Going From Portable To Truckmount

[DoubleAA]

This question is for those of you who started into the biz with a portable and are now a truckmounted operation. When you left the bucket brigade, How much of an impact did it have on your business, both good and bad? I'm referring to anything you can think of...overhead, profit, workload, image...etc.

I'm getting very close to going TM. Hopefully just a few more months and I will be able to pull the trigger. Just want to know what some of my new challenges are going to be. BTW I'm going with an entry level TM, nothing crazy. Most likely a HM Boxxer but still researching.

Thanks,
Aaron

 

[Scott S.]

wow what a great post. I wish i would have come up with this one. nice post. cant wait to hear peoples input!

 

[renegade_cowboy]

This question is for those of you who started into the biz with a portable and are now a truckmounted operation. When you left the bucket brigade, How much of an impact did it have on your business, both good and bad? I'm referring to anything you can think of...overhead, profit, workload, image...etc.

I'm getting very close to going TM. Hopefully just a few more months and I will be able to pull the trigger. Just want to know what some of my new challenges are going to be. BTW I'm going with an entry level TM, nothing crazy. Most likely a HM Boxxer but still researching.

Thanks,
Aaron

I like yor business name. The challenges is TM break down, so make sure you set a little aside for the days that happens. Buy a good used one or new if you can afford it. Your life will be better with a TM over a porty. People will love you, the sun will shine and the birds will chirp. Just understand owning a TM there are more operational cost to consider, so it should reflect in your prices.

Good Luck

 

[cu]

get your tm ..you,ll never look back . just get one that wont let you down .....get your self a judson either hx or propane DONE DEAL PAL

 

[Larry Cobb]

Aaron;

The Truckmount will increase your productivity GREATLY.

You have a good distributor and mechanic with Cross Country there in Austin.

Tell Matt to make you a good deal.

Larry

 

[Larry B]

Bawb is missing his chance to sell.


Get in here Bawb

 

[DoubleAA]

Great responses so far - very much appreciated!

 

[bob vawter]

The MOST IMPORTANT thing is:

You get to say the line.....

And Mrs Phiff, this IS DONE with the TRUCK MOUNT SYSTEM!

dear!

and Larry, as far as SELLIN' my Steam Genie......
i don give two dED Rat Patudies if it sells or NOT...

i'll save it for my old age!

 

[XTREME1]

I did everything I could emulate a TM with my porty. I had a dual stage 3 with a stage 3 booster connected to propane heat with a rotovac all in a trailer. Then I upgraded to a Avenger 450 TM and it was a world of difference on performance, referrals, confidence etc etc but it still was a little TM and then I bought a prochem Apex and oh man It has made the world of difference in my business. Then I bought an everest and whoo it is unbelievable.

If you buy a TM I would spend alittle more than you would want and get the best you can out of the gate otherwise before you know it you spent 70-100 grand in equipment and not have a $100,000 machine. Lot of good TM options out there from reputable distributors. Cobb, judson and many other non maintream guys have them. Make sure you do your homework. Ask questions here about types models and what you should expect for the dollar

 

[bob vawter]

Ask about...pods, solenoids, diverters and limit switches...

THEN call me!

 

[Supersucker]

Tell us a little more about your business.
Do you already have a van?
Do you have any part-time helpers, a partner, etc.
What do your monthly commercial contracts gross?

 

[DoubleAA]

Supersucker,

Fortunately, I am going to be able to buy a used van cash (06 Chevy 2500), From some savings and selling my Ford Expl. I will most likely do a lease to own on the TM, unless I find a great deal on used.

As for the business...I'm a one man operation, nearly all residential with a couple of small commercial repeats, no contracts. I plan on staying owner/operator with possible helper in the future.

I'm bringing in a couple of grand a month with my porty...by no means setting the world on fire but enough for me to see the benefits to making an upgrade. Whatever advice/suggestion you have..I'm all ears.

 

[Brian R]

The positive outweigh the negatives...bottom line.

