New grapple truck business help

[Tedsparkuhl]

I’m considering starting a new grapple truck business in Thurston county. Now I do stump grinding and am looking at expanding.
I’ll buy rural land to dump
Have a tub grinder out couple times a year
Sort wood

here’s the question:
How do I charge for the service?
Tree businesses won’t have to haul wood
TS

 

[SeanKroll]

Hey all,

Ted is good people.
My neighborhood.



Glad you made here, Ted.

 

[Altissimus]

Here I hire log trucks hourly every year or two

 

[cory]

For decades, I filled dumpsters and dump trucks with wheel loader and hired a log truck for the very large jobs. Then, a log trucker went into biz in my area, 10 min to most of my jobs. I haven't filled a dumpster for a couple years now and I still fill the occasional dump truck if quantity isn't too great. All else is removed by hired log truck. It has made a massive difference in job speed and therefore profit. He charges approx $20/yd to make it all disappear.

 

[vharrison]

Welcome to The TreeHouse Ted!

 

[SkwerI]

A big grapple truck service came into town about 10-15 years ago and wiped out all the small pickup-and-dump-trailer wood haulers. We pay about $400 for a 55 yard grapple truck. They have mileage zones so if you're further away they charge more.

 

[cory]

That's mad cheap compared to here

 

[flushcut]

The grapple truck service I use is free but they only take logs.
They make money on the mulch and palletwood.

 

[Altissimus]

I agree , damn cheap and reasonable ... my locale has plenty logging and log trucks around , pretty much all for hire but not at those prices

 

[Altissimus]

Not sure how to judge by cubic yard only board feet to the mill or cords for firewood. One I used held about 3200 to 3400 feet depending or 7 to 8 cord , front mount grapple ... was usually a hundred an hour. .... used another that held quite a bit more , maybe 4000 feet plus with a rear mount grapple which had better reach as well , was closer to one fifty an hour

 

[Tedsparkuhl]

A big grapple truck service came into town about 10-15 years ago and wiped out all the small pickup-and-dump-trailer wood haulers. We pay about $400 for a 55 yard grapple truck. They have mileage zones so if you're further away they charge more.

Thanks for the info.
At that price I wonder if they had a site where they dumped for free

 

[SkwerI]

Thanks for the info.
At that price I wonder if they had a site where they dumped for free

They would go broke if they were only dumping for free. They make money on both ends. They collect from customers when they haul the logs and then they make money again when they sell the grindings. I think some gets used as commercial landscape mulch but most gets sold as bio fuel for power plants. They sell many semi truck loads per day.