How to Make Money with a Pickup Truck [9 Ideas That Work]

If you want to learn some great ways to make money with a pickup truck, you are in the right place.

In this article, we are going to discuss 9 ways to make money with a pickup truck that actually work. I’ve also included a bonus idea if you happen to have a decent-sized trailer that you can attach to your pickup, so check that out at the end of the article.

To help you get started right away, I will be including links to resources you can use to get jobs or contracts in each of these 9 areas.

For the most part, if you’ve got a working pickup (or can get one), a valid driver’s license, and a mobile phone, then the options I discuss below are going to be open to you (although some job platforms may have additional requirements).

Here’s the list of 9 ways you can make money with a pickup truck:

It’s 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.

This post may contain affiliate links. If you click on a link and complete a transaction, I may make a small commission at no extra cost to you. 

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.

Introductory Questions

Before we get into the list of ways you can make money with a pickup, I thought it would be helpful to cover some key introductory info, like how much money you can make with a pickup truck, how much it costs to buy one, and some of the perks of making money with your pickup truck (i.e., enjoying independent contractor status and the ability to make extra money without giving up your full time job).

If you want to skip the intro, just click here to jump to the nine ways you can make money with your pickup.

How Much Money Can You Make with a Pickup Truck?

According to Ziprecruiter, the national average income for pickup truck owners is approximately $94,000 per year, which is roughly $45 per hour.

That is an average (and a high one!), but there is wide range among pickup truck owners – incomes may be as high as $229,500 and as low as $20,500.

How much you make will depend on a variety of factors, including your location, how much effort you put into your pickup trucking business, how effective you are at marketing your business and getting jobs, how well you control costs, and many other factors.

How Much Does a Pickup Truck Cost?

According to Motortrend, the cheapest new pickup trucks range from around $21,000 (for a Ford Maverick) to around $30,000 (for a base Ford F150). Of course, if you want a larger, more powerful, and more “loaded” pickup truck, you can spend well north of $70,000 for a shiny new one with all of the bells and whistles (e.g., the coveted Ford F150 Raptor).

Of course, if you want to go cheaper, you can buy a used pickup truck for a small fraction of that price. Your costs will depend on age, mileage, model and general condition, but I have seen pickup trucks on Edmunds.com for less than $1,000.

If buying is not your thing, you can also lease your pickup. Again, costs will vary, but the nice thing about leasing is that you can get a new truck for a fraction of the cost of buying one and you don’t need to really worry about repairs since you should be under warranty for most of the lease term.

That being said, if you plan on using your pickup for making money, you will probably be putting a lot of miles on it. This could pose problems due to mileage restrictions in leases.

Independent Contractor Jobs and Side Hustles with a Pickup Truck

Most of the ideas that I discuss on how to make money with a pickup are going to be independent contractor jobs. That means that you will not be working as an employee for a company – you get to be your own boss. It’s another nice little perk about making money in this way. In essence, you are creating your own pickup truck business.

In addition, the pickup truck business ideas I cover below can be done on the side, rather than your full time employment. For example, driving people around with your pickup can be done on the weekends. So can making local deliveries or even helping people move or haul stuff. A lot of this type of activity happens on the weekends anyway, so you can tackle them in your spare time.

Ok, now that we’ve got the introductory stuff out of the way, let’s get into the nine best ways you can make money with a pickup truck.

1. Service the Construction Industry With a Pickup Truck

Construction and pick-up trucks go hand in hand.

Pickup trucks can carry heavy loads, are durable, and have ample space to haul stuff to and from construction sites. And depending on the level of development happening in your local area, there may be a lot of demand from landscapers and developers that need stuff delivered and hauled away.

For larger jobs, they will probably use a dump truck, but there are going to be plenty of smaller jobs too. Your pickup truck can be perfect for this task.

You can look at online job boards for these smaller tasks or you can let people find your business online by registering your business on places like Google Business.

2. Transport People With a Pickup Truck

I am sure you have heard of ride sharing companies like Uber and Lyft. Did you know that you could offer rides to people using these platforms with your pickup truck?

I know most people think of passenger cars when they think of these ride sharing apps, but both Uber and Lyft will accept pickup trucks.

But before you sign up, you need to know that not every pickup truck will qualify. You will need to have a four door pickup that can carry at least four passengers (other than yourself). You may also need to satisfy certain local requirements, including age of the vehicle (it basically can’t be too old).

If you want to learn more about these requirements, check them out here.

3. Local Delivery Jobs With a Pickup Truck

There are plenty of companies (and people) that need local delivery services. Whether it’s supplies, medical equipment, or other cargo, you can easily fill that demand with your pickup truck. Sites like GoShare can connect you to people or businesses that may need these types of deliveries.

If you are looking for more options to get loads, you can also check out Lugg and Dolly.

If you have a closed bed pickup truck, you may also want to consider riding the e-commerce wave and 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.

4. 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.

It’s a seasonal business, but you can make a killing if there is steady and heavy snowfall throughout the winter. If you have a decent residential population, you may want to reach out to home owners associations, apartments and condos, as they often contract with companies for the winter season to take care of plowing snow in their communities.

5. Towing Jobs with a Pickup Truck

Pick up trucks are great for towing 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. Once you have established your towing business, check out sites like Towpanda, Towingleads, Urgently, Honk, and Servicedirect to get leads on towing jobs.

6. Hauling Jobs with a Pickup Truck

A pickup truck is versatile and you are not limited to hauling 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. If you are looking for potential leads on mattress returns, check out sites like Sharetown.

7. Moving Jobs with a Pickup Truck

A pickup truck business can also offer moving services.

There are plenty of ways to get moving jobs. Check out sites like Goshare, Bungii and Sharetown to get moving job leads for your pickup truck business.

You can also check out more general platforms like Taskrabbit. They also tend to have a lot of moving jobs listed there.

8. Rent Out Your Pickup Truck

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.

You can list your car for rent on their platform and interested parties will contact you. It’s a pretty simple process. If you want to learn more about how to get started, check out my detailed article on the topic here.

The best part is that you can actually make decent money. How much you ask? 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 tidy profit to boot.

To find out what you might be able to make, 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. Pretty cool tool.

Turo is a leader in this car rental space, but if you want a site that is more customized for 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. Start a Mobile Car Wash Business

Another great way to make money with your pickup truck is by starting a mobile car wash business. This is basically a car wash that comes to you. So you can get your car washed at work or even while you are away.

Once you have your pickup truck, the rest of the materials and equipment to start this type of business is pretty cheap. If you are interested in this option, check out my article on how to start a mobile car wash business for less than $250.

Bonus Idea

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.

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 make money with 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.