How about aluminum vacuum tanks?

Question:

My company is switching to aluminum tanks from steel, but I am a bit worried about the life of the tank. Do they coat the inside of the tank? Do aluminum tanks last longer than steel tanks? Has anyone’s aluminum tank cracked or breached?

Answers:

I’ve had an aluminum tank for five years. Keep the truck on pavement and you will have good service from aluminum tanks. Go off the road or in the field where the tank would be subjected to binding and there could be problems. Also, beware of acids from caustic cleaners, like those used to clean range hoods in restaurants.

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I have a four-year-old aluminum tank and have no complaints. Remember to mount the tanks on an air-ride truck only. My tank has a sump pit at the discharge end. That helps keep grit from building up inside the tank. My other truck only has a 6-inch discharge pipe welded in the bottom of the tank and I have been inside the tank four times in one year to clean the grit out.

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I ran steel tanks for my first seven years in business. I grew to the point of needing to carry more weight, but didn’t want to get a bigger truck that would require me to have a CDL. Naturally, with aluminum, you are able to carry the most waste. I’ve used aluminum tanks since 1999 without any problems.

Last year I was on a two-lane road and there was a pickup truck pulling a hay wagon … darted left across the lane in front of me. I was headed straight for his door and close enough to see his eyes. I veered left instead of hitting him in his door. I went through the ditch to the left then came up onto the side road, where I hit him with a glancing blow. I then went through another ditch and into a cornfield, where I rolled the truck over. Everyone walked away that day. The truck had $48,000 in damage, but the tank with 1,000 gallons of muddy water in it survived without even a crack in any of its welds … The insurance company had the tank tested, and if it would have had any damage, the truck would have been totaled.

What about damage waiver fees?

Question:

We are thinking of charging customers a monthly damage waiver fee for portable restrooms if they don’t sign and return the customer service agreements. Have any of you ever done this? Do you have any suggestions?

Answer:

I looked into customer agreements and service charges a while back and determined the expense of the paperwork versus the actual amount of damage we receive in a year did not make it worthwhile for me. Another thing I noticed was the better the service I provided and the cleaner I kept the toilets, the less damage I got.

At the end of the day it is better to have the customer than lose them over an extra charge. But go with your gut, and if you think they will damage your toilet no matter what, maybe it isn't worth your time.