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Route truck / trailer?


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Couldn't get pics here so I have them in the gallery.

John

Yep,

That's exactly what I'm going to buy as soon as I get some of these machines out of it's parking space. As soon as I sell off some of the machines in my shop, I can get the machines outside in there. Then I can get the trailer so I can get more machines

.............. does this ever end? ;D

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yeah, at first i dont have a co-pilot, but at the end of the day i have a box of tgif chips hanging out next to me. and yeah this week a box of cup cakes edged me on the ear hurt like hell.

3F1A89A6-orig_zpsa1df7dc9.jpg

EE00A126-orig_zps7ed10aa9.jpg

heres my co pilot...

AEF7F9D7-orig_zpsb18ed817.jpg

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yeah, at first i dont have a co-pilot, but at the end of the day i have a box of tgif chips hanging out next to me. and yeah this week a box of cup cakes edged me on the ear hurt like hell.

3F1A89A6-orig_zpsa1df7dc9.jpg

EE00A126-orig_zps7ed10aa9.jpg

heres my co pilot...

AEF7F9D7-orig_zpsb18ed817.jpg

Look on the bright side, at least you don't have to worry about hitch hikers ;D

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I am most impressed that TKK is actually able to find what stock he needs when he gets to service a machine, thats without that stuff falling on his head or onto the ground. I guess we arent all big like Mr Mission who probably runs a fleet of Mercedes trucks or something similar lol!.

I have 2 vans Ford Transit and a Hyundai iload all fully setup inside, well Moondog i will most likely be in Sth Calif in December if you need some locating done and you can afford my fees i can locate those machines for you, you can offset the cost of my vacation !.

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I am most impressed that TKK is actually able to find what stock he needs when he gets to service a machine, thats without that stuff falling on his head or onto the ground. I guess we arent all big like Mr Mission who probably runs a fleet of Mercedes trucks or something similar lol!.

I have 2 vans Ford Transit and a Hyundai iload all fully setup inside, well Moondog i will most likely be in Sth Calif in December if you need some locating done and you can afford my fees i can locate those machines for you, you can offset the cost of my vacation !.

That's the problem Ron, they were already located but I've just gotten so damn picky about the accounts I deal with anymore that I'm probably better off just selling them. I think I'm becoming a vending snob.

Give me a holler when you get to So Cal - we'll throw some artichokes on the barbi.

How do you like that Transit - cool little van but is it big enough?

Only when you drop dead. :-*

No Mission, I'm not planning on dropping dead - my theory is that it's some sort of "vending vortex"

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Anyone have a small box truck? I saw one w a 16ft box 4cyl w liftgate for $3999 but don't know

I don't know TKK, do you really think you need it? I'm sure you could cram at least a couple of more twelve packs in that Honda you've got.

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Anyone have a small box truck? I saw one w a 16ft box 4cyl w liftgate for $3999 but don't know

Initially that sounds like a good price with a lift gate. It's probably a smart option (a small box truck) as your business grows, but I think it would increase the amount you spend on gas, too.

Anyone have a small box truck? I saw one w a 16ft box 4cyl w liftgate for $3999 but don't know

Initially that sounds like a good price with a lift gate. It's probably a smart option (a small box truck) as your business grows, but I think it would increase the amount you spend on gas, too.

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Moondog, theres absolutely nothing wrong with being a vending snob if you can afford to be, i will pm you for the rescipe!. A vendor in my area canvasses locations consistently even though he has over 160 sites and doesnt really want more, his idea if he gets a new location he will place a machine onsite and trial if for a few months and if the sales are in excess of $200 per week he will keep it and then on sell his smaller locations to someone else. This has helped him weed out all his poor performing sites and given him spare cash when he sells a machine on location and with that spare cash he uses it to buy a new machine to upgrade his existing fleet. I think this is smart, what do you think?.

Artichokes on the barbie geez thats something new to me, what i love is those American smoked spare ribs sensational!.

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Moondog,

Yes i like the Ford transit its a good van to drive and efficient on gas consumption and its just a year old, its one of those with the econetic technology which supposedy has better gas economy. I must admit i am finding that its a bit to small and i should have gone to a larger long wheel base van. Previous to this van i had a Renault trafic which was a great van, and itwas just like a car to drive on the highways but the turning circle was very poor, i am currently considering upgrading to a long wheel base van.

