How to Make Money with a Dump Trailer

A dump trailer can be one of the best investments for your landscaping or outdoor business. Whether you’re a one-man show or looking to grow your operation, a dump trailer can open up new income streams and make your life easier. In this blog, I will guide you on how to make money with a dump trailer.

All you need is a dump trailer (which you can get for as little as zero down and a few hundred dollars a month) and a pickup truck to pull it. With that simple setup, you can run a part-time business that brings in over $1,000 in net income each month—just by dropping it off, picking it up, and hauling to the dump.

I will break down several practical and profitable ways to make money with a dump trailer—and maybe help you finally justify buying one.

10 Ways to Make Money with a Dump Trailer

Here are the top 10 ways to make money with a dump trailer:

Why a Dump Trailer Might Be Exactly What You Need

First things first: dump trailers are not cheap. Depending on the size and features, they can range from $8,000 to $28,000. For many people, that’s a huge chunk of change, especially when they’re still trying to pay off a zero-turn mower or standard landscape trailer. But what if I told you that a dump trailer could not only pay for itself but also make you money?

Yup, stay tuned, and I’ll explain how.

Dump Trailers Save Time and Time is Money

Let’s say you’re working on a sod job. You tear up all the old sod, load it onto a basic landscape trailer, and then haul your entire crew to the dump. Once there, everyone has to unload it by hand—sweaty, time-consuming, and let’s be honest… just plain frustrating.

Now imagine doing that same job with a dump trailer. You load everything up as usual—but instead of hand-unloading, you just push a button, and it’s done. Just like that.

While your crew heads home, you’re not wasting payroll hours on dumpsite labour. You need less manpower, get a faster turnaround, and boom—you’re saving money while boosting efficiency.

Access to More Dump Sites

Here’s another underrated benefit: Some dump sites require loads to be tarped—and many dump trailers come with built-in tarping systems. That means you can access disposal sites where open trailers might not be allowed.

More access = more flexibility = more work. It’s a small feature that can make a big difference in the jobs you’re able to take on.

Rent It Out and Start Earning Immediately

Let’s talk about side hustles. You can rent out your dump trailer to other landscapers, contractors, roofers, and demolition crews. If your buddies don’t have one, they’ll gladly pay around $300 a day to borrow yours.

Seriously—I know landscapers who paid off their trailers just by renting them out before they even used them for their own jobs. That’s what I call a win-win. Set your rental terms, offer pickup and drop-off if you want, and just like that, you’re turning your trailer into a passive income machine.

Delivering Materials = Easy Cash

Ever notice one of your customers’ driveways looking a little rough? Maybe they need fresh gravel or asphalt millings—and now, you’ve got the gear to do something about it.

You can offer to deliver materials like gravel, mulch, soil, or millings. Charge for delivery, mark up the material, and get paid for a weekend job that only takes a few hours. It’s simple, it’s valuable to the customer, and it adds extra cash to your pocket.

The best part? You can do this while still running your primary landscaping business. It’s an add-on service that takes little extra effort but adds a lot to your bottom line.

Add Value with Landscape Enhancements

Let’s say your customer wants a firepit area gravelled. Load up your trailer, haul some gravel, and spread it out. You’re creating thousands of dollars of value in just a few hours. You don’t need to break your back or overhaul your business model—just a few smart moves, and your dump trailer is paying dividends.

A Word About Daily Use

We wouldn’t recommend using a dump trailer every day for your standard landscaping operations. It’s heavy, a bit bulky, and puts more wear and tear on your truck. Loading and unloading mowers or equipment is also trickier with the steep ramps.

But having it at home or available when needed means you can tap into new opportunities that weren’t possible before. It’s all about expanding your capabilities without drastically changing your workflow.

Growing Your Business with Smart Investments

At Main Street Mower, our goal is to make sure you’re successful. We don’t want to sell you gear you won’t use. We want to help you grow—whether you’re a one-man operation or you’re on the way to running a fleet of trucks.

Go from one man to ten men, from one truck to three. That kind of growth starts with making smart investments, and a dump trailer is one of them.

You already have a customer base that trusts you. Now give them more value. Offer new services—mulching, compost delivery, dirt drops, playground sand, whatever works in your area. You’re just one load away from boosting your income and building deeper relationships with your clients.

Conclusion

There are tons of other ways people use their dump trailers, and I’d love for this post to be a space for sharing ideas. Drop a comment below and let us know how you’re using yours. 

The more we share ideas, the more opportunities we create—not just for ourselves, but for everyone in the landscaping community.

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