39 Creative Pickup Truck Business Ideas [2024]
Are you looking for the best pickup truck business ideas?
From delivering to hauling business ideas, a pickup truck can be versatile equipment that offers plenty of opportunities to earn extra cash.
If you are looking for some great business ideas, you can start with a truck you came to the right place.
In this post, we highlight 39 truck business ideas that pay well. I will include real-world examples and advice from successful entrepreneurs for your inspiration.
Here they are:
1. Start a mobile locker truck ($67K/month)
A locker truck business offers solutions for people who need temporary places to keep their belongings safe.
Individuals rent the lockers for short-term storage, and can even request items to be dropped at their address the following day, at an extra cost.
Generally, locker truck businesses are common at event venues.
How much you can make: $34,000 — $100,000/month
Here is what mobile locker looks like:
2. Start an e-commerce order fulfillment business ($4.68M/month)
An e-commerce order fulfillment business involves providing product warehousing, packaging, and shipping services on behalf of online retailers.
Typically, the e-commerce order fulfillment founder operates behind the scenes, handling merchant inventory storage, customized packaging, domestic shipping logistics, and potential return processing.
By establishing a dependable and efficient fulfillment infrastructure that can seamlessly integrate with popular e-commerce platforms, businesses can concentrate on maximizing their sales and leave the hassle of speedy and reliable delivery to their fulfillment operations.
How much you can make: $18,000 — $25,000,000/month
How long does it take to build: 180 days (?)
Learn more:
3. Start a seeds distribution business
The seed distribution business involves delivering seeds, seedlings, growing supplies, and farmer's starter kits to farmers across the nation or within a preferred geographical location.
To start, partner with a seeds company or a seedlings distribution business near you, and request to offer logistics solutions to them or their customers. As your business grows, you can start your online seeds and seedlings business.
How much you can make: $400,000/month
Learn how to sale seeds!
4. Start a junk pickup business ($57.5K/month)
A junk removal service involves picking up and removing unwanted items that owners cannot throw in the regular trash cans. Residents and businesses need junk removal services to haul away broken furniture, electronics, or appliances.
To make money, offer a unique junk removal service so customers can trust and remember your services. Calculate your fixed and variable costs to ensure you are charging the customers a fair price and making reasonable profits.
How much you can make: $15,000 — $100,000/month
How long does it take to build: 100 days (?)
Learn how to start a junk pickup business!
5. Start a landscaping business ($189K/month)
A landscaping business is engaged in maintaining lawns and gardens, trimming trees and shrubs, and providing landscape maintenance and beautification services. Landscaping costs vary depending on the size and location.
For small jobs such as taking care of the lawn and trees, the cost can vary from $50 to $100 per hour. The average wage of a landscape designer is $70,000 to $90,000, and a landscape architect makes around $50,000 to $100,000 per year. For basic maintenance and mowing services, a single person who runs a landscaping business can get started with as little as $5,000 or less. However, a proper landscaping business will require a large investment. The average start-up cost is between $15,000 to $20,000.
Once the type of service is decided, the list of tools and equipment can be purchased. The best way to succeed in a landscaping business is to provide quality service. This will not only retain existing clients but also promote and attract new customers.
How much you can make: $2,000 — $375,000/month
How much does it cost to start: $8,000 (?)
How long does it take to build: 60 days (?)
Learn how to start a landscaping business!
6. Start a food delivery business ($510K/month)
In today’s busy lifestyles and schedules, cooking is no longer a priority to many. People like to order-in food from their nearest restaurants or food joints and enjoy a meal in the comfort of their homes.
The food delivery business is like a courier service through which restaurants deliver food to their customers.
You can offer retail food delivery services to restaurants within your locality if you have a truck. Customers order through a restaurant or grocer’s website, and the owners contact you to deliver.
How much you can make: $14,000 — $1,800,000/month
How much does it cost to start: $3,500 (?)
How long does it take to build: 90 days (?)
Here is how to start a food delivery business:
7. Become a mystery shopper
Sign up with a mystery shopping company, and they will send you to retail stores, restaurants, or other locations across the country to measure the quality of customer experience.
