New Vehicle

[jose]

Hi All thought i would ask in the general section as its more an advice question.

 

All of last year i was crazy busy with work. I only have a small 3 man team as present(I did have 4 of us last year).

 

I started to get second vehicle ( look up the tread with the micro chinese truck).

Hindsight the purchase falling through was a blessing!

 

So i am geared up for a second small team to take on the smaller jobs that i didnt have time to do, all minus a truck.

have now decided to get a 4x4 tipper, the Isuzu dmax with a single cab and separate tool box ticks all the boxes, followed by a ranger.

 

Only thing is that work has slowed down quite a bit ( running 5 weeks lead time vs the 10 weeks last year).

We have not had the storms of last year down south so i am not surprised it quieter.

I have very good faith that we wil get a lot more work come in as the weather continues to improve ( note i have been running my business for 8 yrs now successfully). My old partner ( and brother) was against the idea of a second truck but sadly he passed away so i dont have him to bounce the ideas off any more.

So my question is this:

Would you buy/ invest in a second vehicle even though times are a bit slow?

 

It would help me out but wouldnt be worked every day tbh.

It would be used daily for pricing and serve as a very good mobile advertising board ( be sign written).

Also i have access to a field but when wet it is only with a 4x4. and its wet a lot of the time.

I currently have a 3.5 tonne truck so it would also help with carrying weight ( no need to raise the topic of all 3.5 tonne trucks been over weight).

 

I have learnt the hard way 2nd hand is not always the best way to go ( ill say no more than my land rover).

So would you buy a new vehicle ?

Appreciate any input

many thanks

Jose

[pie eater pete]

I looked at a Dmax,priced up tipper conversion and test drove a couple but the same thought kept popping up-I'm going to throw logs and chip into it...I could not justify abusing a nice new truck that way..but that's me

[Mountain man]

If you buy a decent one and it doesn't work out you can always sell it.

Sad that you don't have your brother to talk these thing through anymore.

[Goaty]

Are you handy at maintaining your vehicles? If so I'd probably go secondhand then you aren't laying out as much money or fretting about scratching the new one. But if you are successful financially and can Accomodate the costs of a new one go for it.

The pluses are having two vehicles you will always get a team to a job. What happens if you current motor fails?

Flexibility of getting various things done at the same time. If a worker needs to leave early. Only that person needs to leave.

You will wonder how you managed before after a while unless work dries up.

[Mortimer Firewood]

I'm not a big fan of finance have always saved up and payed on the nose but there's some cracking finance deals out there at the moment. If you got the work mapped out and the money coming in its a no brainier.

 

Nobody's all lend to me as I've no credit history :lol:

[Gray git]

I couldn't go back to just running 1 vehicle now, just handy having 2 to spred the load or while 1 is off being emptied work can continue filling the second even if just with logs or carrying gear or stump grinder, having 2 very often means a 3 man a day job with 1 going back on day 2 to grind or collect timber is finished in 1 day with the same 3 men or I can go off pricing at the end of the day while the lads head back to unload

[Marc Lewis]

Sorry to hear of your brother. As Goaty says, it will make you alot more flexible, split into 2 teams, with a trailer be able to cart loads away on those big jobs. I always prefer 2 vehicles but only you know if it will suit your business model. Good luck

[mowingjamie]

my gut feeling would be buy out right or finance a new vehicle that will be your main truck, then have something second hand or keep your 3.5 truck for spare/ 2nd team. seems stupid to be paying finance on a new truck thats just sitting on the drive half the time.

[jose]

Thanks for the replies guys. Yes I am financially doing well, last year was my best so far. This year is slow to get going but I'm doing well enough to pay the bills and have left over.

 

I am ok at fixing things but don't have the space or time to do much. Definately not a mechanic but can get by with the smaller stuff. Bigger jobs I find garages have better set ups and by the time I've spent money and time on the tools they would have had me fixed and on the road again.

 

2nd truck would have been handy this week as my main truck was off for a warranty repair and had to hire s truck In (a damn ldv).

 

I've been tossing and turning over this for ages but I think I will have to got for it! If I get a 4x4 truck I can then sell my 4x4 have have a cheaper smaller runabout whiich will save me quite a bit of £ because I can't claim business use as its a 4x4 which the tax man calls a car as opposed to a pick up.

Cheers guys

[benedmonds]

Only thing is that work has slowed down quite a bit ( running 5 weeks lead time vs the 10 weeks last year)..

 

This year is slow to get going but I'm doing well enough to pay the bills and have left over.

 

Do you do mainly tree work. I don't think I have ever had 10 weeks lead time. Half my customers baulk when I say 3-4 weeks..