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PRO

Operating out of an estate car! Waste removal problems.

Hi. I'm new to the forum but hope I have found the right place for help with a big problem I currently have.

I only started up for myself last year and rather than try for a loan to get myself a van I decided to work out of my Volvo Estate car. This is obviously far from ideal but a necessary stage whilst I save up for a larger vehicle.

The main problem I have is with waste removal. If the job is big enough for a skip then great, I have no problem. It's when a skip is not practical or necessary that I struggle. If I have to price in a Hippo Bag or small skip on smaller jobs then it's hard to be competetive.

Does anyone have any suggestions for waste removal in my situation. Has anyone ever heard of grab lorries coming to take away dumpy bags of mixed waste? That could be a winner if I can find someone willing to do this..

Whilst I'm asking... should my next vehicle be a van or should I wait and save up for a flat bed tipper?

Thanks!

Dave
Bristol Landscaping Services

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Replies

  • PRO

    Hi David

    Welcome to LJN.

    Have you thought about fitting a tow bar and buying a trailer? Even when you upgrade to a van at a later date you will, I'm sure, find the trailer useful.

  • PRO

    More here: Waste removal

  • PRO

    Thanks Phil. Yes I have a tow bar already but where I live I would find it hard to store a trailer and negotiate the roads near my house.

  • If you had a 8x4 trailer with mesh sides you'd be fine for most jobs.

  • Its a bit of a catch 22 situation, where is that term from? you want to take on the larger more profitable work but dont have a big enough vehicle, but you dont want to pay out for a van until you have bigger, better jobs.
    Unless you can leave waste on site, unlikely for bigger jobs then you have to be able to take it away yourself, paying for someone else to collect it pretty much negates the extra cash youve earned doing the bigger job, as they will be charging you a premium for the privilege!
    Grab lorries are more expensive than skips unless you are sure you will fill it up, again unlikely unless it really is a huge job.
    I think a tipper would be overkill unless you specifically plan to target lots of jobs with waste, a SWB medium roof transit will take a surprising amount of crap if filled using the builders ton bags, which help to keep it neatish and easy to handle in and out.

  • PRO

    I think I was drawn to the tipper idea because some landscapers I worked for over a few years had one. Guess I need a van! It's far too stressful trying to work out of a car.

  • Nice one :-)  we all use words and phrases, and think nothing of it as we know what it means, but just now and again you think to yourself...... where did it actually come from, or what was its original meaning!

    Gary Smith said:

    Anthony - Catch 22 comes from a book of the same name by Joseph Heller, the phrase was never used before the book was published. A bomber pilot tries to claim he's insane to try to get grounded, the "catch 22" is that to fly and face death you would have to be insane therefore asking to be grounded proves you are sane so you can't be grounded.
    I'm a mine of useless information :-).

    Anthony @ JDC Maintenance said:

    Its a bit of a catch 22 situation, where is that term from?

  • PRO
    For small jobs with landscaping waste material (soil, rubble etc) we use friendly grab service who will pick up a dumpy bag. From memory it costs around £40 plus vat per bag.

    Otherwise we use a full grab service, skips, or remove ourselves with a tipper van or van plus trailer to an appropriate transfer station.
  • tow a chipper , chip on-site into a pile and they can use it on there garden (whats the term used for that then)?

    tipper and pay the council for commercial tipping : fact we are all going to have to charge people full price for waste removal now.

  • tow a chipper , chip on-site into a pile and they can use it on there garden (whats the term used for that then)?
    Re-cycling.

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