You will work less and make more.
You will get more referrals.
you will get more walk up customers.

Remember that the outside of your van is more important than the inside...image is everything.
People seeing you in traffic won't know what you have unless you have big windows (don't recommend it) in your van.

Talk to your local supplier to see what they can work on and/or get parts for easiest and least exspensive..
Unless you plan on doing all that yourself...(again, wouldn't recommend it).

It's good to have people on your team that will have their doors open in the middle of the day when something goes wrong...and it will.


Best thing about a porty is, it is reliable...you should keep it just in case.
Another good thing about portys is, you can get to places a TM can't get to.
Price is another...(but you will make more money with a TM so it becomes irrelevant).

But these Fail to compare to the benefits of a TM.

Do your homework...which it looks like that's what you are doing now.
Good luck.

 

[Guest]

Recoil XPS 500 PSI Machine, 200 CFM booster with auto dump; 120k lg heater. 18 in powermate, Glided wand, 200 foot of hoses, pretreating wand, and hand tools. Low Cost start up; no breaks to worry over, If I was younger I would easily be able to keep up with my chimps and my t/m trucks; Darned Arthritis!!!!

 

[J Scott W]

I found that the truck mount monthly payment was a great motivator to get me out on the streets and marketing.

Scott Warrington

 

[Carpet Cleaning Fool]

Congratulations!!! You're breaking the bonds of the old ball-and-chain. Welcome to the truckmount club.

 

[Mr.V]

I'm going from a 2 van (with TM's) operation to a POG

I got divorced and lost everything in case u r wondering

expect to have your operating costs (machine wise)
go from 0 to oh i dunno,,,,,my slide in burned about $25-$30 bucks a day and my pto burned about $60

my Prochem Legend XL pretty much never broke down in the time I had it

My Powermatic broke down every day or two (probably over exagerating........but not much)

My Cleanco was quite reliable but the van's drivetrain was pretty much rebuilt by the time I got rid of it (i had it 5 years and it was an older van)

your production rate will go up

your dry times will go down

you won't have to work as hard to get em clean


I myself hope to be getting into a TM next year if all goes well

going from a TM to a Porty,,,,,my prices are not going down,,,,,if anything I'm going to charge more than I did before and work less hours each day

my 2 cents

 

[Greenie]

Andy has a secret weapon that Kero burner, I'll be curious how the dry times turn out from the current rig he's running to the new GG-M5 he's importing.

 

[RLitwin]

I started with a Prochem portable. When my business supported it, I stepped up to a HM Spitfire 3.2. I was able to get more work done in a day. The performance of that TM wasn't much better than the portable - except heat. I used the Rotovac with my portable and had to fill/dump a lot. I had an auto pump out on my TM and could keep cleaning all day. I rarely had any break downs and the machine didn't cost much each month. I don't think that I would keep cleaning if I had to go back to a portable.

 

[steve frasier]

with a TM things will get a lot easier

keep the roto vac and portable

don't buy a recoil, you are there now and don't want to waste money repeating what you already have

get an apo if you can

from a guy that has spent a ton on TM's over he years, starting with a low end model to the Vortex that I have now, buy as much machine that you can afford but with only a 3/4 ton van you may be a little limited on what you can buy or how much water you can carry

 

[Brian R]

would you rather do 10 jobs in three days or 10 jobs in two days?
Just an example but you get the idea.

 

[Ron Werner]

I started with a CHeyenne in the back seat of a Jetta, the solns in the trunk, my wand and grooming brush in the passenger seat. I had many people tell me I outcleaned the last cleaner who had a truck, because I took my time. I needed a TM because I physically could not clean any more in a day.
I bought a used truck, a Big Red, which taught me about how TMs work, and after many modifications, it worked great.
In hindsight if I had purchased the Steamway unit I was looking at it would have saved me 1000's of dollars in "playing around", but I wouldn't know what I do now.

Someone told me a long time ago, if you're going to lease, get really good equipment and get the few extras. They won't make that much difference in your monthly payment but they will make your day go much easier. Such as powered hose reel, good shelves, good tools etc.

