If that's the case your still far better off running the smaller lorry. Use the cheapo Mugs for the Bulk, take your cut on top and leave your truck in the yard. When the requirement pops up for the smaller truck you already have one. You can do a big job with the baby truck if needs be, but you cannot do a baby job with a big lorry.
Little lorries are cheap as piss to run.... Infact the tax currently on the 15t volvo is less than the pickup.
The grab market is well and truly saturated with 8 and 6 wheelers here...... IF I had time it'd be a 12 or 15t grab for me..... Baby loads, Premium Rate, Maximum Profit.
It depends on your way of working though. Sometimes it can be very efficient to have your own materials on site and sat in a lorry to be used at your pleasure and the same with muck away.
Especially useful if you have material bays in the yard. But as I explained it can become hard work if you start running your own materials on bigger jobs.
Everyone works differently and has different jobs.
Personally I would choose a 12t dropside tipper with materials chutes and a split load door as you get the most carrying capacity and can separate muck away and materials.
And can be loaded with a 2t machine.
This is how we work ATM but with a 7.5t and it's just not big enough to do a days work. If you go down to a 12t grab then realistically you want the smaller cranes with the smaller clamshell fitted
By which time if you have a 2.5t machine on site you may aswell load with that and save the weight of the crane or put ramps up the side and run a tracked dumper straight up. Little grab lorry's round here seem to be for cleaning up behind hand dig gangs on utility's. But then there is rarely anywhere you can get a 26t grab.
