Ok, currently I'm driving a older truck that is not very flashy, but gets the job done. I'm about two days from pulling the trigger on a 2011 250 Lariat with 20's. We are in ready-mix concrete, and heavy highway construction, and I'm worried that pulling up to a customers job with this huge new truck will put a bad taste in their mouths (were paying a high price so he can drive that nice truck.) But i'm the type of person to be proud of our beautiful trucks, and the pride of my last name on the side of the vehicle. Also, when we have sub contractors pull up on our highway jobs in nice trucks, I feel proud to have nice equipment on the job.

I guess if you were my customer, what would you feel like if I were to pull up to your job in a new truck? Or if any of you are in my shoes, how do you deal with it?


FYI- I am a very humble person, and very lucky to have what I have. The reason I go to customers is to let them know that without them, I would not be successful.

 

I feel more confident when working with someone with nice new equipment. As important is that it is clean (or as clean as possible given you are working in dirty environments). To me it shows the person is successful, so must do a good job, and takes pride in his equipment and job he does. Now I think over accessorizing might be more of a turn off - like a 12" lift and 40-something tires. Don't get me wrong I love those kind of trucks, but think it is more likely to go over wrong with some customers.

 

You only get one chance to make a first impression. Do you want to be perceived as up to date and successful? Or old and rusty? There's a place in the world for both types, just have figure out what you're trying to communicate.

 

Clean, well maintained equipement goes along way in my book.

 

I feel honored that EpicCowlick responded to my question! I want to convey a quality product, with nice equipment. But the way we go about it is like your Alegiant Air way of business. Take a used piece of equipment, refurb it, and pass those savings on to the customer.

What about other employees? I think they would be proud of the truck as well, but you never know these days? Its hard to enjoy the good of your hard work, while trying not to send the wrong message.

 

I can understand your concerns and in some situations they are valid. For many years I worked for a $500 million a year construction company. It was not only a source of pride for them to have clean, modern vehicles and equipment on their jobs. In fact over the years I ran into many people in the business that didn't know much else about them other than they are working everywhere and they have sharp clean vehicles. In this case, it was good as it made an impression on people and got them noticed.

I left the big company to help run a small startup company and the situation was a little bit different there. I got quite a few comments when the one brother bot a new fully loaded F150. Small companies are expected to struggle and customers seem to take joy in that. If you are bigger than them it doesn't matter, but if they think they are better than you they want to keep feeling that way.

I say you earned it and you should enjoy it. I don't see it being a problem to the point that customers will resent you. It sounds like you have waited a few years to get a truck like this. I say drive it with pride and don't look back.

 

I agree with your post. Its like you feel guilty for making a quality life for yourself, espically when your customers are not doctors and lawyers. Thanks.

 

I agree I work 70 hours a week to get what I have.I like to have nice stuff that you can jump in and go. Anyone who works hard for what they have should appreciate what you want to do. Some could say wrong but they probably are content not working or working ahort hours to get by. I believe in life is short work hard play hard. I say go for it.

 

A nice shiny truck tells me that you will be able to roll up on the job site as scheduled.... not off trying to get your beater fixed. Showing up on time every day is important to me as a customer, that is hard to find here in the construction/remodeling business here in the FL. panhandle. Seems nobody really is hungry enough to show up as promised, especially since so many in the area have filed claims for the BP oil spill. Easier to sit on thier duff and file claims.
Come to me in a new truck and you are already 90% of the way to being hired for the job.

Just curious, why a 250 in heavy construction?

 

The 250 option is for the great mileage of the diesel (we get diesel at a huge bulk discount.) And for our bridge operations, somebody somewhere is always needing something everytime I go to check on a job. So I want to be capable, if they need a keg of nails, or a excavator attachment, I can bring it with me. If we are not on time to a ready mix order, then we sit down and understand what went wrong everytime it happens. A contractor waiting on a truck with 10 other guys eating up his bottom line does not go well.

 

buy the truck...you earned it

 

I guess I didn't ask the question all the way, why not a 350 or even a 450 with a diesel?

Either way, enjoy your new truck!

 

I 2nd what Senix said.

 

Lexustbs -

You sound like an honorable and humble man. Your comments show concern for your customers and employees and an aversion to appearing to show-off your success. I completely respect that and understand that for some, driving a shiny new truck may actually be an emotional burden because they don't want others to feel badly or misjudge their intentions.

On the other hand, you do have your life to live and life is for us to enjoy. Each of us make our way every day and though we would like for everyone around us to be happy and successful, it is not our responsibility to make them that way. Each person has their agency to judge you or not and you cannot control that in other people. I believe your first responsibility is to provide for yourself and your family and then help others as much as you reasonable can. But we have to respect everyone else's god-given agency to act for themselves in the way they live their lives. That includes the way they work, spend their money, and how they choose to view others. That is their call, not yours.

To me, my first consideration in purchasing such a great piece of equipment like these trucks is whether or not I can afford it. It sounds like you could use a F350. It's really a simple question of math and balancing the check book. These other factors you are concerned with, though they have some value, are in an area that you have no control over. They are mostly emotional and should be factored in as such in your own personal decision.

Epic

 

lexus, great post. I agree with most in that if you show up in up to date equipment you convey being "current". I have similar concerns in my business. My job sites are hospitals and imaging centers from KS East to GA and South through FL, so I cover a big chunk of the SE United States.

Our company has 2 F250's, an '08 and my '11. We have 6 trailers of different sizes for different uses. Everything is maintained to not only function but to look good, clean and sharp. When a hospital invests in a $2.5 million CT scanner or Cath Lab they want to see a professional staff arrive to deliver it to their facility, transport the equipment through the hallways and set it up in their room.

So, we work to reflect professionalism from the moment we arrive on site to the moment we leave. Clean trucks/trailer, clean work boots, clean work clothes, collared shirts, organized work flow all make a difference.

When somebody says to you "nice truck, business must be good", you can reply "Thanks, we work hard and are among the best in the business."