Published December 2007

Come and Join the Tool Talk

By Jim Kneiszel, Editor (page 10)

The theme for this issue of Pumper, Tools of the Trade, can be broadly interpreted.

The theme for this issue of Pumper®, Tools of the Trade, can be broadly interpreted. As I edited the stories, I found just about every one of the editorial contributions touching on a tool that helps pumpers increase profitability. Sure, a number of them are quite obvious: vacuum trucks, onsite system maintenance equipment, alternative onsite systems, to name a few. But others, like Fred S. Steingold’s Legal Advice column on employee work agreements, promote less obvious tools to help your business thrive in the coming years.

Here are just a few of the stories you’ll see that provide insight on valuable tools of the trade for the liquid waste-hauling industry:

Bill Roy’s Great Ride

Bill Roy Sr.’s 1996 Kenworth vacuum truck looks like it just rolled out of Country Music Television’s Trick My Truck garage (“Family Pride and a Great Ride,” by writer Scottie Dayton). The bright yellow rig with blue accents and red flames streaking across that big square hood attracts so much attention on the highways of Roy’s Connecticut hometown that the seasoned pumper says it’s his best marketing tool. Pop a door and look inside to see hardwood flooring, chrome accents and technology tools like a built-in GPS, a flat-panel TV and a PlayStation gaming system. The wild truck took first place at the All-Truck Nationals in Epping, N.H., and the Diesel Nationals in Englishtown, N.J., earlier this year.

Plummers on Duty

The three Plummer brothers, operating related wastewater businesses in Michigan (“Plummers on Duty,” by Scottie Dayton), certainly believe in using the right tool for the job … And boy do they buy a lot of the right tools. Richard, Todd and Nick Plummer have taken over a small family business started by their father, Warren, and expanded from septic tank pumping into portable sanitation, complete environmental services, including hydroexcavating and solid waste disposal. Using dozens of job-specific trucks and many technologies to increase efficiency, the businesses are on a steady growth curve. When disposal became an issue for the companies, they built their own dewatering plant, another major tool to build profitability.

High-tech tool talk

In this month’s Building the Business feature, marketing guru David Frey introduces several new communication technologies contractors can use to grow their customer base. The winter lull is a good time to talk about ramping up marketing efforts, including electronic newsletters, self-produced audio and video products, and Internet advertising. Frey contends you can add a lot of advanced sales tools for a tiny expenditure of time and advertising budget.

Classy Truck

There is no more important tool for a liquid waste pumper than the vacuum truck. And for the second year running, we’re highlighting the bold and beautiful Classy Truck entries for 2007. Turn to our Classy Truck of the Year feature to help the Pumper® staff choose the favorite rig from the past year. Casting your vote for the top truck couldn’t be easier. Simply review the dozen trucks, then go online to www.pumper.com and click on your choice. The winning truck will be photographed for the cover of the February issue, which will be distributed at the Pumper & Cleaner Environmental Expo International in Louisville.

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As 2007 draws to a close, I’d like to wish you and your families a relaxing and happy holiday season. May 2008 bring you good health, greater profits and wider revenue streams.