After the shopping experience, the mystery shopping company sends you a form where you fill in the feedback.
After filling the report, the mystery shopping company will reimburse your mileage and the cost of purchases and probably pay an additional fee.
Time commitment per week: Min. 3 hours/week
Learn how to become a mystery shopper!
8. Start a moving service business
Moving service businesses pack, load, transport, unpack, clean, and carefully arrange items at the new location.
The demand for moving services is high among businesses, office owners, and residential customers.
As the owner of a moving truck business, your responsibility is to find potential customers (people who are moving home or office), hire a number of packers depending on the scope of work, and transport the items safely to the new location.
How much you can make: $1,500/month
Learn how to start a moving service business:
9. Start a garage sale business
Got an eye for bargains and a knack for organizing? A garage sale business might be your calling. This business idea is centered on sourcing items you no longer need—or that you can buy at low prices—and selling them for a profit through organized garage sales. It’s a straightforward concept but requires some effort to execute effectively.
You'll need to scout for items that people are willing to buy, organize sales, and promote them to attract a crowd. Think of it as an ongoing treasure hunt that monetizes clutter. You can also offer your services to others, assisting them in organizing and running their own sales for a fee, expanding your reach.
Starting a garage sale business is not just about clearing out spaces; it’s about creating value from the overlooked and undervalued, giving you the opportunity to turn hidden gems into real earnings.
How much you can make: $7,000/month
How much does it cost to start: $1,000 (?)
Learn exactly how to start a garage sale business:
10. Start a mobile truck advertising business
Mobile truck advertising gets brands noticed, recognized, and remembered. The alternatives here can include using the truck for roadshows/mobile advertising campaigns and mounting mobile billboards/truck side advertising.
The business idea allows truck owners to diversify their income sources. Therefore, you can use your truck for hauling and at the same time rent the truck side to an advertising company.
Learn how to start this business easily!
11. Become a building materials transporter
Construction of industries and commercial and residential properties continue increasing at a furious rate. Consequently, the demand for construction materials is massive and there is no sign of slowing down on the horizon.
The trucking industry is responsible for hauling a huge percentage of overland freight served to the construction industry. Therefore, if you are looking for a potential opportunity within the trucking industry, consider the haulage of construction materials.
To start, research the market and identify which areas have more opportunities. Then, buy or lease a suitable truck for the specific items you prefer to transport. Networking with construction site managers, foremen, and engineers will help you get more repeat business opportunities.
Learn how:
12. Start a metal scraping business
Metal scrapping refers to the recovery and processing of recyclable metal materials. Metal scrappers collect end-of-life products and structures and refine or sell them to metal product manufacturing and fabrication companies, where the scraps are reintroduced as raw materials.
To start a metal scrapping business, find out the possible sources of scrap metal and ensure you understand the legal and tax issues concerning operating the business. Spot a location where you will get a deal for your scrap metal business, and start collecting the scrap metals.
Learn how:
13. Start a truck rental business
A truck rental business provides individuals, businesses, and companies with large trucks to haul cargo to specific destinations.
Businesses constantly look for the best ways to reduce operating expenses. One preferred method is hiring trucks instead of buying. This is often the case when the need for a truck is rare such as when moving an office or transporting machinery to a new plant.
You may invest in a box truck and work with a motor vehicle leasing company, or if you have huge capital, buy a fleet of trucks and start a full truck rental company. Market your business to startups and other small-scale businesses that likely need trucking services but do not consider buying an economical way of doing business.
Learn how:
14. Start an appliance repair and delivery business
Household appliances break down and need repair. Besides, you need to keep up with regular appliance maintenance to keep power consumption in control and ensure the appliance's optimal performance. Therefore, the demand for appliance repair technicians will remain high. Starting an appliance repair and delivery service can be profitable.
First, you need basic electrical engineering training to understand how appliances operate. Then, you can start with a home-based appliance repair service, where you move door-to-door, fixing broken machines. To grow your business, focus on online sales and ensuring your customer's satisfaction so they can recommend your services to friends and colleagues.
