Bulk topsoil delivery by tipper truck

Landscapers, builders, developers, councils and homeowners with larger garden or lawn projects.

You charge per cubic metre or per load, including delivery. Margin comes from buying in bulk and keeping the truck busy with back-to-back drops.

• Heavy vehicle driving
• Route planning and scheduling
• Quoting and building trade relationships

• Heavy vehicle licence class, load limits and load restraint rules, which vary by state
• Chain of responsibility duties and safe tipping around power lines and uneven ground
• Higher insurance costs for trucks, plus public liability and possibly goods in transit cover
• Truck repairs, fuel and registration costs when work is quiet, and wet-weather slowdowns
• Biosecurity and soil source rules, including fire ant controls in some areas. Check with your state agriculture department

Startup costs are typically estimated at around $70,000 to $180,000, depending on the truck you buy, its age and condition, and your insurance. Treat this as an estimate and get quotes before you commit.

Monthly revenue is typically estimated at around $5,000 to $22,000, depending on how many loads you deliver, your customer mix and wet-weather slowdowns. Fuel, repairs and registration come out of that, so check your margins.

Check your heavy vehicle licence class, load limits and load restraint rules in your state, chain of responsibility duties, and safe tipping near power lines. Also check biosecurity and soil source rules, including fire ant controls in some areas.