The Korean Hyundai is a good van nice and easy to drive with sliding doors on both sides its the most popular van in Australia at present. What are you using to service your route?.

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Moondog, theres absolutely nothing wrong with being a vending snob if you can afford to be, i will pm you for the rescipe!. A vendor in my area canvasses locations consistently even though he has over 160 sites and doesnt really want more, his idea if he gets a new location he will place a machine onsite and trial if for a few months and if the sales are in excess of $200 per week he will keep it and then on sell his smaller locations to someone else. This has helped him weed out all his poor performing sites and given him spare cash when he sells a machine on location and with that spare cash he uses it to buy a new machine to upgrade his existing fleet. I think this is smart, what do you think?.

Artichokes on the barbie geez thats something new to me, what i love is those American smoked spare ribs sensational!.

Yep Ron,

That's the attack I'm currently taking although I didn't wait to weed out my bad accounts before I could find better ones - hence the glut of machines. They just didn't make economic sense so now I'm being a lot more careful about adding accounts. I just picked up one for $9,000 with ten decent machines in three locations. The lady selling it had bought from a guy who was getting called up for National Guard duty and was only in the business 6 months. She said it was doing $1,000 a month. She was basically doing everything wrong and after a month of replacing bad mechs, BAs and vend motors plus revamping the snack lineup and actually putting price labels on everything, I grossed $2,000 my first month and it isn't even summer yet. I'm into it for $10,000 at this point with all the repairs, full stocking and my time but I figure to make this account a keeper. Now I'm looking for another one just like it.

Re: your second post, I use a GMC Safari cargo van 6 cylinder. Once I get a shelving system in there it should easily handle ten to twelve machines a day which is about my limit anyway. Right now I use it for acquiring snack machines as well so I can't build it out until I get that trailer. Then I should be able to pick up some good deals on soda machines as well.

As for the ribs, that's a Midwest to Southeast specialty (Kansas City to Texas to Memphis and all over North and South Carolina) We do however, have great ribs place here in town - it used to be owned by the family of one of my high school friends but they sold it recently - my friend says it's better now (I think he's right but didn't want to tell him that)

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yeah, at first i dont have a co-pilot, but at the end of the day i have a box of tgif chips hanging out next to me. and yeah this week a box of cup cakes edged me on the ear hurt like hell.

3F1A89A6-orig_zpsa1df7dc9.jpg

EE00A126-orig_zps7ed10aa9.jpg

heres my co pilot...

AEF7F9D7-orig_zpsb18ed817.jpg

I remember those days. ;D

John

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I have a 12'x6' cargo trailer with a ramp and side door I bought to fix up to pull with my truck. Will put a ac and small motor to run power to cool off trailer in hot summer. I have not started adding shelves to inside just yet. It is a dual axle with brakes was able to pick it up brand new second hand, it was only used once by person who bought it new. When i have it finished i will post pictures.

mike

Cajun -

I'm considering going this route as well. Do you know what it's going to cost to put the a/c in it? And are you plugging it in at home and storing the chocolate in it as well? I just wonder if loading and unloading the chocolate every time I run my route makes buying any route-specific vehicle worth it. I'm using my own pickup truck now......but it would be nice to have my inventory loaded and ready to go at will. I suppose the less I have to move the heavy soda and all the chips the better. If all I have to move is the chocolate - that's better than moving it all like I do now.

Any progress on your project?

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Cajun -

I'm considering going this route as well. Do you know what it's going to cost to put the a/c in it? And are you plugging it in at home and storing the chocolate in it as well? I just wonder if loading and unloading the chocolate every time I run my route makes buying any route-specific vehicle worth it. I'm using my own pickup truck now......but it would be nice to have my inventory loaded and ready to go at will. I suppose the less I have to move the heavy soda and all the chips the better. If all I have to move is the chocolate - that's better than moving it all like I do now.

Any progress on your project?

munch A bunch

No, progress on trailer, busy moving snack and cod drink machines around from sub par locations to better locations, I can't believe how people act when you let them know machine is not performing what it needs to make money, and your moving it out. I told the guy to call my competion for a machine to service him.