Learn more about this!
15. Start a grocery delivery service
Grocery delivery is an on-demand service where clients shop for groceries, and you deliver to their commercial or residential premises.
As a carrier in grocery delivery, you have an opportunity to maximize your output, as you can serve multiple customers in one trip. Besides, you get to choose your preferred working time and location.
How much you can make: $385,000/month
How much does it cost to start: $3,000 (?)
How long does it take to build: 35 days (?)
Learn how:
16. Start a furniture delivery and assembling business
A furniture delivery business is a low-barrier to entry business opportunity for a handyperson with tools and a truck. You can manage the business easily from your home office or online, keeping operating expenses minimal.
As the home construction business experience a boom, demand for new furniture is also increasing. New home buyers purchase furniture online and look for a handy person to help with the delivery and assembly.
To start a furniture delivery and assembly business, partner with furniture manufacturers and become their local agent. For every order, they send, request to be the delivery and assembly partner.
Learn how:
17. Start an ice cream truck business
Do you have childhood memories of a neighborhood ice cream truck that reminded you anytime is a good time for ice cream?
An ice cream truck is one of the truck business ideas with great potential. So long as you choose high-traffic streets and a business strategy, an ice cream truck business could be profitable.
Starting an ice cream truck makes you your boss and helps you reach your financial goals. To start the ice cream business, research the nearby ice cream businesses and identify some potential gaps, prepare a business plan, customize your ice cream truck and launch your business.
Learn how:
18. Start an animal transportation business
Animal transportation is the commercial ferrying of wild and domestic animals. The animal transporters help rescuers, game parks, and pet lovers by offering safe and convenient animal transfers.
Thus, if you own a truck, you can customize it to offer animal transportation services. The truck should be customized as per the size of animals you will be transferring in them and there should be a facility to lift animals into the vehicle and out of it.
Starting an animal transportation business is a profitable prospect. You require some licensing, and you ought to carve a niche and market your services to potential customers.
How long does it take to build: 60 days (?)
Learn how:
19. Start a boat transportation business
Global recreational boating marketing is expected to grow at a CAGR of over 5%. Given the projected growth, and boat hauling service is another profitable opportunity for trucking companies.
Boat transportation service targets boat owners within the tourism and fishing industries. If you want a promising trucking business idea, hauling boats for money is a great opportunity.
How much you can make: $20,000/month
Learn how:
20. Start a towing service
Towing service refers to a licensed and insured business offering for-hire motor carrier service for stalled vehicles or other vehicles requiring a towing service.
The automobile towing industry opens up multiple opportunities to make money. To start the towing service, you need special licensing, towing equipment, and insurance to operate the tow truck business.
People need help when their cars break down, and they need someone who can get them out of the ditch, or off the side of the road and back on the road as quickly as possible. You can offer this service to people in your area who are having trouble getting their vehicle repaired, or if they're looking for a reliable place to get their car towed when they're not sure who can do it right away.
It’s a great way to get into the business world without spending a lot of money. You can start out small and build your company over time as you see fit, which gives you more control over how your business develops.
It’s an easy way to make money if you already have a truck and some basic equipment—all you need are customers!
You can choose whether or not you want a full-time job or something part-time on nights or weekends only when necessary; this allows for flexibility in terms of hours worked each week without sacrificing any income whatsoever.
How much you can make: $415,000/month
How long does it take to build: 40 days (?)
Finish Line Towing & Auto Repair is Wisconsin's largest roadside assistance provider, bringing in $5 million in annual sales through its dedication to customer service, effective dispatching, and clean service, with a goal of expanding to other markets in Wisconsin and Illinois.
21. Start a transport and logistics business
A transport and logistics business moves goods and materials from one location to another. Depending on your client’s needs, you can use a truck, train, boat, or plane. To start this business, you will need a fleet of vehicles, a team of drivers, and a warehouse or storage facility. You will also need to obtain the licenses and permits to operate legally.
To operate this business, you must communicate with your clients to understand their shipping needs and negotiate prices. You will then need to plan routes and schedules for your drivers and ensure that all goods are transported safely and efficiently. You will also need to track shipments and update clients on the status of their deliveries.
