What to Consider When Purchasing a Lawn Service Vehicle
From eco-friendly trucks, to large pick-ups combined with heavy trailers, to cab over medium-duty trucks that house every tool for the job, each lawn service business owner and landscaper has their own preferred set of wheels. But deciding to expand your lawn service business and upgrade your equipment and vehicles is a big decision. Whether you are a small business looking to grow from a light-duty to medium-duty truck, or you are looking to add another lawn service vehicle to your fleet, it is imperative to consider all factors and options before purchasing.
- Consider the landscaping crew using the lawn service vehicle
The crew using the newest addition to your fleet is the number one priority as you need to fit the crew to the vehicle and vice versa. Consider the number of people you send out on a job and how many seats the cab will need to accommodate. This can help you narrow down on what type of cab/box or bed combination is best for your fleet.
Once you have crew numbers and passengers of the lawn service vehicle calculated, you can look at more in-depth features that will affect driver comfort and productivity.
- Consider your current and future lawn service equipment
Your current equipment is another thing to consider when purchasing a new vehicle for your landscaping business’s fleet. If you have minimal equipment and run a relatively small shop, you may not have a need for a large box or bed style truck quite yet.
However, if this is an addition to a fleet of many, and your team does heavy maintenance work frequently, you will need to make sure the truck can support not only the size of your equipment and the number of tools in your truck, but the weight. This will determine the style of chassis needed and the engine power required.
Also, consider the growth of your company over the next few years. If you are going to purchase large equipment to account for more jobs and more services, then plan ahead by purchasing a lawn service vehicle that can accommodate growth.
- Consider your requirements and needs
When taking a look at your projected inventory and potential lawn service vehicles, consider the requirements of your crew and equipment combined. How will your crew pull the equipment the easiest? What will keep your tools and machines organized job to job? This will help you decide between a bed or a box style to accompany your cab and chassis.
- Consider your lawn service industry segment
The segment in which your lawn service business resides is also important in the decision-making process for a new landscaping truck. Segments like landscaping, irrigation, maintenance and design and build all have different needs when it comes to transportation to and from job sites. Not all segments will require larger rigs to accommodate staff and equipment.
- Consider your budget
The final and probably the most important thing to consider when deciding to expand your fleet is to take a look at your realistic budget. This will help you decide between a new or used vehicle.
Trucks in the landscaping industry can easily become dented or scratched due to the nature of the job. For this reason, many in the industry supplement their fleet with used vehicles that are a few years older and have low mileage.
However, sometimes it can make more sense to purchase a new vehicle if the upgraded features align with the needs of your company. Other reasons to purchase a new vehicle are perhaps the used vehicles available don’t quite fit the weight or size requirements, or your need for a vehicle is more urgent than the timeframe to wait for a used lawn service vehicle to pop-up.
It is imperative to factor in the maintenance costs associated with both new and used vehicles, and the corresponding lifetime of the vehicle before purchasing.
Trucks Commonly Used in Lawn Service
Medium-duty commercial trucks are a great fit for many lawn service companies in the sheer power and space they provide. The Isuzu NPR offers versatility in cab size, to accommodate crews of many sizes, as well as a universal chassis that allows for either a bed or a box to be used depending on the needs of the company.
Trucks in the landscaping industry work hard, and sometimes no matter how diligent they are maintained, they’ll need to be replaced. Or perhaps you are looking to add more trucks to your fleet. Either way, good equipment can make a crew faster, more efficient and profitable, while the wrong equipment can lead to serious problems, both on the job, in productivity and on your budget. For more information, or to find the perfect lawn service vehicle or medium-duty truck for your business, Nextran Truck Centers is here to help. Give us a call or visit us at one of our 16 locations across the Southeast.