As for trailer it is being used for storage for a couple of machines I need to find locations for and some other junk. lol!

mike

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Here's a run down on the vehicles I started with to the vehicle I'm currently using: Chevy Camaro - used to service my first machines, 4 counter top mechanical snack machines, Ford Taurus station wagon - fried the tranny in less than 3 months :( , Ford Aerostar van - fried the tranny in less than 6 months :( , Ford E350 15 passenger van - overhauled the tranny 3 times...van had 140,000 mi when I retired it , Dodge 3500 van - tranny was starting to slip so I decided to get rid of it, Chevy 2500 Express van - 1st vehicle I actually put shelving in! Just retired it last year with 160,000 mi & still running very strong. No tranny problems what-so-ever. Am currently running an MB 2500 Sprinter van. My wife has been driving Honda CRV's since '97, so i've used them on the route periodically through the years when there were unavoidable circumstances. CRVs are pretty tough puppies. I, too, had ours packed like TKK's!

After almost 2 decades of crawling around on my hands & knees and digging through oceans of boxes, I decided to get a delivery vehicle I can stand up straight in and have the best organization thus far. My patience & my back are thanking me for it! :)

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When did you guys make the decision to get a "route specific" vehicle/trailer? I'm sure it's just a matter of cost/benefit....but man, I'm 5 machines in and already tired of climbing in and out of my pickup truck!

Tax advantage of having a route vehicle versus deducting mileage???

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When did you guys make the decision to get a "route specific" vehicle/trailer? I'm sure it's just a matter of cost/benefit....but man, I'm 5 machines in and already tired of climbing in and out of my pickup truck!

Tax advantage of having a route vehicle versus deducting mileage???

When did you guys make the decision to get a "route specific" vehicle/trailer? I'm sure it's just a matter of cost/benefit....but man, I'm 5 machines in and already tired of climbing in and out of my pickup truck!

Tax advantage of having a route vehicle versus deducting mileage???

It took me about three months working out of my Ford Escape before I had had enough - I was only running ten machines and they weren't doing near as much volume as the five you've got. Get yourself a good used cargo van - it'll tide you over until you get big enough to buy that Mercedes (sweet vehicle)

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When did you guys make the decision to get a "route specific" vehicle/trailer? I'm sure it's just a matter of cost/benefit....but man, I'm 5 machines in and already tired of climbing in and out of my pickup truck!

Tax advantage of having a route vehicle versus deducting mileage???

In 1985 I started with 5 soda machines - 4 Choice Vends and 1 Fawn- and ran out of my pickup truck. I am in Phoenix and had to fill machines in the 115 deg. summers. I put heavy blankets down in the bed of the truck and stacked the soda up, then covered the soda with a blanket that I would wet down at gas stations along the way. This worked well as an evaporative cooler. As I grew, the bed of the truck got more full each day and as I added snack machines I would stack an ice chest in the cab along with boxes of snacks. In the ice chest I would layer soda flats with candy for the 2 or 3 snacks I was doing that day. This went on for about 3 years and 3 very hot summers and worked pretty well. The sodas that got the warmest were on the bottom - hardly ever blew up cans that were on top as long as I kept the blanket wet. I did have to load machines very carefully due to warm cans and the 7UP was the worst at popping tops in the heat. I finally moved to a cargo van in 1988 so I could carry more product and get out of the heat and so I wouldn't have to unload the soda every night.

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Thanks for the info guys! I think I'll start with a 5x8 trailer for now. That way I can get it in my garage and avoid the HOA police in my neighborhood. Parking another vehicle in the driveway will make them (and my wife) go crazy. Besides, Van+Storage=expensive.

What are my tax advantages of adding a vehicle? Seems I've got it pretty good driving tons of mileage at 56 cents per mile now (minus the wear and tear).

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As far as taxes go, you need to track your mileage and then at the end of each year, determine if the mileage deduction or actual expense (registration, insurance, repairs, gas, tires, etc.) deduction works best for you. Either deduction is based on the percentage of miles used for business. You may also be able to depreciate the vehicle but speak to a tax consultant for details of this possibility. If you purchase a trailer for vending you can depreciate the whole thing and probably in the first year. Just remember that when you sell a depreciated item, you can pay tax on the recovery of the depreciation.

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