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Adding Roll off service to my busines

90plow

Senior Member
Joined
Mar 22, 2006
Messages
371
Location
Northern New Jersey
By us there is no rental charge on the dumpsters only a charge to pull the dumpsters plus the weight at the transfer station. The money is only good if the truck is running 5 days a week every week. It's getting very cut throat here with dumpsters a lot of small guys getting bought up by nationals and the ones left standing are being run into the ground.
 

Kchauler

Member
Joined
May 27, 2015
Messages
11
Location
Kansas
Waste management has bought out two of the biggest guys here which is why we actually got into the roll offs most people don't like to call and be put on hold and I have called to check prices and have hear from customers that they are three to four weeks out to get a can to them so we have a slight advantage of being able to get the can out there quick
 

Former Wrench

Senior Member
Joined
Jan 3, 2014
Messages
470
Location
Montesano, WA
Occupation
Retired
If you are going to be spotting the can in tight places a second hook on the front of the truck works good for twisting and turning.
 

Kchauler

Member
Joined
May 27, 2015
Messages
11
Location
Kansas
We went with a kenworth t307 single axle with a sl240 hook and it seems to work great to get into areas slot of the cable trucks can't touch the hardest issue is convincing people they don't need a huge 40 yard roll off for a garage clean out or contractors trying to fill the box with dirt and concrete but we make sure and have their credit card on the ticket for time like that
 

CM1995

Administrator
Joined
Jan 21, 2007
Messages
13,250
Location
Alabama
Occupation
Running what I brung and taking what I win
Waste management has bought out two of the biggest guys here which is why we actually got into the roll offs most people don't like to call and be put on hold and I have called to check prices and have hear from customers that they are three to four weeks out to get a can to them so we have a slight advantage of being able to get the can out there quick

Exactly, service can beat the big guys every time. Nobody wants to use a call center when you need a box pulled, you need to talk to the guy that is scheduling the pulls.
 

Kchauler

Member
Joined
May 27, 2015
Messages
11
Location
Kansas
I will tell tou after renting portable toilets along with our equipment rental for 13 years now I would take renting dumpsters out anyway day over a portable toilet people treat you like a person when you show up with a dumpster and a nice truck they treat you like trash when you show up in a portable toilet truck and you don't get any complaints on the dumpsters where with toilets you will hear everything under the sun it's just a completely different world so for any haulers thinking about add toilets to a roll off service I would say don't give your self the headache
 

Kchauler

Member
Joined
May 27, 2015
Messages
11
Location
Kansas
Is anyone else running into the same thing where the big guys seem to be running late on getting dumpsters out which is helping our business
 

joispoi

Senior Member
Joined
Mar 1, 2008
Messages
1,284
Location
Connecticut
Is anyone else running into the same thing where the big guys seem to be running late on getting dumpsters out which is helping our business

It sounds like the economy is doing well in your area. Something to keep in mind: If you're getting jobs because the bigger operations are too busy to be bothered, consider that business that they are LETTING YOU HAVE. That's not to say that you're not earning every penny for the work that you're doing. But, it's a market share that the bigger companies are either ignoring or are unable to satisfy. Don't take it for granted. A slow down in demand or investment on their part could change that from one day to the next.

One question that you need to find the answer to is : Why don't the bigger operations invest in more trucks and cans? Is it laziness? Negligence? Is it because they are unsure about the return on investment? Are they satisfied with the status-quo?
 

CM1995

Administrator
Joined
Jan 21, 2007
Messages
13,250
Location
Alabama
Occupation
Running what I brung and taking what I win
If the big guys in your area are like the ones in my area, their profit center is the residential routes first, commercial front loads second and roll-offs third. If they are operating landfills then that's their golden goose. Point being is their money is generated through contracts for regular service. Roll-offs are sporadic in revenue with the exception of the packer units and scattered open tops that stay in the same place.

Roll offs are a very seasonal business, probably the reason why the big guys aren't adding trucks and cans as they know they'll be sitting at times through the year. In my area their residential route trucks and front loads are all new. The roll off trucks are older and more rattier, they reinvest in what makes them money.
 

