Was looking to expand my part time business a little when I get the clear from my dr.s and can go back to work to my full time job. Been pondering the idea of purchasing a skid steer and a dump trailer for small landscaping jobs and residential snow removal, but have been noticing that a guy could buy a nice single axle dump truck for bout the same money as a dump trailer. I know that there are more expenses if you have a truck but wondering if it would be worth it having a little more capacity.
I had a 14'x7' Haulmark dump trailer. When loaded, it sure loaded the monkey so to speak, of the truck. My 2500HD GMC diesel didn't want any part of it. And when I thought it looked full, it often couldn't dump it. It was supposed to be able to carry a skid, but I was never brave enough to load the skid that high on those 4.5' ramps. But it was really great for mulch! Anyway- I now have a 10' s/a dump truck and am much happier. But there is more maintenance and insurance to consider with a truck. I guess it boils down to exactly how much and/or often you'll haul.
I would go with the truck and a flatbed trailer. It's nice to be able to haul the machinery in and out at the start and end of the day. Landscaping isn't like construction, you want to get in and out in one day if you can. I can count on one hand the times I've left machinery on a client's property and I've been doing this off and on since 97. Equipment left on a job, it better be involved, or they get angry about it, especially if something blew up and it's leaking or dead. Besides, as Smith noted, the dump trailers and one ton type trucks are not that heavy duty. Consider about 4 yards (8000 lbs) of soil or stone on a super duty type truck the max load it will lift, more than that you'll be shoveling. If you only move chips or logs or mulch the dump trailer or ton truck will be fine. Be careful with logs, tree work is hard on things. ETA: By single axle I mean nothing less than an F650/700 truck too. I once had an 800 crane truck so overloaded with logs the front tires were coming off the ground (no, I didn't drive it) but it did dump itself.