Question:

I intend to start pumping and am trying to decide between a 3,600-gallon or 2,500-gallon truck. I’ve got an idea of the difference between the two trucks, but not sure what is best considering I am splitting myself in two directions, and the fact that I don’t live near a place to unload or any real population. The two competitors do.

My Situation:

• This would be my first and primary truck.

• I’m located in a rural area covering two counties and three towns.

• 12,000 households in one county and 17,000 in the other.

• 10 miles one way and 24 miles the other direction to a treatment plant.

• Start with parking at home between runs.

• Servicing a 30- to 35-mile radius each direction.

• Competitors run mostly 2,500-gallon tanks.

Considerations:

• Plan to start with a used truck with 100,000 to 200,000 miles.

• Small truck is lighter and lower for rural driveways.

• Bigger truck allows me to do more tanks before the drive to unload.

• Smaller is probably easier on fuel.

• 3,600-gallon truck has more wheels on the ground for weight distribution, which is probably better on dirt driveways.

What do you professionals think?

Answers:

First of all, there is no perfect-sized truck. I have a 3,400-gallon truck and a 1,700-gallon truck. They both serve a purpose. However, I would start with the 3,600-gallon truck. Your travel time will be greatly reduced. They can be difficult to get in some driveways, but you can usually fit them in somehow. Just make sure to carry enough hose in case you have to park on the street or around the house from the tank. We carry 180 to 200 feet on our trucks. Plus we have the ability to take from one truck to cover the other.

The next trick is to schedule your work so you can fill the truck in one area before you move on to the next.

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I have a small 1,100-gallon vacuum truck. I hate it when I am really busy. All the time wasted running back to unload (I land-apply), but on an average day when I pump 2-3 tanks, it’s not bad. It keeps me busy all day and I’m not rushed.

My suggestion is to think of how much pumping you want to do. If you think that you are going to pump 6,000 gallons a day, you need at least a 2,500-gallon truck; 10,000 a day and you need a bigger one.

You said you have 29,000 people in your counties, a third of them might be on city sewer, which leaves you with 19,300 potential customers. Another third of them will have their tank pumped every three years, leaving you with 6,430 potential customers. The other 2/3 of 19,300 might have it pumped every 10 years, which gives you 1,287 more potential customers. This gives you a total of 7,717 customers every year.

The first year, if you’re lucky, you might get 5-10 percent of the total business, that means 350-771 pump-outs, about 1-2 jobs a day on average. A small truck would do you fine. Once you got to 25 percent of your market, or 1,929 pump-outs per year, or 5.3 jobs a day, you need a big truck or two smaller ones.

You need to know your market. The customers that have their tank pumped every three years are not going to use you for a long time because they will call who they have always called.

The 10-year customer will use who is cheapest or first to get there, so you might only do 100 jobs the first year. And don’t underestimate your competitors. If they are big there is a reason, and they might bite back.