Kchauler

Member
Joined
May 27, 2015
Messages
11
Location
Kansas
That all makes sense I think a lot of the big guys are focusing on buying out competitiors around here when waste management has bought out the bigger guys they keep the name and the staff but they don't reinvest and buy them anymore equipment and yes they do have the landfills and the residential routes so that may be what they are focusing on we are figuring that we have about 9 months to really make good money and then winter will set in and it will die off for awhile until spring one question I had does any body set out recycling dumpster for the public and is it profitable at all
 

CM1995

Administrator
Joined
Jan 21, 2007
Messages
13,250
Location
Alabama
Occupation
Running what I brung and taking what I win
That all makes sense I think a lot of the big guys are focusing on buying out competitiors around here when waste management has bought out the bigger guys they keep the name and the staff but they don't reinvest and buy them anymore equipment and yes they do have the landfills and the residential routes so that may be what they are focusing on we are figuring that we have about 9 months to really make good money and then winter will set in and it will die off for awhile until spring one question I had does any body set out recycling dumpster for the public and is it profitable at all

Smart, cut-throat style business. Buy your competition, keep the name so the general public doesn't know and control it. WM has the money..:cool:

I thought about the public use recycling dumpsters a lot. I think it could be profitable if the categories were kept small - paper, plastic, aluminum and glass. The problem with glass though is it's heavy and not profitable to recycle it if there is not an end user close. The other three can be baled and transported easily.

The problems I see is the public dumping garbage, electronics, etc in the bins and then you have to sort that out and dispose of it. We thought about partnering with some cities to put out the cans but at the same time curbside recycling was being added to most of the municipalities so we didn't think there would be a strong enough market. If your area doesn't offer curbside recycling then it might be something to look at.

Cardboard can be a money maker. A lot of it goes to China and India for material packaging since they lack the infrastructure to make paper from trees, so it's always in demand.
 

Kchauler

Member
Joined
May 27, 2015
Messages
11
Location
Kansas
What made me think about the recycling bins is we picked up a dumpster from a year book printer that was loaded with old year books so we took them to a recycling place about 15 miles away and got paid about $200 for the paper instead of spending $60 to dump the load at the landfill we try and do that all we can and for the most part it has worked out in our favor to recycle and get paid
 

CM1995

Administrator
Joined
Jan 21, 2007
Messages
13,250
Location
Alabama
Occupation
Running what I brung and taking what I win
I sort and recycle most of the metal when I do a demolition. One 30 or 40 yard full of metal will pay $500-1000 depending on weight and I'm not paying the $400 to dispose of the debris in the landfill. That can be a $900 to $1400 swing per can of metal.
 

Truckrigger

Member
Joined
Jun 5, 2015
Messages
16
Location
Houston
Are you still in the market to purchase a roll off truck? I'd suggest swinging your investment towards a hooklift truck. So many advantages to a hooklift system. You would be able to have one truck perform the work of 4 or more. Flatbed. Dumpster. Water truck etc. I can get you more information even pictures of some we have installed
 

CM1995

Administrator
Joined
Jan 21, 2007
Messages
13,250
Location
Alabama
Occupation
Running what I brung and taking what I win
Nice looking hook. What's the spec's?
 

dirtcurt

Member
Joined
Dec 14, 2014
Messages
10
Location
minnesota
2000 T800. C12 Cat, 8LL, 46K full locking rears with Chalmers suspension, 20K front, 62000# Ampliroll hoist, pintle hitch with air to the rear. Couldn't really find the truck I wanted when I started this project so I bought one with the right hardware that was wrecked and put a new frame (and a ton of other parts) under it.
 

dust eater

Well-Known Member
Joined
Sep 18, 2010
Messages
70
Location
illinios
How much time do you lose dumping your loads in the winter? I work in a landfill and one of the disadvantages I see to the hooks is you can' t bang a frozen load out like the cable can. we man our backhoe every day from late fall to early spring but the only time it's up by the face is if there is nothing else for him to do. A driver may have to chase him down into the cut or find him if he's raising a well. The line can get pretty long when it's been warm enough for the snow to melt or God forbid some rain and then a freeze. depending on what's in the can and how full it is you may make a few trips from the fill face to hoe and back before the load is out.
 
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