However, in lieu of the flat-bed trailer, the industry is seeing more landscape contractors outfit work truck chassises with a 14-foot box trailer and a 4-foot dovetail, Grizzel says. 

“The ability to cover and protect your equipment is what’s attracting contractors to the box trailers,” Grizzel says.

Pagurek recently purchased three box trailer trucks. He plans to use them to transport plants and trees to avoid the windburn issues common with an open-air trailer. 

Making the best and smartest work truck purchase isn’t as simple as rushing out to the local dealer and picking a vehicle off the showroom floor. Commercial truck dealers and landscape contractors agree, truck-buying contractors often don’t have a clear idea of their needs and how they plan to maximize the new vehicle in their operations.

Prior to making any purchases, landscape contractors should first write down the specific components essential to their company’s work trucks. Putting these requirements on paper alleviates the temptation to add costly, unessential extras during the purchasing process, says Robert Johnson, fleet management liaison for the National Truck Equipment Association headquartered in Farmington Hills, Mich.

“One of the most common mistakes a landscape contractor can make when it comes to new vehicle purchases is they buy what they’ve always bought,” Johnson says. “The vehicle they’ve always bought may not have been the right decision when they made their previous purchase five years ago, and it certainly doesn’t hold up as the right decision when they’re making a purchase today.”

Likewise, landscape contractors should avoid making emotional decisions, such as brand allegiance or maintaining traditional purchasing tends, Johnson says. Instead, contractors should determine exactly what they need in truck equipment specifications, including frame size, suspension, engines, transmissions, brakes and other specialty, aftermarket additions such as trailers and tool racks.

“Contractors should be asking themselves three things,” Johnson says.

“What exactly will they be using their trucks for, what size is both appropriate and affordable and what aftermarket accessories will be needed?

“If you can honestly answer those three questions then you may be able to eliminate some of the features that you really only use one to two times throughout the year,” Johnson says.

When making a work truck purchasing decision, Barry Morton Sr., owner of Morton’s Landscape Development in Columbia Station, Ohio, says a solid rule of thumb is to use your company’s business plan as a rough guide for how the new truck and its accessories will coincide with projected growth in your landscape operations.

“You may find yourself stepping up or stepping down in terms of accessories and extras depending on the functions you expect you’ll need in the future,” Morton says. “Look past the next few weeks and months and into the long term. How will you be able to maximize the functions of this new truck in the future?”

SIZE IS EVERYTHING. A common misperception is the bigger and more bodacious the truck the better for the landscape contractor. The truth is, an overweight work truck will demand a high amount of maintenance and can be unsafe, if not illegal, to operate on the road.

Size and weight are often taken for granted. What contractor wouldn’t want a monster truck for their landscape operations to impress clients and be the envy of the competition? However, this focus can overshadow issues relating to weight, strength, productivity and even profit.

“Over the last 10 years, vehicle chassis have gained a lot of weight from the addition of items such as heavy-duty frames and engines,” Johnson says. “But in many cases, the heavy-duty vehicle’s weight and payload ratings haven’t increased to compensate for that extra weight.”

Super-sizing a truck purchase – including excessive heavy-duty component upgrades – will not only cost landscape contractors more at the time of purchase, but will require costly routine maintenance and repair bills. Likewise, the added weight of heavy-duty features may actually limit the truck’s towing or carrying capacity, leaving a contractor to risk overburdening the vehicle’s components or forcing a vital piece of equipment onto an additional vehicle.

Again, landscape contractors should determine what and how much they’ll be hauling, pulling or pushing with the work truck and correspond that to the vehicle’s payload rating, Johnson says.

“Will you be carrying materials with a significant amount of density?” Johnson says. “A load of grass clippings won’t tax the vehicle the same way as similar-sized load of pea gravel. Contractors really need to do their homework and do the math when it comes to payload ratings.”

While it’s important not to over specialize a vehicle, it’s equally important not to under specialize it, too. Saving dollars now by cutting back to the truck’s bare essentials and not thinking about possible future job requirements may cost a landscape contractor more money in repair and vehicle upgrades down the road, Johnson says.

Contractors who fall into the “cheap” trap, says Johnson, end up with vehicles that begin to perform poorly and have more incidents of down time and higher maintenance costs.

