Nobody writes marketing advice for the 5–10 truck contractor. Everything is either "how to start your plumbing business" or "enterprise marketing for $10M+ companies." But the 5–10 truck sweet spot has its own challenges and its own playbook.
Where you probably are
Revenue: $1M–$3M. Team: 5–15 people including office staff. You've outgrown word-of-mouth and referrals as your primary lead source, but you don't have a dedicated marketing person or a $5K/month agency budget. You're spending on platforms (Angi, HomeAdvisor) but the ROI is getting worse.
What you need from marketing
At this stage, you need three things: predictable lead flow (enough to keep your trucks busy), a declining cost per lead (so margins improve as you grow), and something that builds long-term value (not just rented access).
The right marketing stack
Foundation: Website + SEO — A real website with 15–30 pages covering every service and location. Updated monthly with new content. This is your owned asset that compounds over time.
Amplifier: Google LSAs — Pay-per-lead ads at the top of Google. Best ROI of any paid channel for local services. Use this to fill gaps while organic grows.
Multiplier: Review system — Every completed job triggers a review request. At 5–10 trucks, you're completing 20–50 jobs per week. That's 80–200 review opportunities per month. Most competitors aren't doing this systematically.
Leverage: Referral program — A simple, consistent referral incentive for every customer. At your volume, even a 5% referral rate generates significant leads.
What to skip
Social media marketing, fancy video production, billboard advertising, radio spots. None of these have predictable ROI for a 5–10 truck contractor. They're vanity plays that drain budget from the channels that actually drive calls.
The budget question
Most 5–10 truck contractors should be investing 5–8% of revenue in marketing. On $2M revenue, that's $100K–$160K/year or roughly $8K–$13K/month. Allocate the majority to your website + SEO + content foundation, with LSAs making up the rest.
If that sounds like a lot, compare it to what you're currently spending on platform leads with a 15% close rate. The math almost always favors the owned pipeline approach.
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