If you are thinking about starting your own landscaping company, one of the first things you will need is a mode of transportation. Not just any vehicle will do, however. You will need a heavy duty truck that will enable you to drive over all kinds of terrain, provide a space to safely store your landscaping tools, and the ability to transport your equipment.
In order to do all the jobs a professional landscaper does, including planting, mowing, raking, mulching, and digging, your landscaping truck should also have these three features.
1. Flatbed Body
A flatbed body is exactly what it sounds like, where the bed of the truck is completely flat without any sides or roof. This type of truck body will allow you to easily haul your landscaping equipment from one location to another. As part of your landscaping business, you most likely have a riding lawn mower.
Riding lawn mowers easily weigh 300 pounds. Riding lawn mowers with a 22-horsepower engine weighs about 525 pounds. Along with a lawn mower, you'll also be hauling tillers, wheelbarrows, and large bags of fertilizer, which will increase the weight of your load.
Because of the heavy load you'll be hauling on the flatbed, your truck will need the ability to handle all the weight. All trucks have a Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR), which refers to the maximum of weight a truck can carry. This weight includes the vehicle itself, fuel, cargo, and passengers.
For your landscaping truck, you'll probably need a Class 2 truck, which has a GVWR of 6001 to 10,000 pounds. If you need a heavy-duty truck, you may want to upgrade to Class 3, which has a maximum GVWR of 14,000 pounds. A flatbed body will also make it easier to haul long-handled tools, such as rakes, hoes, and shovels.
2. Locking Toolbox
Along with larger tools and equipment, you'll also need to have smaller landscaping tools with you at all times. These tools might include pruning shears, various types of knives, edgers, scrapers, logging lifts, and other types of tools.
Since you'll need something to contain all of these smaller tools, you'll have to get a locked toolbox. You can choose from many different types of toolboxes, but one of the most common for a flatbed is the underbody toolbox. A tool chest that sits on the floor of the flatbed is also a good option.
Most toolboxes have a metallic finish or come in a neutral color, such as black or gray. The most durable toolboxes have a powder coated finish. Toolboxes come in a variety of sizes, so you'll need to choose the one that best suits your needs.
3. Dumping Mechanism
If you want to save time and energy, you'll need a way to dump dirt and other materials into your customer's yards. If you don't want to invest in a second vehicle that primarily serves as a dump truck, you can get a flatbed or platform dump body that serves as both a flatbed and a dump body when needed.
Other types of dump body types include conventional dumps, contractor dumps, and landscape dumps. Some factors to consider when choosing a dumping mechanism are:
- Maximum weight of the load
- Dump body size
- Electric or PTO hoist
Besides a dump body, you might decide to go with a dump trailer that you can pull behind your flatbed truck.
If you need a heavy duty landscaping truck,
contactDiamond Truck Body Manufacturing. Along with providing standard and custom design, we offer high quality craftsmanship, as well as professional consultations. Our company has been a leader in service truck body design and manufacturing in Northern California since 1979.
