Rent, Lease or Buy? The Real Cost of a Work Ute | ft. Tim Cullen | Ep. 522

Rent, Lease or Buy? The Real Cost of a Work Ute | ft. Tim Cullen | Ep. 522 🫱🏻‍🫲🏼 Book a Free Strategy Call with Tradie Web Guys: https://tradie.wiki/tssyt Your ute keeps costing you money between repayments. Matt Jones sits down with Tim Cullen, CEO and co-founder of TradieSpec, to work through the costs of running a commercial vehicle, including servicing, insurance, depreciation and the time spent managing it. Tim explains how rent-to-own and flexible rental arrangements work, shares his Hilux SR5 cost example, and discusses the effect resale value has on a fleet budget. They also look at Chinese vehicle manufacturers, battery development and why Tim still favours Hilux and Ranger for commercial work. If you're replacing a ute or adding vehicles to your business, this conversation gives you more to compare before you sign. 🎥 Watch the full episode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=\_s9QxcCL\_CQ KEY CHAPTERS 00:00 - Introduction 01:03 - Meet Tim Cullen 02:10 - TradieSpec's First Rental Disaster 03:40 - Renting Versus Buying A Ute 04:31 - Running Costs And Fleet Administration 05:14 - Interest And Total Vehicle Costs 06:49 - Comparing Vehicle Finance Options 07:53 - Who Uses Managed Fleets? 10:11 - The Hilux SR5 Cost Example 11:52 - Rent-To-Own And Ownership Transfer 14:16 - Comparing Costs And Contract Flexibility 16:01 - Chinese Vehicles Enter The Market 19:54 - Toyota Resale Value 21:22 - Battery Technology And Market Change 25:29 - Commercial Vehicles And Support Infrastructure 29:27 - Australia's Commercial Vehicle Market 33:59 - Tim's Ute Buying Recommendations 37:08 - Closing Remarks And Resources About the Guest: Tim Cullen Tim Cullen is CEO and co-founder of TradieSpec, which supplies fit-for-purpose commercial vehicles to trade and construction businesses. He started the business with his business partner in 2019 and, at the time of recording, described a fleet of more than 1,400 vehicles across Australia. Website: https://tradiespec.com.au/ CONNECT WITH THE TRADIE WEB GUYS! Website: https://www.tradiewebguys.com.au/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TradieWebGuysOfficial?sub\_confirmation=1 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TradieWebGuysOfficial Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tradiewebguys/ LinkedIn: https://au.linkedin.com/company/tradie-web-guys Matt's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/iamthemattj/ If you enjoyed this podcast, please take a moment to leave us a review: ⭐ https://lovethepodcast.com/TheSiteShed Love the audio version of this podcast? Subscribe to the link below: ⭐ https://followthepodcast.com/TheSiteShed #podcast #thesiteshed #tradiewebguys #tradiebusiness #fleetmanagement #workute #vehiclefinance **Your Next Step:** Join **Tradie Academy**, our free community packed with templates, checklists, and resources shared by podcast guests, coaches, and successful tradies. 👉 Join free and grab your next growth tool here: https://tradie.wiki/pod Follow The Site Shed: - Facebook: The Site Shed - Instagram: @thesiteshed - LinkedIn: Matt Jones - Website: thesiteshed.com - YouTube: @TheSiteShed If you enjoyed this podcast and the series, please take 5 minutes to leave us a review: ⭐ https://lovethepodcast.com/TheSiteShed Love the audio version of this podcast? Subscribe to the link below: ⭐ https://followthepodcast.com/TheSiteShed