If you run a pickup truck business and are struggling to find loads, you are in the right place.
In this article, we are going to cover 9 strategies you can use to find lucrative and consistent loads for your pickup truck. In addition to covering options for a standalone pickup truck, we will also cover methods for finding loads if you have a pickup with a trailer. These include hotshot loads and other options.
We’ve got a lot to cover, so let’s get into it!
If you would like to see a condensed version of this article in video format, check out my YouTube video on the topic below.
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The information contained in this post is for informational purposes only. It is not a recommendation to buy or invest, and it is not financial, investment, legal, or tax advice. You should seek the advice of a qualified professional before making any investment or other decisions relating to the topics covered by this article.
1. Get Jobs From Local Construction Companies
One of the most popular ways to get loads for your pickup truck is by servicing the construction industry.
Pickup trucks are perfect for the task because they are durable, can carry heavy loads, and have ample space in their bed to haul stuff to and from construction sites. If your neighborhood or surrounding area has a lot of development work happening, you may have a lot of demand from landscapers and developers that need materials and other items delivered and hauled away.
To be fair, for large jobs, they will probably use a dump truck, but there are going to be plenty of smaller jobs too. Your pickup truck can fit the bill perfectly.
Where Do I Find Construction Jobs For My Pickup Truck?
You can look at online job boards (simplyhired, indeed, ziprecruiter, etc.) for these smaller tasks. Type in pickup truck jobs and see the options available in your local area.
In addition, you can let people find your business online by registering your business on places like Google Business.
Another great way to get consistent business is to develop relationships with builders, landscapers, and others in your area that handle a lot of the construction work.
If you offer discounted pricing relative to your competition, that can get your foot in the door with many of these companies. Once you demonstrate that you are reliable and competent, you should be able to get a consistent stream of income.
Of course, if you do a great job, word of mouth advertising can also create opportunities for you.
2. Hauling Jobs with a Pickup Truck
One of the great things about a pickup truck is its incredible versatility. That means that you aren’t limited to hauling things for the construction industry.
You can haul away junk from individual homes, haul away mattresses – basically anything that will fit into the bed of your pickup.
Where Do I Get Hauling Jobs For My Pickup Truck?
If you are looking for potential leads on mattress returns, check out sites like Sharetown. You can also haul away junk with your pickup truck using platforms like Loadup. Note that you will need a trailer (either a utility trailer, dump trailer or enclosed trailer) to qualify for Loadup.
If you want to learn more about Loadup, check out their requirements page here.
3. Towing Jobs with a Pickup Truck
As their name suggests, pickup trucks are great for picking up stranded vehicles because of their pulling ability.
All you need to do is get the right towing equipment attached to your pick-up and you can get this business off the ground fairly easily.
Where Do I Get Towing Jobs For My Pickup Truck?
Once you’ve got the right equipment and have established your towing business, check out sites like Towpanda, Towingleads, Urgently, Honk, and Servicedirect to get leads on towing jobs.
4. Moving Jobs with a Pickup Truck
A pickup truck business can also offer moving services. Now, we are not talking about full-scale moves, obviously, but for smaller moving jobs, your pickup truck can be ideal.
Where Do I Get Moving Jobs For my Pickup Truck?
Check out sites like Goshare, Bungii and Sharetown to get moving job leads for your pickup truck.
You can also check out more general platforms like Taskrabbit. I have seen a lot of moving jobs listed there on a pretty regular basis.
5. Get Local Delivery Jobs
Local delivery services are a thriving market.
The types of things you can deliver cover a wide range. It can be supplies, medical equipment, packages, or other cargo – all of which can easily be delivered with your pickup truck.
Where Can I Find Local Delivery Jobs for my Pickup Truck?
GoShare is a great platform that allows you to connect with people or businesses that need these types of local deliveries. You can also check out Lugg and Dolly if you want additional options.
Another terrific (and very popular option) is delivering packages for Amazon. Now, you will need to have a closed bed pickup truck to qualify, but if you do, this can be an amazing way to profit from the burgeoning e-commerce wave.
If you are interested in becoming a driver for Amazon, Amazon Flex is the program you want to check out. They are not available in all areas, but they are rapidly expanding.
6. Snow Plowing Jobs with a Pickup Truck
If you attach a snow plow to the front of your pick-up, you can start offering snow plowing services.
