Stay Tuned for Big 10 Survey Results

In the November 2008 issue of Pumper, we included the first Big 10 Pumper Survey and asked readers to go online and answer a short list of questions about their businesses.

In the November 2008 issue of Pumper, we included the first Big 10 Pumper Survey and asked readers to go online and answer a short list of questions about their businesses.

We intended to release the results of the survey in this issue. But in an effort to ensure its statistical accuracy, we decided to hold off and give more contractors an opportunity to participate. If you haven’t already done so, I invite you to click over to www.pumper.com, hit the Big 10 survey billboard and add your voice to what we believe will be a valuable business tool for readers for years to come.

The survey is anonymous. You won’t be asked to give your company name or precise location.

In a little more than a month of taking surveys, we’ve had a solid response. Many pumpers have taken the time to go online and answer the 10-question survey. If you’re one of those contractors, we thank you.

We could release the results we have now and get a good glimpse of the industry. But because of the trust you’ve shown Pumper as a news and information source, we want to bolster the survey and make sure the results are as accurate and credible as possible.

A little background on the survey is in order.

Over the years, we’ve received calls and e-mails from readers asking us about industry trends on important issues. Contractors wonder about the average price haulers pay for municipal disposal of septage. They want to know how other companies compensate employees, with a salary or an hourly wage. They’re curious about what services pumpers are adding to diversify their business.

So we developed a series of questions that cuts to the heart of issues and statistics important to pumpers. A few questions are designed to establish the size and scope of participating companies.

We ask a few financial questions regarding disposal fees and typical pump-out charges. And we explore employee compensation and benefits.

Lastly, we ask what services outside of traditional pumping are offered by companies, and ask respondents to name the single most important issue their business faces in the coming year.

When we analyze the survey responses, we can give pumpers exciting information on how the industry is handling critical issues.

For example, we will be able to see if company size has an impact on disposal rates. Are the larger service providers who answered the survey — those with more trucks and gallons pumped daily — receiving more attractive disposal rates? Or on the issue of health insurance, are only the companies with higher employee numbers able to offer that benefit?

We hope to make this survey an annual tradition. The questions can be tailored to address new issues every year, or repeated — like those on the size and scope of pumping operations — to see how those numbers change from year to year.

So please log on to www.pumper.com and take a moment to fill out the survey … And stick around to check out the many handy features the Web site offers.



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