9 Profitable Ways to Make Money with a Dump Trailer (Even on Weekends!)

He does this whenever he has free time. He just posts an ad on Craigslist and mentions the service on his local Facebook group. That’s enough for him to get a few gigs a month.

Then there are people who do this full time and are hauling a few thousand a month easily.

So whether you have a dump trailer and want to use it to earn extra cash or an entrepreneur ready to start a small business, there is money to be made with a dump trailer.

How to Make Money with a Dump Trailer

Here are the best dump trailer business ideas that you can start with little to no money.

1. Deliver Landscaping Material

• Earning Potential: Earn $100-$250 per delivery hauling mulch, gravel, topsoil, or stone.

Landscaping projects need tools and materials delivered to the site, but not everyone wants to buy a trailer for just one project.

That’s where you come in. You can offer a service to transport landscaping tools and materials for them. You could be hauling mulch, gravel, topsoil, or stone for landscapers and homeowners.

2. Snow Removal Service

• Earning Potential: $100+ per job to remove and haul snow after storms, especially from commercial parking lots.

If you live in a place that gets cold in the winter, then you should consider using your dump trailer to provide a snow removal service.

You could help local businesses and individuals who need snow removal from their area. Neighborhood associations may also require snow removal services.

This is a great way to make money over the winter months.

3. Offer Construction Hauling

• Earning Potential: Make $150-$300 daily by working with contractors to clear out construction debris and waste.

A lot of smaller crews don’t have their own trailer to haul away dirt, sand, left over materials, etc. So they usually end up renting from home centers like The Home Depot.

Problem is that they have to spend time going to the store, signing papers and driving the trailer to the job site, using it, then taking it back to the store before their time is up to avoid getting charged with extra fees.

Obviously they would rather save time and money by having somebody who owns a trailer come and haul their stuff for them.

You can put a few ads in your local classified sections, Craigslist or even Facebook marketplace.

Want a more immediate result?

Just drive around to find construction job sites and go talk to the people in charge. You may not secure a job every single time, but you only need a few to make this a nice side hustle for you.

4. Start a Junk Removal Service

• Earning Potential: Earn $200-$500 per load helping people get rid of old furniture, appliances, and household junk.

Let’s be real. Most of us have way too much junk piling up in our homes. That’s why junk removal companies like 1-800-GOT-JUNK exist!

While you may not have the big rigs, the crew and the up front investment required to start a junk removal service like that, you can definitely use your dump trailer to do it on smaller scale. Enough to make a few hundred or thousand per month depending on how many gigs you can manage to get.

You could offer a service where you actually go and load their junk to your trailer and haul it away.

Or you could park your trailer in their driveway, they fill it up and call you 24 hours later to haul it away.

The benefit of hauling junk is that you can actually make money selling some of that stuff since not everything is “junk”.

Pro tip: Go to the richer areas in your city. People with more money have more valuable “junk”!

5. Sell Scrap Metal for Profit

• Earning Potential: Earn $50-$200 by collecting and reselling scrap from homes and businesses.

You can also make money from your dump trailer by selling scrap metal.

Just use the trailer to collect scrap metal and then sell it. We’ve got a post that shows you how to sell scrap metal and find scrap yards close to you, so be sure to check it out!

6. Rent Out Your Dump Trailer

• Earning Potential: Make $50-$100 per day renting out your trailer when you’re not using it.

Don’t want to deal with hauling stuff?

No problem, you can still use your dump trailer to make money.

Just rent it out!

Put an ad online or make some flyers and drop them at local businesses that you think could use a dump trailer once in a while.

A lot of businesses and people may need a dump trailer once so it doesn’t make sense for them to go buy one. They would rather rent one. And if you can show them you will deliver the trailer to them where they want and on time, they’ll happily pay you a rental fee.

7. Deliver Trees and Garden Supplies

• Earning Potential: Get paid $75-$150 per job delivering trees, soil, and garden materials for local nurseries and homeowners.

You could offer to deliver trees and nursery items from local nurseries. Reach out to nearby nurseries and see if they’d be interested in using your delivery service.

By handling deliveries, you’d save the nursery the trouble of having to buy a dump trailer for their own deliveries.

8. Help People Move Locally

• Earning Potential: Earn $100-$300 per move helping folks transport furniture, boxes, or supplies across town.

You could also offer moving services. Moving is such a hassle, and most people end up hiring movers.

A dump trailer can be a real game-changer when it comes to hauling large or bulky items.

You can reach out to local moving companies to see if they need extra help, or you could promote your moving services online or in your local paper.

If you can provide a convenient, affordable option, people will be happy to use your service instead of the larger companies that charge way too much for the same service while at the same time, scratching or breaking items because of carelessness of some of the movers.

9. Partner with Roofing Contractors

• Earning Potential: Earn $150-$400 per job by hauling away old shingles and roofing debris after replacements.

While most roofing companies (especially bigger ones) have their own dump truck or trailer, some of the smaller ones actually rent them for a day or two from local home improvement stores.

If you can offer a cheaper rate, they’ll happily work with you. Because you can not only save them money, but also the hassle and time of going to the store, signing papers, driving the trailer to the job site and taking it back before time runs out.

Even if you get one or two local roofers to work with you, this could easily turn into a nice side hustle that gets a few hauls every month.

How Much Can You Make with a Dump Trailer? (Income Snapshot)

Wondering how much you can actually earn with a dump trailer?

Here’s a quick breakdown of the most popular dump trailer side hustles, including how much they pay, what they cost to start, and whether they’re seasonal or year-round gigs.

Keep in mind, these are estimates. Depending on where you live, how much time and effort you put into advertising your business, how often you get jobs, etc. you could make less or way more.

This is just to give you a rough idea of what you can expect.

Dump Trailer Side Hustle FAQ

Here are a few commonly asked questions about starting a dump trailer business and their answers.

Can you really make money with a dump trailer?

Yes, a lot of people make money doing exactly what I mentioned in this post. Now, the exact amount you can make depends on various factors, but for a beginner, earning $500 to $2000 a month isn’t unheard of.

What’s the best way to advertise my dump trailer business?

Start with free platforms like Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, and Nextdoor. Local Facebook groups and yard signs also work well.

Do I need insurance to use a dump trailer commercially?

Ideally, yes! It’s smart to have liability insurance, and in many states, it’s required if you’re hauling for profit.

How much does it cost to maintain a dump trailer?

Maintenance costs depends on your trailer and how old it is. If you are using it consistently, budgeting around $200 to $500 per year for tires, hydraulics, and general upkeep is a good start.

Do I need a CDL to haul with a dump trailer?

In most cases, no CDL is needed if your trailer and truck stay under 26,000 lbs combined weight. Check your local DMV laws to be sure.

The Final Haul: Dump Trailer Money-Making Conclusions!

Now that you know how to make money with a dump trailer, it’s time to turn it into a profitable side hustle.

And as you can see, whether you’re hauling for local businesses, offering junk removal services, or renting out your trailer, there are plenty of ways to get started quickly.

By the way, if you do make money with your dump trailers, I’d love to hear about it. Please comment below and share that or any other dump trailer business ideas you have.