Turn inside this issue to see our annual review of the Classy Truck of the Month entries leading up to the naming of the 2014 Classy Truck of the Year award winner. Working trucks from pumpers located across the United States and Canada – New York to Florida to California and many places in between – are represented.

What does this year’s collection of Classy Truck entries say about the buying and work habits of pumpers as a group? And what trends will we be seeing in speccing for vacuum trucks heading into 2015 and beyond? Reviewing the trucks appearing in 2014 issues of Pumper, and sorting through a pile of photos for trucks that will be considered for next year’s issues, I have a few trend-spotting observations to share.

And I’d also like to hear your forecasts for the truck market. Which of the features you see in this year’s batch of published trucks will be added to your next work truck? What color combinations and graphics choices are popular in your area? Are you going more job-specific with your next truck order or looking for a convenient do-it-all performer equally comfortable working a septic tank or pulling sludge on a commercial job site?

Ordering your next truck is a big deal. Your choices for cab and chassis, pump and other features can either help you achieve the goals set forth in your business plan or become a drag on your future profitability. The stakes are high for small-business owners and that’s what makes looking at the Classy Trucks every year so interesting. These truck owners have made many decisions based on their business’ needs and personal style preferences. Now they’re rolling down the road hoping their choices pay dividends.

Here are a few trend choices I’ve noticed:

Purpose-built designs

One size typically doesn’t fit all when it comes to handling a pumper’s workload. There are many new solo-truck pumping companies – and companies working in lightly populated areas – that prefer a general-purpose truck. They’ll go a little lighter-duty with the chassis and put on a tank in the 2,000- to 2,500-gallon range so they can hold a few septic tank loads and still maneuver into tighter yards or reach commercial grease traps with ease. But for growing companies offering diversified services, it’s getting more common to build the truck for specific work areas – a big truck for a driver handling septic systems exclusively and a more compact truck for a driver providing grease trap service. When you build a truck for a specialty, you can better take into account factors such as ergonomics, safety and ideal waste- and water-tank capacities. I’m seeing more attention given to placement of hoses, valves, accessories and work lights on purpose-built trucks to make the driver’s job easier, less strenuous and more convenient.

Go big to grow

For general septic pumping work, the trend toward bigger vacuum tanks continues. Almost half of the rigs on this year’s list carry 4,000 gallons or more, with a few more with 3,600-gallon waste tanks. You can point to rising fuel, labor and disposal costs – a triple threat to pumping profitability – to explain the bigger and bigger trucks. They might not get quite the mpg of the trucks carrying smaller tanks, but the added volume lets pumpers plan a more efficient route and hit several jobs between runs to the disposal plant. Labor costs play into this because drivers have to get paid to sit in the cab running multiple trips to dump, and then there’s the time it takes filling out paperwork and waiting in line to drop a load at the treatment plant. As for disposal, some pumpers are still paying by the load, meaning the more they can carry in, the lower the per-gallon off-loading. For owners of big tanks, volume can mean saving the customer a few dollars and putting a few more dollars in the pumper’s bank account.

Everyone likes a little chrome

If the photos I’m sifting through tell anything about work-truck style, it’s that a little bit of chrome can do a lot to dress up a vehicle. Beyond the tank, bits of polished aluminum and stainless steel can turn a ho-hum workhorse into a head-turner on the highway. Shiny stacks, visors, toolboxes, wheels and trim work as eye candy when tricking out a truck. Of course, there’s a price to be paid initially and in routine maintenance to keep the chrome looking good, but it appears that most pumpers think it’s worth the time and effort. More pumpers understand the value of their truck as a rolling billboard and a way to enhance their professional reputation, and they’re not afraid to spend a few extra bucks to make a big splash.

Restore, refurbish, rejuvenate

Pumpers recognize when a truck has good “bones’’ and they’re not afraid to bring an older vacuum truck back to its previous glory. Whether it started life out as a waste hauler or was repurposed from some other work-truck duty, pumpers will invest money in adding a new tank and pump to a truck that’s more than a decade old. They’ll also give it some custom paint work, modern vinyl graphics and often go for a retro look on a classic chassis, for instance a Peterbilt or Kenworth. Some pumpers view the older rigs as easier to work on, less problematic when it comes to emissions standards and an economical way to start out or serve a pumping niche in their business.

You Pick 'Em

Take a look at the 2014 Classy Truck entries and tell me the industry trends you spot in these trucks and the vacuum trucks you see running the roads where you live. And please choose your favorite truck from the past year, then go online to www.pumper.com and throw your support for the truck in our year-end contest. The winning truck will be photographed for the February 2015 cover of Pumper.