Savannah, GA · High demand

How to start a dump truck business in Savannah

Local hourly rates, insurance costs, the general contractors and quarries actually buying hauling in Savannah, and what the Georgia rules require before your first load.

Tandem hourly rate
$100–$140/hr
Insurance (single tandem)
$5,400–$10,200/yr
Market demand
High

Why Savannah pays what it pays

Port of Savannah expansion and the massive Hyundai plant supply-chain build-out.

Coastal fill demand is enormous because nearly every pad has to be built up above the water table.

Savannah dump truck rates by truck size (2026)

TruckHourlyTypical per load
Single-axle$80–$110/hr$200–$280
Tandem-axle$100–$140/hr$260–$360
Tri-axle$120–$170/hr$340–$480
Quad / super dump$140–$195/hr$410–$570

Per-load figures assume a 45–75 minute cycle. Use the cycle-time calculator to convert any per-load offer into a real hourly number before you accept it.

Materials moving in Savannah

  • Fill dirt
  • Aggregate
  • Port yard base
  • Asphalt

Who's buying hauling

  • Choate
  • Pond & Company subs
  • Port terminal contractors

Martin Marietta rail-served yards serve the coastal market.

Insurance in this market

$5,400$10,200 per year for a single tandem with $1M primary liability, cargo, and physical damage. Most GCs in Savannah require you to name them as additional insured before your first load.

Estimate your premium →

Georgia legal steps

LLC, EIN, USDOT number, state motor carrier registration, and permits are all state-level in Georgia.

Full Georgia setup guide →

Your first 30 days in Savannah

  1. 1Form your LLC and get an EIN — see the Georgia filing costs and office
  2. 2Apply for your USDOT number (and MC authority only if you'll haul for-hire across state lines)
  3. 3Bind insurance in the $5,400–$10,200 range and get your COI template ready
  4. 4Visit Choate and two other job trailers in person with a COI, W-9, and a printed rate sheet
  5. 5Open an account with a local supplier (Martin Marietta rail-served yards serve the coastal market.) to get on their hauler call list
  6. 6Quote your first jobs at $100–$140/hr with a two-hour minimum

Get the whole playbook for Savannah

The full course covers the LLC/USDOT/insurance sequence, the GC outreach scripts, and pricing math for every material moving in Savannah right now.

Enroll for $39

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