Anyone use a Deuce for a hauling business?

[greenjeepster]

These trucks cost about the same to operate as a civi 10 wheel dump. The civi dump can carry 3 times as much product in both weight and volume in almost half of the time. In most cases, If the ground is wet enough to require 6 wheel drive it is to wet to work, anyway. You end up causing more problems than it is worth.

Very good points above. Also check your local EPA laws. Around here if you track dirt/mud off of a job site and back onto the street you are responsible for the costs of cleanup.... Also water meters are often buried under stuff and when you run those over it destroys them and that is also out of your pocket.

I am not discouraging you from doing it. If you think you can make a go at it have fun and earn some money. I am just trying to spell out all the surprises that you may run into so you can make an informed decision about it.

I am going off of personal experience. Prior to going back to school when the economy headed south a few years ago and getting my RN. I was a full time truck driver. Hauled concrete in a 6x6 Osh-Kosh mixer and when it rained hauled 57 aggregate in Macks and Volvo 15 yard dump trucks.... From doing side by side comparisons those Macks would go anywhere loaded that that mixer would go. That mixer would stop short of going a lot of places a 4x4 pickup would go... Even on full floaters all the way around an 74 000 lb truck sinks pretty good 6x6 or not. The deuce is a lot lighter than that, but still much heavier than a pickup and most do not have flotation tires on them.

If you want to make money with a deuce put a 10-12 ft plow on it and get some parking lot plowing contracts... then hope it never snows. You get paid and it does nothing

 

[greenjeepster]

On a side note: It is interesting that some of the same people who would blow a gasket if anybody mentioned moving a deuce without perfectly working brakes are now the ones advocating overloading one.

 

[wldrbob]

well my old deuce has had 20000 lbs of wood on it and the overloads were only touching on the one end . and once in alberta there was a deuce with a blade on it used for cleaning up windrows left between the d 9 cat pushes. it had the ordinary army box with sides added to make it 4 ft high . this box was level full of crushed gravel at least 12 yards or around 38000 lbs so your deuce might say 5 tons but you can put a lot more on it in some cases. just like you can overload your halfton .one old farmer hauled wheat in with his halfton carried 60 bushels in it all the time or 3600 lbs . and who knows how much gravel he had on it sometimes .it was a red international and the standing joke was it had to work so hard it was red in the face .

 

[Cantrade]

Commercial policy for my Deuce was $300/year.

It sounds like you are looking for a part-time gig at best so there might be a niche for hauling stuff for your neighbors. The little rice-rockets around here can barely haul a 2x4 much less enough stuff for a big project. My neighbor uses his Deuce for that kind of hauling. We both use ours for hauling water also.

Go for it!! The initial cost of a 6x6 probably is less than the commercial trucks mentioned earlier and as far as maintenance is concerned--that is part of the fun, it seems to me.

 

[roscoe]

It really depends on what your planning on doing with your truck. Just like any other piece of equipment -- you use what fits the situation best. For less than $5K I got 3 medium duty work trucks with no cheap plastic stuff. They are repairable, rebuildable and fun to drive. Compare this to a minumum of $20K to $30K for one comparable used civilian vehicle loaded with platic, ac and lots of breakable doodads. The deuce trucks were designed to haul cargo and they do a great job of hauling just about anything. As said earlier if your hauling long stretches, loads over 5 tons, or want to look pretty, it may not be the right truck. Pick what suites your applicaion.

 

[maplehillfrm]

pj, I like that set up, my gooseneck would look nice behind that< I never thought about that kind of set up, I like it,, weight wise it puts you over non cdl though with teh trailer right? good luck pat

also as far as needing ps,, you will get used to running a t ruck without it, I dont have a deuce but used to be a freight hauler , the comp had 1978 internationals [this was 2000],, and they were powered by armstrong,, you get used to backing in and manuevering them with no powersteering, I used to steer thgem with one arm, but I am 6'7,, 300#,,

but start your turns with the truck movinga nd it helps a lot,, almost mandatory,,,I say if you have a use for it go ahead and try it,, you wont be out anything,, you already have the truck,,

I am alsot sure you need to check local whether you need a cdl, around here if you are doing it for compensation they say you need it,, good luck with your venture,pat

 

[kadetklapp]

Good posts, thanks for the input fellas.

It seems like a bad idea for a full-time occupation on such an old truck. However, if I can make a few bucks off of the old girl once I get her hauling for neighbors and family members then it should work out.