Thought summer would pick up the work

[Gravel Rat]

I guess money it still in short supply with people. I was hoping people would be doing some landscaping and fixing up their properties isn't happening.

I have advertised and told the suppliers I'am back to delivering soils etc. I have paid more in advertising than I have made in hauling.

I had some people said they were interested but I asked later on they said they have decided to hold off for now money it tight right now.

The price of materials is the problem. Basic topsoil that you can get locally is 20 dollars a yard its not very good stuff okay for a lawn and thats it. Good topsoil has to be imported from other areas so landscape suppliers have to truck topsoil from their suppliers it is expensive.

Good garden mix is 42 dollars a yard so if you want 3 yards it is 126 dollars plus my trucking of 70 dollars your pretty much 200 dollars for 3 yards of soil.

Local topsoil is dredged out of swampy marshy areas and screened its black and sour.

Even the small sand and gravel deliveries is zip. The rubbish removal business isn't going any better. Realestate sale clean up isn't happening either. The homeowners are doing it themselves to save money.

As for tourism this year you can see a big change. Gone are the motorhomes now it is mass carpooling. It used to be famillies took two vehicals on vacation not anymore. It is one vehical now jam packed with luggage and stuff strapped to the roof and every seat belt used.

So if you guys think its bad in the USA still its not much better around parts of this province. Money is tight people are watching that they are spending. Quite a few people are still un-employeed especially in the construction industry.

I'am really surprised the excavation contractors here are surviving it has to be the rough making just enough money to cover expenses. It has been 2 years of very little work.

For myself it sucks putting out a bunch of money and I'am not getting any of it back. Wishfull thinking I guess hoping things would improve this year. It is turning out to be a kick to the n*ts.

[YellowDogSVC]

things are definitely picking up here after a mid summer lull. I've been as busy as I want to be, however, and thank the Good Lord, for all that HE has provided. I've kept a positive attitude and a CAN-DO attitude all year and it has paid off. If I had the energy and time to meet all the calls and job leads that I get, I could grow my company two-fold this year but I am not a type A personality and I do not have energy to spare at 40.

This past Spring, I lowered my prices by about $100 per day. Basically, I stopped charging for hauling. though I do not make as much in a day, my customers have appreciated the break. I have also taken all the jobs that I feel comfortable doing whether it's a few hours or two days of work. I have returned calls promptly and showed up on-time and ready to work when hired or doing a bid. All of this has helped me get a ton of referrals and more work out of my customers who know by now that they can trust Yellow Dog.

In a downturn, you will see things pick up if your reputation is solid. I don't buy into the "the lowballers get all the jobs" as I see too many machines for sale around here...guessing they were the guys who were fly by night or wanted "make a killin'" as some of them put it to me when asking about getting in the mulching business. When times are tight you gotta take any and all jobs, do extra, do it right, and be as professional as you can and I think people will come back to you. I know that someone, somewhere needs something done. I'm relying on their friends to tell them about me! Also, I don't quit advertising just because things are slow. You may have to cut back but then start thinking outside of the box of what you can do with the machines and knowledge you have and be diverse. Heck, I got practice time in on my new excavator and thumb while loading my dump trailer with metal scrap that I have collected from friends, neighbors, and customers. Made a run to the recycling plant an hour away. Only got $85 bucks but it is better than nothing on a day that I had planned to take off with the wife.

I think everyone who is in business for the right reasons and does a good job and manages their income well we make it through this downturn but we may emerge leaner, meaner, and more skilled from taking jobs outside our comfort zone..at least that's how I see it through rose-colored glasses.

[Gravel Rat]

I have a good reputation I never over charged and I always provide a good service. People ask me something I usually say not a problem.

Money is the problem nobody has any that they want to spend. The improvements to the house or property isn't happening.

It is becoming more and more do it yourself with the homeowners to save money.

I think people are worried what is going to happen the provincial gov't is full of crap and now there is talk about raising taxes again. The provincial gov't is also spending billions on the stupid 2010 winter olympics.

My hope was this year would bring some work seeing as 2007 and 2008 were bad years but 2009 hasn't gotten any better.

Landscapers are busy but they are not doing the major projects. Its all basic yard maintenance.

Have to see what August to Sept brings because June and July were a flop.

It is the tourism is a surprise like I said its no more motorhomes or big trailers. More people using only one vehical for 2 famillies etc.

[tbi]

How can anyone make any real money hauling at all. Dump trucks large or small are more of a convenience and a necessary evil of the business.

[Gravel Rat]

There is money in it when your doing rubbish removal because of the labour charges. It can take a hour to 4 hours to load the truck.

I was hoping that now that green waste is being prohibbited to be burned I would get that to haul.

I'am still I guess you could call " Landscaper "

The lumber hauling died off too that used to keep me busy.

