Your hauling setup decides how much you can take per trip, how fast you can unload and what you can charge for a full load. Most junk removal businesses start with one of three setups.
Option 1: Pickup truck only
A pickup with high sides added to the bed can work for single items and small cleanouts. It is the cheapest way to start if you already own the truck. The downside is low capacity, which means more trips to the dump and a lower price for a “full load”.
Option 2: Pickup plus a dump trailer
This is the most common starting setup. A dump trailer can tip its load at the transfer station in seconds, saving you from unloading by hand. Trailers come in a range of sizes, and a mid-size model gives you far more volume than a truck bed alone. You need a truck rated to tow it loaded, and enough experience to back a trailer into tight driveways.
Option 3: Box truck or dump truck
Many established junk removal companies use box trucks with high, enclosed sides or dedicated dump trucks. They hold a lot, look professional and protect loads from wind and rain. They cost much more to buy, insure and maintain, and larger trucks can bring extra licensing and weight rules. Most new businesses grow into one.
Measure capacity in cubic yards
Whatever you choose, work out its capacity in cubic yards (length times width times height in feet, divided by 27). That number becomes the base for your load-size pricing, and it lets you compare against competitors honestly. A “full load” in a pickup and a “full load” in a box truck are very different jobs.
Watch the weight
Volume is not the only limit. Concrete, dirt, shingles and wet debris can overload a truck or trailer long before it looks full. Know your payload and trailer ratings, and price heavy materials by weight.
Other gear to carry
- Hand truck and appliance dolly
- Furniture blankets and straps
- Contractor bags, rakes, shovels and brooms
- Tarp and cargo net for every trip
- Gloves, boots and eye protection
- Basic tools for taking apart furniture and sheds
Many states require loads to be covered or secured, with fines for anything that blows off. A tarp on every load is cheap insurance.
Get load-size pricing with the starter kit
Our junk removal starter kit includes photo-based quote requests, load-size pricing, same-day booking, and a dump fee and donation drop-off checklist. See our guide to junk removal pricing, then vote for the junk removal kit. Voters get 20% off at launch.
Leave a Reply