“The fact is, an over-specialized and an under-specialized vehicle are going to be expensive for the landscape contractor,” says Johnson. “It’s the point most contractors miss when they’re making their purchasing decisions.”

Johnson suggests “The One Step Rule,” which advises never to upgrade a component, such as an axel, suspension or engine, or downgrade a component by more than one step. The rule provides a contractor with a vehicle that can perform the jobs at hand while not overdoing it from a cost standpoint when predicting the requirements of future, more aggressive job applications.

Finally, Morton warns not to be swayed by what the competition has on the streets. This is especially important for start-up and small-sized landscape outfits, whose financial resources may not match the size of their professional egos.

“The most import thing is to buy the right piece of equipment for the job you’re going to do,” Morton says. “I believe it’s better to over equip the vehicle in terms of a heavier-duty suspension and drivetrain then to under buy in those areas. It may seem expensive at the time of purchase, but if you under buy because you feel you can’t afford it, the reality is it will most likely cost you a lot of money and hard ache in the long run.”

GAS VS. DIESEL. The debate between whether a work truck should be powered by diesel or gasoline ultimately comes down to how the vehicle will be used. If the landscape contractor expects to do a lot of heavy towing, or plans to put an excessive amount of miles on the truck, a diesel engine is the smart route to go.

And when asked, most landscape contractors say diesel-engine vehicles make up a large percentage of the truck fleet because of their proven ability to carry heavy loads and to remain reliable at a high mileage rate.

“I prefer diesel vehicles for their pulling power and longevity,” Pagurek says.

However, a diesel-engine vehicle may not always be the smart buy. Diesel-engine trucks are a certain status symbol for ego-conscious landscape contractors, and they may not be the smart choice when purchasing a light-duty truck, Johnson says.

“Don’t buy a diesel-engine truck as a feel-good item,” Johnson says. “It boils down to whether or not the application of the vehicle coincides with the advantages that a diesel engine provides you. If they don’t, then you’re basically throwing your money away.”

AFTERMARKET UPGRADE. Landscape contractors should be leery of ready-made work trucks available at a commercial truck dealership. It may look like the perfect truck, but, in most cases, it is not.

To this point, landscape contractors have purchased an incomplete vehicle. Every truck cab and chassis has the potential to be a great work truck for a landscape contractor. However, that greatness comes from how it’s outfitted for landscape duty.

While the number of aftermarket upgrades may seem limitless, are they necessary for the average landscape contractor?

For example, should the chassis be equipped with a dump body or trailer body? Again, it depends on the extent of how the truck will be used in a contractor’s landscape operations.

There are customized add-ons essential to all landscape contractors.

Contractors should add on customized heavy-duty ramps to handle the wear and tear of load and off-loading mowers and other vehicles, such as skid steers and loaders. Likewise, fold-down sides are a practical option if contractors plan to load pallets of fertilizer or other materials onto the bed with a forklift.

Many commercial truck dealers offer menu-style add-ons for landscape trucks, Grizzel says. The additions, done typically by an outside party, include everything from extended tool boxes, shelving, fuel tanks, tool racks, trimmer racks and even backpack blower racks.

“I try to outfit the truck for the crew who will be using it,” Pagurek says of choosing accessories. “Will it need additional saddle boxes for tool? Will this crew require spray tanks for watering and pesticide applications? Should a tow hitch or hook be added? In the end, it all depends on what I expect I’ll be using this truck for.”

If an accessory or upgrade fails to provide an everyday function or extend a vehicle’s versatility, than it is probably a drain on a contractor’s financial resources, Morton says. For example, a work truck with a crew cab won’t need carpeting, however its axels and springs should receive an upgrade, Morton says.

Grizzel advises contractors that items and accessories – such as additional hand-held tool racks – can always be added to the truck and trailer at a later date.

“It’s a mistake contractors make thinking they need to outfit the vehicle with everything upfront and at one time,” Grizzel says. “As long as the truck has a big enough trailer, you can pretty much add any type of customized add-on. After the essentials, nearly everything can be built on after the fact to accommodate new needs.”

READY TO ROLL. A correctly purchased work truck, optimized for specific job requirements, will provide a landscape contractor not only with reliable performance, but also with low cost requirements throughout its life cycle.