Buy a unit that will meet your future needs, ie don't buy something that will meet your needs tomorrow, but rather what you will need next year.
Determine what the scope of your busn will be, ie carpets and uph, tile and grout, water damage, etc
All tms spray and suck but when it breaks you need to get it fixed fast. Either buy a machine your local supply store can service or something you feel comfortable servicing yourself. Slide Ins are easier to self service whereas PTO's need some specialized knowledge. There are other posts which discuss the pros and cons of slide-ins vs pto.

 

[floorguy]

Heres a good story for you...

We were cleaning this department type store...it was kinda hammered, enough so i needed the porty clean with a post bonnet on it to make it nice..

so we are chugging away at this thing...4 guys 10 hrs of work, so 40 man hrs...2/3 of the building is done, I am thinking oh damn i am going to run out of weekend...

so i call a buddy of mine who I had just met a few weeks prior (from the ICS board, my 1st encounter awwwwww :roll: )

anywho, I call him and ask if he can come out and give me a hand, i am running out of time...sure he says see you out there blah blah...

so he comes out and between the BS and what have you we knock out the other 1/3 in 4 hrs, I am like HOLY SHIT ARE YOU KIDDING ME!!!!!!!

did the math possible

almsot 60 man hrs with a porty OR

15 man hrs (take in to acct tiring during job)

WELLLLL DUHHHHHHHH

went home that night told the MRS. we ARE buying one this mth....found a scremer of a deal out there, had a few issues, tore things apart to make it workable (it was an avenger 210 :shock: ) added the propane boost to it and BAM there we go...

now here is the other funny part...going from porty to TM was like crazy better....with all these new upgrades over the last 18 mths or so ITS LIKE THE SAME FREAKING INCREASE!!!!!

The 2.5" hose, the glide, the 2" wand..higher flow higher psi...drier carpets, more jets...jets closer to the ground, jets angled instead of firing into the backing...etc etc..

I know that sometimes its not the easiest thing to try and work in a budget, to add another machine...but by all means do this....

And look for Rob the sticky tab guy, he can hook you up with some leasing stuff...

 

[Glynn]

I wasted 20 years with portys then got a second hand Prochem Bruin. Wow what a difference.
Then traded it for a Hydramaster Maxx470, double wow, cause now I had heat as well.
Then got anther Maxx470. And now also have a Boxxer 427.
Would I ever go back to porty ?. Would I fuxk.

 

[Brian R]

I'm surprised Mikey hasn't called me on the
" Two portys or one slide in" thing
comparing to the "Two slide ins or one V" arguement.

Come on Mikey, are you that busy selling banners?

 

[Guest]

He is still trying to figure out what 18% of holy$%^#@#$ is.

 

[Jim Morrison]

I took the advice of many other cleaners. Moved from a Ninga to a Cleanco CDS unit a year and a half ago. I used to tell my customers that I could clean just as well as a TM but I question that today.
My business has been steadily growing over the last 5 years so I can't say it brought in more work. Last year was my busiest year carpet cleaning by far.

I raised my rates about 12% but it seemed as if my average job ticket increased by 30%
Was not nervous about taking bigger jobs
Production went up
Physically less demanding (glided wand etc.)

If you are busy do not worry about sinking some money into a new unit, it will pay for itself. The fuel bill can be a bit surprising but when you factor in how much more money you are making and the strain the TM is taking off of you physically it is well worth it.

 

[DoubleAA]

Great info everyone...thanks again for all the help.

I'll keep you posted...I'm sure I will be flooding these boards w/questions once I'm finally into my TM. Can't wait!

Aaron

 

[Supersucker]

Don't be shy, ask plenty BEFORE you buy.

 

[Farenheit251]

Aaron, I completely disagree with how you are using your money-cash for a van and leasing a TM. You are much better financing the van and buying the TM. You are going to pay through the nose to lease the TM while the van will get a decent rate on traditional financing.