How to Break Into the Pumping Industry on a Limited Budget

We get behind the wheel of one of Pumper magazine's Classy Trucks by having a Classy Conversation with Dave Neu of Complete Septic Service in Madison, South Dakota
How to Break Into the Pumping Industry on a Limited Budget

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Build on what you already have, and work your way up from there.

Dave and Dana Neu embraced that philosophy when they launched their company, Complete Septic Service of Madison, South Dakota, and bought their first pumper truck: an all-white 1999 Sterling vacuum truck carrying a repurposed 2,600-gallon steel manure-spreading tank.

“We had to break into the industry on a limited budget,” says Dave Neu. “Essentially we were just looking for a cab and chassis. We had a tank that my father-in-law used on the farm, so it was just a matter of finding a truck to mount that tank on and make minor modifications.”

Prior to starting Complete Septic in January 2016, Dave and Dana were presented with an opportunity to buy out a company, but the deal didn’t work out in the end. “We kind of gave up on the idea initially, but then my father-in-law mentioned this tank that he had sitting in the trees that they’d outgrown. They had used it for hog and cattle manure hauling, and he said, ‘We don’t use it anymore, so we’ll sell it to you for cheap. All you need to do is find a cab and chassis.’ He said the pump on the tank matched it well, so we just made it work with what we had.”

Building a startup pumper truck

Refurbishing the manure-spreading tank didn’t require a major overhaul. “We didn’t do a whole lot to it,” Neu says. “It’s set up a little different than your typical septic pumper vac tank. Manure-spreading tanks have a really unique secondary shut-off so when you’re pressurizing the tank, air is redirected to the bottom of the tank to an agitator that keeps all the solids suspended in the liquid when you’re dumping or land applying.”

The biggest disadvantage to this tank build is below-freezing weather and its impact on leftover liquid in the tank, Neu says. “Cold weather is probably the biggest enemy of this type of setup, because typically if there’s any liquid left in the tank, it’s going to be at the bottom. I’m in a northern climate, so it does become an issue. But all we have to do to convert to a standard setup is remove the valve from the secondary shutoff and rely solely on the primary shutoff of the tank. That’s how we run in the winter, and then in the summer we go back to our regularly procedure where we agitate the tank when we’re dumping.”

Neu says the company kicked around the idea of getting rid of the secondary and going with a standard secondary, where the air goes in the top and comes out the top. “But we decided to stick with what was on the tank because it worked so well for dumping purposes. It does a nice job of getting the tank cleaned out when we dump and land apply.”

Although the 2,600-gallon steel tank was simply in the right place at the right time for the right price, if Neu had the choice, he still would have gone with steel over aluminum. “I’ve done research because I know there will come a time when we have to upgrade or do a replacement, and there’s obviously advantages to both,” Neu says. “I think if the budget allows, I’d love to do stainless steel, but otherwise — considering my circumstances — I’ll probably stick with the steel tank.”

And since the Naus were just tapping into the industry, 2,600 gallons is a reasonable tank capacity to start with. “Increased capacity would definitely be an advantage in the future, but I think in the meantime, as business is working its way up, what we have now is plenty,” Neu says. “Eventually I’d like to move into the 3,500-gallon capacity range. I don’t want to go too big because we have a lot of really small accesses in terms of residential areas. So it’s nice having a small truck for that purpose, but at the same time it’d be nice to be able to get a couple of loads on at a time and not have to make so many return trips for disposal.”

The ’99 Sterling came with a six-speed transmission, which is just the right size for the truck and its application. “This truck is mid-sized, really. We have the capacity to haul 2,600 gallons, but 2,000 is about the most I’ll ever put on the truck,” Neu says. “It’s a synchromesh, so it’s not one of the big transmissions. Sixty-five is the fastest we can move down the highway, which is pretty much as fast as we need to move in our service area. So it’s been working just fine: We can creep along nice in our low gears, but we can also move right along on the highways and keep up with traffic.”

Looking toward the future

Now that Neu has more than a year of experience with his pumper in the industry, there are a few items he plans to include on his next rig. “I’ve seen some nice trucks with jetter setups. I do drain cleaning, too, so having an option for freshwater would be great,” he says. “I’d also like to increase storage. You can never have enough room for stuff, especially when you’re in a remote area and you have to plan as far ahead into the future as you can and just be ready for everything.”

But the Neus are taking their time with growing their company, particularly since Neu still works full time for the city at the water and wastewater treatment facilities.
“We’re trying to resist the temptation of going in all at once,” Dave Neu says. “We’re growing slowly and trying to avoid those growing pains as much as possible. Sometimes they’re unavoidable, but breaking into the industry nice and easy has been working well for us.

“It’s a work in progress, but I’m liking the progress that we’ve made. I really expect year three is going to be when things open up for us.”



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