Money is still tight and the good weather isn't making people spend it.

Amazing how things have changed. In the slow years previous I had work this slow down its absolutly nothing. People must be worried about what this provincial gov't is going to do to the province. The job losses are also having a bad effect.

Oh well a little frustrating that things are still not improving. I don't see the recession over yet the way things are looking.

[YellowDogSVC]

GR, I thought you had a city job?

If you have a good reputation and people are bent on doing work themselves, try consulting or offering to help. Not sure how you would work that in but it might be that you can use your knowledge to make some money. Offer to haul off the junk that the homeowners accumulate in the do- it- yourself projects. Bank on that reputation for a while until things improve.

[Gravel Rat]

I do have a full time job but my general contracting is my part time job for extra money. The full time job covers the bills the part time job gives me the spending money.

What I was hoping that I could make some money this summer but its not looking that way :cry:

[Scag48]

Things have been picking up in the greater Seattle area slowly. I think the smaller guys and landscapers are staying busy enough to get by, it's the larger outfits having trouble keeping things going in the private arena. Outfit I'm with right now does mostly heavy highway work, we haven't really slowed down with this economic situation and continue to pick up work. I'm damn glad I was dispatched here. Been with them 2 months now and have been told we will have a moderately busy winter, I am more than pleased to hear that.

[RockSet N' Grade]

tbi.........you ask a good question about a truck making it's own way and even making a profit. I just negotiated with the owner of a pit and am getting a discounted rate on materials. I just landed one landscaper to do all his hauling. I will be grossing $100 an hour off my truck (not counting material)........at that rate, you can make a buck or two. You have to be creative.......

[Gravel Rat]

A F-450 size truck isn't a production hauler so I try to do rubbish removal and clean up. The truck is just part of the job.

The excavation contractors are slowly moving along they are not smoking busy by any means. No pun intended but they are just scratching out a living and making payments or much profit.

I think everbody is just trudging along its pretty slow the construction isn't as busy.

It would be nice if I made enough money that I could pay off some of the costs to pay for the hydraulics and building the dumping flatdeck.

[P.Services]

gravel rat i know of a perfect delivery job for you and your f-450. its a one one trip and i hear it pays awesome, you need to go to iraq and they will load your truck up and you take off. just hit the little red button when you reach the delivery location and before you know it you will be surrounded by 40 virgins and you wont be living a miserable depressed life any longer.

[Gravel Rat]

Who says I live a miserable life. It is summer time and there is so many young woman around wearing barely anything. When they are 18-20 years old wearing a bikini that barely covers anything you look :laugh:

The only thing I don't like is my boring job. Same thing day in day out nothing changes. No other choices out there I could be a un-employeed construction worker. Go put in 7.5 hours a day and go home and do that 21 days a month 12 months of the year. The work gets repetitive some days its I don't want to work but you go anyhow.

Realestate prices still too high for my salary to handle. My aunt is a loans manager and she calculated my affordability index and I can't afford anymore than 150 grand. I still need a 15 grand down payment and where I'am I going to get that. A chunk of land is 250,000 if you want a house its till 300,000 plus.

A job that makes 2500 dollars clear a month can't afford anything but it is a steady amount 12 months of the year.

I have to live in the parents basement to rent a place I'am looking at 1200-1500 a month. A mortage payment would be about 1700-2000 a month thats if I could get a mortage.

Nobody knows what is going to happen in 2010 after the Olympics are over. It is what is driving the economy and the gov't is sinking this province deep into debt. There still is lots of job loss in the resource industries which are good paying jobs which in turn spreads the money to other people.

The slow down started late 2007 went through 2008 which was rough now into 2009 its not changing or improving by much. In 2007 the worked dropped off quick it dissapeared like a fart in the wind.

We can be thankfull that nobody has had their house repoed but there are companies that are going down. Some companies have gone to the never never pay plan. People have had to make some changes to survive this slow down like no holidays, return new vehicals etc.

I will be glad when I get my truck paid off I have 5 grand to go or something like that. The 750 dollar a month payment takes a chunk out of my wages. It has built me some credit thou because the bank used to laugh at me before.

It is always the way I buy a newer truck and my work drops off :nono:

My previous truck was starting to nickel and dime me and some big ticket items like the 5spd transmission.

The mills I work for the lumber sales dropped off. The junk business dropped off I used to be busy.

[stuvecorp]

Things here are very slow, I'm starting to be concerned on what to do come winter time.

[Hollowellreid]

We cut back from a 6 men in the field to 4, but it has been steady. Have been going pretty much all out since march and it has been pretty good all in all. As of now we have one good sized job to do for another 2 weeks or so but then a lull. Lots of stuff in the pipeline but who knows when/if it will come in. We have lots of other stuff to keep busy so that is good.

In all reality, I could go for a little break, maybe work on some of my own stuff for a while..