Mobile truck cap and cover fitter

Pickup owners, including tradespeople, hunters, campers and anglers, as well as small businesses with work trucks.

You earn a margin on each cap or cover sold, plus a fitting fee. Add-ons such as locks, roof racks, liners and lighting wiring bring in extra income.

• Handy with tools and basic vehicle wiring
• Confident talking to customers and quoting
• Organised with orders, deliveries and booking fit dates

• Dealer agreements may limit which areas or brands you can sell, so read the terms
• Commercial general liability insurance, and check whether it covers work on customers' vehicles
• Check your municipality for home-based business rules if you store stock or work from your property
• Check provincial vehicle rules on lighting and visibility, such as the third brake light, when fitting caps
• Demand can be seasonal and varies by region, so plan for quieter months
• Register for GST/HST once you pass the small supplier threshold, and check provincial sales tax rules

Estimates suggest startup costs are typically around $2,000 to $9,000, depending on your starting stock or sample range, dealer agreement terms, tools and the vehicle you use to travel to customers.

Monthly revenue is typically estimated at around $1,500 to $8,000, depending on how many caps and covers you sell and fit, your region and how demand changes through the year.

Read your dealer agreement for area or brand limits, and check provincial vehicle rules on lighting and visibility, such as the third brake light. Also check municipal home-based business rules, GST/HST registration and that your insurance covers work on customers' vehicles.