15 Businesses You Can Start With a Pickup Truck Right Now - #006

When you own a truck, one of the most annoying things is the risk of your weekend, or one random evening during the week, getting interrupted by a friend or family member asking you to help move a couch or a fridge.

But what if that same truck could start bringing in real money instead? And no, we’re not talking about charging your cousin twenty bucks to haul a loveseat. (Unless you want to.)

If you’ve got a pickup truck, you’re halfway to owning a profitable home service business.

Most people see a truck as a way to move stuff. But smart operators see it as a low-cost tool that opens the door to real income, especially in the home services space.

In this issue, I’d like to highlight some service businesses that require a pickup truck to get started. These jobs involve real hauling, big tools, and the kind of physical work that turns sweat into income.

The Idea

1. Junk Removal
A business to get rid of other people’s furniture, appliances, yard debris, and renovation mess that they either don’t want to or sometimes can’t get rid of on their own. These potential customers need help. will pay good money to never visit the dump again.
Add in dump fees, mileage, and labor costs for a comprehensive rate.

2. Lawn Care Services
Mowers, trimmers, blowers, and bins don’t fit in the back of a hatchback. Lawn care needs a truck. Offer mowing, seasonal cleanup, dethatching, aerating, overseeding, and fertilizing. It’s steady work with high repeat business.

3. Fence Installation & Repair
Haul wood, concrete, and tools to each job. Start with small repairs (gates, panels) before moving up to full installs. There’s constant demand from homeowners with dogs, kids, or nosey neighbors.

4. Soft Washing & Pressure Washing
A pickup gives you space for hoses, reels, tanks, and even a water supply if needed. Offer driveway, deck, siding, and patio cleaning. Fast, high-impact work with solid margins.

5. Outdoor Structure Demo & Removal
Tear down and haul away old decks, sheds, hot tubs, above-ground pools, and metal storage units. These eyesores pile up fast and most homeowners don’t have the tools or time to deal with them. If you’re handy with a sawzall and don’t mind a bit of sweat, this is a goldmine of quick jobs.

6. Appliance & Scrap Metal Pickup
Offer to remove old washers, dryers, and fridges. Charge a small fee or offer free pickup and sell the scrap for cash. Easy to schedule on slow days.

7. Craigslist & Marketplace Hauling
You’d be surprised how many people buy furniture or materials and have no way to move them. Offer pickup and drop-off locally. Simple, reliable work.

8. Irrigation System Installation & Repair
These jobs require long pipe sections, trenching tools, timers, and valves—all best hauled with a truck. There’s good money in irrigation, especially when paired with lawn care.

9. Lawn Pest & Weed Control Services
Transport sprayers, tanks, and safety gear in your truck. Offer grub control, weed spraying, pesticide treatment, and organic options. Great upsell for lawn clients.

10. Tree & Brush Removal
Clear out overgrown branches, storm debris, or old shrubs. Not full arborist work—just the cleanup jobs most people avoid. Haul it away and charge accordingly.

11. Estate & Hoarder House Cleanouts
These are bigger jobs with emotional weight. Clean out full garages, basements, or homes after a move or death in the family. Good money if you don’t mind the mess.

12. Stump Grinding
Grinding out tree stumps requires a heavy machine and plenty of power. A pickup is essential for hauling the grinder, safety gear, and any debris you pull out. It’s a dirty job, but it pays well.

13. Driveway Sealing
Sealcoating equipment, buckets of product, and edge-cleaning tools take up serious space. A truck lets you transport everything you need to handle residential driveways or small commercial lots.

14. Firewood Delivery
Split, bundle, and deliver firewood to homeowners who don’t want to deal with cutting or hauling. Seasonal demand is strong, and a truck makes the job fast and flexible.

15. Temporary Sign & Banner Installation
Great for campaigns, events, or real estate marketing. Haul large signs, posts, tools, and ladders. Quick jobs that pay well and work best with an open truck bed.

Pro Tip: If you’re doing any job that involves lifting heavy or bulky stuff, consider installing a lift gate. It’ll save your back, your gear, and your time.

The Recap

Start With What You’ve Got

You don’t need a brand new truck, a fancy trailer, or an LLC to start moving. You just need the right offer, a little hustle, and the willingness to show up.

The truck isn’t the business. You are. But it sure doesn’t hurt to have one.

Keep an eye out on the Full Throttle Start Up website, as I will be doing a breakdown of all of these businesses individually.