Classy Truck

Looking for a way to diversify their septic system installation business, Tom and Jeanne Cossentino decided to have their 8-yard Peterbilt 330 dump truck do double-duty as a pumping rig. So in 2009 they had a vacuum tank fabricated that could be bolted into the dump body. The steel tank is 1,700 gallons with rails and tabs on each corner. The truck is secured to the dump bed with four 5/8-inch bolts. Cossentino occasionally removes the tank when he needs to haul stone. The tank features a Jurop R260 pump for ample suction from deep tanks (dual, side-by-side relief valves are installed). It also has rear sight glasses, topside and back manways and a work light off the rear. The tank is sized to handle a typical septic tank in Cossentino’s area of Maryland. The hoist for the dump body comes in handy when offloading septage at a treatment plant. A local graphic artist did the simple lettering in the green and red, including the company’s new pumping slogan, “Go Green. Keep That Septic Tank Clean!’’ Weight is not an issue, as the heft of the 2,800-pound tank and a full load is less than a load of stone.