B&K Excavating is a company out of Keymar, Maryland that Benjamin (Benny) Offutt started with his wife in 2007. Benjamin first started doing excavation work when he was 17 when he was on work-study in his senior year of Highschool. Benny remembers, “I found out that running equipment was my talent and quickly learned how to run every piece of equipment that was used to do new residential excavation work. I then got my CDL’s so that I could also drive tractor-trailers and dump trucks to move equipment and haul materials.”
Rough Start in the Excavating Business
The same year that they started B&K Excavating, the housing markets and new construction across the country quickly slowed down. B&K Excavating also ran into some challenges. Benny pointed out, “It’s been a struggle, to say the least, but we have made it through the tough times and now are beginning to see the light. As we have grown as a company, we also have grown in the larger size equipment we need to complete the jobs.”
Comparing Trailer Features & Options
Whenever Benny is looking to buy new equipment, he reviews all of the brands and compares everything down to the smallest options. Benny’s last trailer purchase was no exception when he was comparing Felling Trailers to competitor (Eager Beaver) trailers, “My first choice was the Felling trailer. My dealer also sold competitor trailers. But, at the time, there were no trailers in stock to fit our needs from either trailer manufacturer.” Since the competitor trailer could have one built and delivered in a much shorter amount of time, and B&K was in a time crunch, they purchased the competitor trailer.
Repeat Issues with Competitor’s Trailer Quality
Benny instantly regretted the decision of choosing fast delivery over trailer quality, “We only had the trailer for one week, and in that week it had to get repaired 6 times at the dealership. ” B&K Excavating’s problems with the competitor’s trailer ranged from wiring malfunctions to complicated and slow electric/hydraulic ramps, and more. When the ramps would not function and their machine was stuck on the trailer at a job site, forcing them to build a dirt ramp along the side to offload the machine, Benny reached his breaking point. “Finally on the sixth day, I had enough and begged the dealership to help me out and take the trailer back.”
Grateful for Support from Trailer Dealer
B&K Excavating originally purchased the trailer through GT Mid Atlantic, a local dealer in Maryland. Benny was thankful that GT Mid Atlantic was able to convince the competitor to purchase the trailer back. The dealer also found B&K a Felling trailer (an FT-50-3 LP “Low Profile” deck-over tag trailer with a double incline beavertail and angle iron Air Operated Ramps) which had almost identical specifications. This time, Benny was OK with waiting to get the right equipment, “It took about a week to get the trailer from Felling delivered. Since then, we have used the trailer multiple times and have not had one issue to date. The guys love loading the track machines on the double break tail and I love the air ramps actually working every time. It tows great and looks great.”
“…we have used the trailer multiple times and have not had one issue to date. The guys love loading the track machines on the double break tail and I love the air ramps actually working every time. It tows great and looks great.”
– Benny Offutt, Owner of B&K Excavating
Smiling When Moving Machines with his Felling Trailer
Today, Benny is confident that he will not settle on quality for his machines or trailers again. He is grateful to his dealer for helping him remedy the situation and get the trailer he really wanted. Now, B&K Excavating is busy with new construction jobs instead of fixing trailers and having fun doing it. Benny exclaimed, “I look forward to smiling every time I have to move a machine. We have a beautiful trailer that far exceeds the quality of what we had before.”
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I like these kind of stories. I’m self just started similar excavating business, and really happy that found articles, what could happen to me as well in a future 🙂
Benny’s resilience in navigating the initial challenges of B&K Excavating is truly commendable. Having faced similar hasty decisions in my past, I resonate with the importance of prioritizing quality over convenience. The smile Benny wears now, while using his Felling Trailer, speaks volumes about the lessons learned and the satisfaction of making the right choice.