Nobody in the Austin dumpster rental industry wants to talk about these pitfalls, and for good reason. If the trash removal companies decided to fix these problems it would require enormous time and financial resources.
Austin trash removal companies are running with dumpster rental cost quotes so low they are barely avoiding bankruptcy. So fixing the following problems is not an option, even though it would make a serious upgrade to your roll off dumpsters service experience.
Here are 7 hidden secrets about Austin roll off container rentals:
1. Most Trash Removal Companies Are Not Legal.
New City of Austin code 15-6 makes it illegal for people to haul waste without a proper license and permit. Only a small number of trucks hauling debris around Austin are doing it legally, and the city is starting to enforce the law. According to law enforcement you can only haul trash from your house. Otherwise you are subject to a $2,000 fine and up to 1-year in prison.
That means: as a contractor, legally you cannot perform trash removal from your client’s property unless you have a Private Waste Haulers Permit. If you hire an outside company to haul the debris, and they get stopped by the police, the citation will likely come back for you to pay.
To get the permit, a company must meet certain requirements including having “waste hauler’s insurance” that runs nearly 4-figures monthly per truck. Staying in compliance is not easy.
City of Austin Code Compliance Officers are parking around the Austin landfill and City dump to inspect vehicles for the legal stickers. My roll off containers company is always properly licensed, and insured.
2. No Driveway Protection System for Roll Off Dumpsters.
Other trash removal companies scrape steel roll off containers across your client’s property to load and unload the refuse truck. This is standard practice with almost all trash dumpsters. Some clients don’t care about the property damage caused. Other clients will be upset, but not say anything about it to you. A few clients will demand that the cracks, scrapes, and ruts be repaired. Imagine how much that cheap dumpster rental cost increases when considering time, frustration, and effort to fix the property.
Some contractors buy several sheets of plywood to lay under the garbage dumpster to reduce damage, and that costs $50-$100+. The flaw is that these sheets are thin, and still do not protect the property from stress fractures. The solution: my roll off company always uses a proprietary wood surface protection system (pictured above in blue) so the construction dumpster never touches or damages the driveway. The system is very strong and it is included with most of our pricing options.
3. Inefficient Wasted Space from Tub Style Roll Off Dumpsters.
Many Austin dumpster rental companies use “tub” style dumpsters. The bottom is slanted in like a bathtub or boat. This feature creates a lot of dead air space when filling the trash container rental. These tub roll off containers are in the best interest of the trash removal companies, not you. Rubbish removal companies buy these trash dumpsters from manufacturers because it’s:
- easier for the refuse company to dump at the Austin landfill
- the garbage container itself weighs less than boxy bins
- the company can put a bigger logo across the roll off tub
- and the loads of waste are lighter because there is more dead space
Not a single one of those 4 items are helpful to you. That’s why we never use tub style roll off dumpsters. I have had several contractor clients say they “can pack 30% more debris in the dumpster because the slanted tub style bottom is removed”. My trash dumpsters are square like a box so you can pack the roll off most efficiently.
4. Hogging Job Site Floor Space.
Roll off Containers don’t have to hog all the floor space on your job site. When a refuse bin is brought out by a Mac Truck, it is difficult to maneuver. So the driver parks the garbage bin where it is convenient for them. They don’t put the construction dumpster where it would be most efficient for your crew. This also usually means laying the rolloff dumpster across several parking spaces so the rolloff truck can access it.
On the other hand, you can fit my compact dumpster into 1-parking space. My competitor’s same 20 yard dumpster takes up TWICE the space. This means it often lays across up to 6-parking spots.
Parking space is precious. When accepting delivery of project materials, or workers parking on site, you need to keep the most space possible. My garbage containers have the most efficient footprint of any company around Austin.
5. Dangerous Lifting of Bulky Trash Over the Austin Dumpster Wall.
You can stop risking personal injury of your crew or subcontractors. With most roll off boxes (or even dump trailers), workers must dangerously lift garbage 3 to 8-feet over the top of the wall. This workers compensation risk is not necessary.
With my waste containers, workers have safe easy walk-in loading with my rear double doors. The doors are much easier to open and close. Once the trash box is half way full, workers can close one door, and keep working with the other half open. Plus, there is only an 8-inch step up into the garbage container instead of workers having to climb over the walls of the bin.
6. Dirty Dumpsters, Dirty Job Site, Your Dirty Reputation.
Let’s face it. A dirty job site hurts your reputation. The client thinks, “if their works looks this dirty where I can see it, how bad is it where I can’t see it.” Dirtiness subtly causes clients (and everyone who sees your project) to question the quality of your work.
You don’t have to accept dirty, rusty, stinky and ugly roll off containers anymore. You can have a Austin dumpster rental that reflects a bright clean quality job site presence. I keep my roll off boxes freshly painted and clean.
Plus, most of our dumpster service packages include us sweeping up under and around the waste container so it is like we were never even there. Other companies leave the trash piles and nails for your clients and the neighbors, we always sweep up.
7. Dangerous Delivery Under Power Lines, Slopes, or Small Spaces.
When the other companies deliver a roll off bin on a big long Mack Truck, it is hard to safely deliver unless the job site is industrial. Sharp corners, sloped driveways, low overhead clearance, and small spaces create big hazards for the refuse roll off delivery trucks. If something gets broken, the waste management company will refer you to their “hold harmless” terms and conditions. You get stuck with the headache of repairs.
Many of our clients come to us as referrals from other construction dumpster companies who simply could not safely do the job. We really appreciate the referrals. We deliver your clean trash container on a clean mid-sized truck that can easily maneuver into tight spaces, down sloped driveways, and under low hanging obstructions. In the last 1,000 dumpster deliveries, we have only found 2 job sites where we could not safely deliver.
What does it all mean?
There is a lot more that goes into choosing your top 10 best trash removal companies than you would imagine. You have to narrow down the list of City of Austin licensed private waste haulers. Most people choose to do this by calling companies for dumpster rental cost quotes.
Next measure your favorite roll off dumpster companies against these 7 deadly secrets. How does the company address these, or do they care at all? Which of these items are most important to you? The rubbish removal company I own takes these 7 deadly secrets very serious. We ensure you will avoid these problems and have a unique positive experience. I point this fact out so that you can have peace in knowing that some companies have indeed decided to keep the client’s best interest in mind first.
Here is what to do next:
I hope you find the information valuable, and if you have any questions please call my office at 512-774-5666.