In addition to transportation, you may also offer warehousing and storage services. This service would involve receiving and storing goods in your warehouse until they are ready to be shipped out. You may also provide value-added services such as packing and labeling to help your clients save time and effort.
Overall, running a transport and logistics business requires strong organizational skills, attention to detail, and excellent customer service. If you are up for the challenge, this can be a rewarding and lucrative business opportunity.
How much you can make: $5,000 — $415,000/month
How long does it take to build: 110 days (?)
Nationwide Auto Transportation ships approximately 4,000 vehicles per month and has served more than 50,000 customers, offering custom services such as help for clients who cannot find suitable carriers for their vehicle.
22. Start a wood pallet scraping business
23. Start a snow plowing business
24. Start a local deliveries business
25. Start a large items delivery business
With the rise of e-commerce, more businesses have to deal with delivery logistics.
A large items delivery business is a company that delivers large items such as furniture and appliances to customers’ homes or offices. These items are often too bulky for people to carry on their cars or delivery vans, so they need help from professionals who can get them from point A to point B in one piece.
Starting a large items delivery business in 2024 can be a great business opportunity.
26. Start an odd jobs business
27. Start a pick-up/ clean-out business
28. Start a haul stuff away business
29. Start a thrifty resale business
30. Start a deliver with DoorDash
31. Start a mail delivery business
Groceries, gifts, and medical supplies are delivered to millions of homes daily.
If you own a truck, starting a door-to-door delivery business allows you to get into entrepreneurship and set your schedule.
As the boss, you will have to make some tough decisions, such as whether or not to hire more drivers.
With the right truck and a winning personality, a door-to-door delivery service can be profitable and lead to financial freedom.
How much you can make: $6,000/month
How much does it cost to start: $1,000 (?)
Deepfinity, a proptech/logistics company, has developed an internal parcel tracking software tool that's helping large buildings cope with the influx of online shopping, and has been growing 20% MoM since making its first revenue 1.5 years ago, currently making $6K/Month.
32. Start a scooter charging business
33. Start a ride-hailing service
34. Start a mulching business
35. Start a pallet flipping business
Interested in transforming surplus into profit? Look into starting a pallet flipping business. This venture involves buying pallets filled with overstock or returned items and reselling the individual products for a profit.
The allure of this business lies in its straightforward approach. You source pallets, often from liquidation websites or retailers, categorize and evaluate the goods, and then sell them via online marketplaces like eBay or Facebook Marketplace. Each pallet is a treasure trove of potential, offering diverse items from electronics to home goods.
Starting a pallet flipping business requires keen organizational skills and a sharp eye for resale value. With some research and disciplined effort, this business can yield substantial returns. It's practical, scalable, and grants you the flexibility to dive into various product categories.
How much you can make: $30,000/month
John Wilker, founder of The Simple Biz, shares his profitable wooden pallet recycling business model that can be done with minimal effort, and offers a training course for others to execute it themselves.
36. Start an ikea hauling business
37. Start a tricycle transport business
38. Start a flipping pickup trucks business
39. Sell firewood
Starting a firewood business can be a great opportunity for those looking to enter the wood industry or simply wanting to supplement their income. This business involves sourcing, cutting, and selling firewood to customers for use in wood-burning stoves, outdoor fire pits, and other heating purposes.
To get started, you will need a reliable wood source, such as a woodlot or access to a sawmill. You will also need proper equipment, including a chainsaw, splitting maul, and possibly a wood splitter if you plan to sell pre-cut and split firewood. In addition, you will need a way to transport and store the firewood, such as a pickup truck or trailer.
Marketing your firewood business will be key to success. You can start by reaching out to local customers through word-of-mouth and advertising in your community, such as through flyers and online classifieds. You may also consider setting up a website and social media presence to showcase your products and services.
Running a firewood business can be physically demanding, as you will be handling and cutting large amounts of wood. However, with the right knowledge, equipment, and marketing strategies, you can turn your love of woodworking into a profitable enterprise.
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Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
