You bought a good 2004 tractor for $64,500. You have your own authority. You have a good driver - single, no dependents, FAST approved, can cross the border and either stay on the road forever or do local work. Your goal is to get MAXIMUM BANG out of your investment (truck). You also have Yellow Pages, envelopes, stamps, a phone and are ready to start showering shippers in your area with direct mail letters offering your trucking service. You don't care what loads/trailers you deal with as long as you get ahead. You think you can:
1. Buy a 5th wheel attachment and winch for $30,000 and turn your truck into a Class 8 heavy duty tow truck, towing highway trucks at $300/hr.
2. Start hauling construction machinery and equipment with a lowboy/float RGN trailer for 5 bucks a mile.
3. Get a stepdeck trailer and haul oversized loads
4. Get a flatbed trailer, install a QuickDraw tarping system and haul steel and other expensive metals in style
5. Dismantle the truck and sell it as parts at 200% markup
compared to the cost of the truck
6. Approach the tourist board of your city/town/village and put their ad on one side of your 53 ft dry van trailer at $1,000/month a side.
7. Hire another driver and make your truck a TEAM OPERATION. Train yourself as freight broker and sell excess loads that you get from direct shippers at 15% profit to other carriers.
8. Buy a reefer trailer and start hauling produce.
9. Extend the frame of the truck, install a straight truck box, and start an expedited transport company. 2 drivers drive as team; the truck moves constantly 365/24/7.
What do you guys think? Which of these can get you a ton of money? Any other suggestions? What trailer/application has the potential for absolute maximum profit?