7 Profitable ways to make money with a pickup truck

The modern pickup truck is widely regarded as an American icon, and driving one just makes you feel you can do almost anything with it. With a powerful engine and a spacious cargo bed, it can haul large and heavy loads, making it a versatile workhorse. This unique utility opens doors for owners to find ways to earn extra cash or even make a living out of it. 

A vehicle that can transport cargo of various shapes, sizes, and heft is the perfect equipment for movers. And if you have the enterprising spirit of a hardworking businessman who doesn’t miss any opportunity to earn, here are profitable ways how to make money with a pickup truck. 

Ways to earn with a pickup truck

Before taking the wheel and driving to your first customer, make sure that your pickup truck is in tip-top condition. Keep in mind that most of these involve heavy work that can put a strain on your pickup. Once you’ve completed a maintenance check, you’re ready to start with any of these ways:

Start a moving service

One of the most common ways to make money with a truck is through a moving service, and your best customers are people who relocate houses or apartments across the city or just a few blocks away. With the help of a trolley cart, you can quickly load boxes, furniture, and other household items.

To have extra capacity, using a trailer would be more convenient. It can save you a lot of back-and-forth trips now that gas prices can burn a hole in your pocket. These are just some of the basics of knowing how to become a mover.

Haul junk

Every household would have items people no longer need, making your truck the perfect vehicle to make money hauling stuff to the junkyard. From old mattresses and bed frames to broken appliances such as TVs and fridges, your truck’s bed can accommodate all this junk to help people make more room in their homes.

From hauling junk, you can branch off and have a few other means of earning money apart from the people who need to get rid of their unwanted items. You have the options of reselling, recycling, or partnering with a junkyard to do freelance hauling—either way, it’s money in the bank.

Deliver food and groceries

If there’s one good thing we got out of the pandemic, it’s the convenience of ordering food or groceries online and having them delivered right to your doorstep. You can sign up for one of those food or grocery delivery apps and start to use your pickup truck to make money. 

Another way of providing this service is by offering it in your neighborhood. There will always be people who might not have the time or desire to head out for groceries, and your pickup truck is the best tool that can address the needs of the folks in your area.

If you want to be smart and stay out of the competition by letting the delivery apps do their thing, you can focus on the movement of food supplies at restaurants. Deliver cartons of food items, cleaning equipment, and office supplies that restaurants need to run their operations. Make sure your truck bed is equipped to handle the cargo.

Provide garden or yard care services

That ample cargo space at the back will never run out of profitable benefits, offering another answer to the proverbial question, “what can you do with a truck?”

With all the equipment and materials you can load on the bed, providing garden or yard care services is a cinch. You can cover grass cutting, leaf removal, weeding, and even landscaping. Your truck can carry sacks of soil, ornamental grass, or pond supplies while hauling off leaves and other waste from a customer’s lawn. Be your own boss or partner with a local company—your truck is the star.

Offer towing services

The cargo bed is not the only star of the pickup truck show. With a powerful engine designed to move heavy loads, your truck can also be used to provide reliable towing services. The key here is a high torque engine, which is capable of hauling heavy loads.

Your customer base would include owners of cars, boats, jet skis, and camper trailers. To be more effective, investing in complementary equipment such as a tow hook, strap, rope, hitch, and other towing accessories is an advantage. So if you’re up for it, better dive into the job prepared.

Haul equipment for construction work

A pickup truck’s strength lies in its capability to haul heavy loads such as construction equipment. Sacks of cement, sand, steel pipes, and other building materials are easily transported to a construction site with a sturdy cargo bed.

You can turn this into a good side hustle with your pickup truck by looking for construction businesses and offering your services. But if you’re interested in starting your own construction business, you won’t have to worry about the logistics side of things with a heavy-duty pickup truck.

Plow snow

Living in a region with significant snowfall gives you another one of many awesome pickup truck business ideas. When it gets several inches heavy, you can drive out with your truck and help people clear driveways and roads. Doing the job more effectively would involve investing in a snowplow and attaching it to the front of your pickup truck. This will cut and dig through the snow to clear a safe path for your clients.

Haul aboard the pickup train

It’s hard to deny the pickup’s versatility, so knowing how to make money with a truck is relatively easy. Once you’re familiar with all its features and capabilities, it’s like playing to your strengths. Only then can you explore your options and go for where you’re comfortable.

You can either focus on one method, such as providing a moving service or take on jobs that become available to you. The key is identifying these opportunities and taking on what best suits you. To boost your chances of getting jobs, Airtasker is here to help. Sign up now and start earning.