I think you'll want to slow down and look at the numbers.
First off, how much money is a box truck (Will depend on age and make of the truck, of course). Now, what's the registration, insurance, and upkeep costs?
Second, how much do you plan to make per tube? how much for a refrigerator? A windows A/C unit? A....
Now, how much stuff per month will you need to make a living?
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I'm on the refurbishing side of E-Waste, so my situation is a little different. If I sell 10,000 computers per month, and make $10 per computer profit, I'm making 100k per month, right? Not exactly- Microsoft Excel can make anyone a millionaire on paper. It cannot count for limitations. There is no way that I could process this much, or find buyers for that much. What's your limit? Realistically.
As for trucks, as my refurbishing division grows, it will need a truck... maybe. How large will it become? I don't know. So, I can go into debt $15k for a 24' box truck (The going rate out here for a good Ford or Chevrolet- Freightliners are even higher), or I can start with what I have: a 1/2 ton pickup truck.
I'm going for the latter. When I outgrow the F150 I have, I'll be making about $7000 per month in profit. I can easily buy a 3/4 ton truck at that point, or a box van. But, there will be no debt, and more importantly, I won't be purchasing equipment for a business that isn't happening yet. I've seen a lot of places go under for that reason.
With my refurbishing business, everything will be paid for by that division. I will not leech money from other sources, sucking the other parts of my business dry in hopes that this works. If refurbishing can sustain and grow itself with no external cash input, it's likely a sound and reliable business.
I think that's where you need to start. Get a cheap truck, start in your home, and make some money. Then, as it grows, foster that business into something larger.
Someday I may be driving a 24' box truck full of laptops. Best of all, I'll have paid cash for it, and I'll always be in the black. Will I get there? Who knows.
matador: "Plant the seed. The crop will grow at it's own rate."
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