Now I recognize it can be a seasonal business, but you can make a ton of money if you have a good winter (by good, I mean, of course frequent and heavy snowfall throughout the season).
How Do I Find Snow Plowing Jobs For My Pickup Truck?
If you live in an area that has a decent-sized residential population, you can reach out to apartments, condos, and home owners associations, as they often hire to take care of plowing snow in their communities. If you do a good job at a fair price, they will use you again and again.
This can be a great (and consistent) way to make money every winter.
7. Use Your Pickup Truck Like a Taxi
Everyone knows about Uber and Lyft by now, right?
But did you know that you could offer rides to people using these platforms with your pickup truck?
I realize most people think of passenger cars when they think of Uber and Lyft, but both of these companies will accept pickup trucks to transport customers.
Now before you sign up, you should understand that not every pickup truck will qualify. It has to be a four door pickup that can carry at least four passengers (not including yourself). You’ll also need to satisfy certain local requirements, including age of the vehicle (it basically can’t be too old).
To find out more about these requirements, check out the official links below.
8. Rent Out Your Pickup Truck
This one’s a bit unconventional – which I like!
Did you know that you can actually rent out your pickup truck to people using sites like Turo? They are basically the airbnb of car rentals.
What’s the process?
You list your car for rent on their platform and people who are interested in renting it will contact you. Simple, right?
If you want to learn more about how to get started, check out my detailed article on the topic here.
One of the things I like the most about this strategy is that you can actually make decent money without doing any of the hard work yourself. Seriously, how awesome is that?
How much can you make? According to Turo, you can make hundreds of dollars a month. If you do it right, that should cover your monthly payment and leave you with a nice profit to boot.
If you’re curious to find out how much you can make with your exact pickup, check out their Carculator. You just type in the make, model, year and location of your pickup and the Carculator will give you an estimate of your monthly earnings. It’s a slick little tool.
Turo is a leader in this car rental space, so I would definitely check them out. But if you want a site that is more specialized in renting out pickup trucks, check out Fetchtruck.com.
If you want to learn more about this specific strategy, check out my full article on How to Rent Out Your Truck For Profit.
9. Get Hotshot Loads (Trailer Needed)
If you have a pickup truck with enough towing capacity (Ford F-250 equivalent or greater) and have (or are willing to get) a trailer, you can start a hotshot trucking business.
What is a hotshot trucking business?
A hotshot trucking business is a business where you haul smaller loads (less-than-truckload or LTL) that are often critical and time-sensitive. For example, when construction companies need something urgently (i.e., a piece of equipment broke down, etc.), a hot shot trucker gets the job done quickly and on short notice.
It’s a great way to make opportunistic money when businesses need help in a hurry getting something delivered.
How Do I Get Hotshot Jobs For My Pickup Truck?
One of the best ways to get hotshot loads is signing up for load boards. These are online boards that list available loads for delivery. Many (but not all) load boards charge a fee to use them.
The leading load board out there is DAT.
Because of their size and scope, they are able to offer leading edge tech and info, including unlimited searching, instant alarm match notifications, broker credit scores and days to pay, market rates, mileage routing and much more.
I have an affiliate relationship with them and secured a deal where if you use my link, you can get a free 30 day trial with full access to their network and features. So, you get to try out the leading load board for a full month for free. I would note that this deal is only for new subscribers.
If you are interested, just click below to take advantage of this no-risk offer.
Other general loads boards include Truckstop.com., and Trucker Path. There are also load boards that specialize in hotshot deliveries, such as uship, and hotshotcarrier.
While load boards may be the best way to get a consistent and steady stream of hotshot loads, you can get hotshot jobs by talking with local companies who may need these types of urgent deliveries from time to time. Construction companies, manufacturing businesses, and businesses in the medical industry can all be good candidates.
If you prove yourself, they’ll continue to use you and may recommend you to others. In most cases, the volume won’t compete with what you can find on load boards, but every extra bit can help you make more money.
If you want to learn more about how to start a hotshot trucking business, check out my article on the topic here.
Conclusion
So there you have it – 9 great ways to find loads for your pickup truck.
If you want to learn about other great ways to make money with trucks, including semis, box trucks, vans and more, check out my comprehensive article on the best transportation business ideas.
If you want to learn how to ride the boom in the transportation industry but don’t want to actually drive, check out my article on truck investing for passive income.
