As pumping contractors, reliable vacuum trucks are part and parcel of the work you perform. Your truck is a billboard for your business, your home away from home … the most important tool in your arsenal to provide great customer service.
So while we write about vacuum trucks in every issue — for instance, giving you info on the fleets of the contractors we profile — we also like to dedicate a few issues each year to stories about truck maintenance and trends in new service rigs. This is one of those issues of Pumper.
Take a look inside for these stories bound to get you daydreaming about your next service vehicle:
He’s nuts for trucks
If you’re a pumper who loves to talk trucks, then you’ll enjoy meeting Illinois contractor Cary Zeschke, featured in this month’s cover story (“Nuts for Trucks’’). When I met Zeschke at the 2010 Pumper & Cleaner Environmental Expo, I was impressed with his passion for trucks. He continually upgrades his favorite rigs and details them for display at regional truck shows.
“If you talk to a truck driver, you’ll hear that they take a lot of pride in driving something that makes people turn their heads,” Zeschke tells writer Ken Wysocky in this issue. “Every time I come back from a job, I intentionally drive down the main business streets … just to display the trucks.’’
In the story, Zeschke shares the blueprint for his tricked-out septic truck. His dream machine, a 1995 Peterbilt, has a slick custom interior worthy of one of the cable TV rig restoration shows, an attention-grabbing yellow paint job, ground-effects lighting and a backlit bumper cutout of his company name.
All of Zeschke’s efforts serve two purposes: They satisfy his inner gearhead and bring attention to build his business’s customer list. Turn inside to read more.
Auto or manual transmission?
Also at this year’s Pumper & Cleaner Expo, I noticed a continuing trend toward trucks utilizing auto transmissions. While there’s still clearly a group of pumpers dedicated to jamming through 10 or 18 gears as they move between jobs, a better case is being made these days for switching to auto shift.
Industry observers tell writer Ed Wodalski (“Switching Gears”) that improved transmission technology and driver turnover are two factors prompting some to move away from manual transmissions. Contractor Tom Ferrero III, for one, admits he was hesitant about buying his first auto-shift truck, but sees the benefits today.
“Driving the manual transmissions is a bit of an art that comes only with a good bit of time and training,” he says. “Automatic transmissions will shorten this learning curve and broaden the job applicant pool.”
SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS
I invite you to take a look at our truck-focused stories. Then let us know what you think. There are a few good ways to keep the truck talk going at Pumper. One way is to drop me a line by e-mail at editor@pumper.com. I can share your opinions with readers in this column or at my blog at www.pumper.com. Or you can go to the Web site and post a question or comment at the Pumper Discussion Forum.
