Your Hidden Waste Hauler Contract Problems: What they are and what you can do about them - Part 2
Most hauler contracts are written to ensure that haulers make money - and keep making more.
Typical hauler contracts:
Allow for unlimited price spikes
Have inaccurate service levels
Charges you for additional fees
Makes it nearly impossible to cancel
Has no provision for bad service
If your contract was not adjusted and has these default specifications, you will almost certainly pay more than you need to for your waste expenses.
Today, we’re going to talk about the last two contract specifications that cut into your bottom line.
Waste Contract is Nearly Impossible to Cancel
What’s worse than a bad contract? Being completely stuck in it.
There are two aspects of contracts that make them difficult to exit. First, most contracts automatically renew for long terms - usually five years. So you may realize you want to change your contract, but it can be almost impossible to do so if you are in the middle of a five year term.
Second, contract termination is de-incentivized since it typically includes hefty associated fees. On rare occasions, it may be worth it for your company to terminate their contract and pay the fee so that they can hire a cheaper (or more reliable) hauler. These fees are usually equal to the past six months of charges, which is likely no small amount.
If you do chose to terminate, you have to send a termination letter within a very specific time frame prior to your contact renewing. Most of the time, this termination letter has to arrive at your hauler no more than 180-90 days prior to your contract renewing.
You must send a certified letter - not an email - specifying that you are terminating the contract and/or cancelling the auto-renewal clause.
Cancelling the auto-renewal clause allows you to create a contract with the same vendor with more favorable terms.
Has no provision for bad service
When there are service issues, you should be able to get them resolved quickly and promptly.
When a hauler misses a pick-up, it should be easy to get in touch with them to resolve it. If they’re leaving stacks of garbage around the dumpsters or make a mess every time they service them, the hauler should only need one request to service more conscientiously. But this isn’t often the case.
Why pay someone for a service who is actually making your life (and your staff’s lives) more difficult? If you had multiple hauler problems with no resolution in sight, you need to know that you have an out if you need one.
A thorough contract will include steps for resolution - and what will happen if you continue to be dissatisfied with service levels.
You Don’t Have to Overpay for Waste Services
By default, your haulers are going to let these things happen to your contract. But you don’t have to let them. You can solve current problems and prevent new ones from happening - all it takes is effort, and some persistence.
We help companies across the nation find waste solutions and implement changes on their behalf. Don’t be part of the 95% of companies that are overspending on their waste disposal! Drop us a line to learn how you can fix your contract.
Your Hidden Waste Hauler Contract Problems: What they are and what you can do about them - Part 1
Most waste hauler contracts have hidden problems. Why? Because your haulers don’t have incentive to help you save.
And unfortunately, many vendors in the waste industry are out to make more and more profits. So they’re willing to have you sign contracts that help them do exact that. And many of you have unwittingly signed them.
A typical contract will include the following expensive specifications:
Allow for unlimited price spikes
Has inaccurate service levels
Charges you for additional fees
Makes it nearly impossible to cancel
Has no provision for bad service
Most people simply don’t know that they can ask for additional contract language. They don’t know that they can ask that certain clauses be removed. They don’t know they can edit existing language. So they don’t.
And as a result, they overspend by 10-30% on their waste every month.
This article will help you start saving on your waste expenses by identifying some of the most common contract problems. We’ll go over 1-3 today, and 4 and 5 later in the week.
(Psst! Want to quickly know how good your contract really is? Download our free Waste Hauler Scorecard!)
Price Spikes Allowed On Contract
This is a good example of a contract problem that requires additional language in order to fix. If your contract does not include language that prohibits or limits price hikes, you will almost certainly get them.
Price spikes can occur 1-4 times a year, at rates of 10-15% each time. Most haulers will only increase prices once a year, but some will chose to do so more. And if your contract doesn’t expressly prohibit this there’s nothing to stop them from taking advantage of the opportunity.
If price spikes compound over time, you will pay more than you should. If this happens at multiple properties in a portfolio, you can overpay by thousands of dollars. Don’t let that happen to you.
Take a look in the notes section in one of your contracts. Does it have notes that limit or completely eliminate price hikes? If not, scan the rest of your contract for any similar denotations.
You can read more about these waste issues and others right here.
Inaccurate Service Levels
Service levels tend to be “off” for two main reasons.
First, 70% of companies in the US are paying for too many pick-ups. Why? Because haulers err on the side of too many pickups since more pickups mean more revenue. The more trips to your property that they make, the more they get paid.
So when they’re first evaluating for your needed service levels, they have financial incentive to over-estimate your real needs. Some haulers do this intentionally. Others err on the side of too many pick-ups because too few pick-ups are going to cause major problems quickly.
Second, most haulers don’t tend to re-evaluate your real needs over time. When was the last time your hauler said they should drop service down to twice a week? Or that if you switch out equipment, you could have fewer pickups?
You may have had the correct service levels when your contract began, but your needs may have changed. There may be unnoticed savings opportunities at one or more of your properties because your services have not been thoroughly evaluated in a long, long time - or ever. (This is one of the major reasons why 90% of companies are paying too much for their waste services.)
Haulers simply don’t have the financial motivation to proactively find the solutions that are right for you. They’re there to pick up trash, and they know that more pickups means more revenue.
To make sure you have the right services, find an independent waste consultant who will objectively evaluate every waste stream and find where you’re currently overspending.
Contract Includes Additional Fees
Most haulers will pass on the cost any number of administrative and overage charges to you. A lot companies pay these outright because they think they have to. You don’t.
But unless your contract specifically caps or eliminates these fees, you will need to pay them.
Look for these on your current hauler contract:
Fuel/environment fees: This fee supposedly helps recoup the cost of gas, but is actually a huge profit center.
Recycling recovery fee: Covers the fees incurred by hauler to transfer recyclable, but again, is typically a profit center.
Minimum tonnage fees: Fee charged by the hauler (typically on roll-off or open-top accounts) when a container’s weight upon pickup is below a specific threshold.
Administrative fees: typically charged if a client elects to receive paper invoices instead of electronic delivery of invoices.
Regulatory Cost recovery fee: Some haulers, (like Waste Management) will charge this fee to cover costs in other regions - not necessarily yours. They explain it like this:
“This charge is not specifically tied to such costs to service your account, but instead helps us cover Waste Management’s enterprise-wide costs for host community fees, waste disposal taxes and similar charges to service all WM operating company customers in the United States and Canada, and to achieve an acceptable operating margin.” (From Waste Management, retrieved July 23, 2019.)
The regulatory cost recovery fee is not “tied to . . . your account.” In other words, you’re helping cover their costs to service other companies. Why should you pay for what you don’t benefit from?
You can reduce or eliminate all of these fees; you don’t have to pay them. But you have to do it prior to renewing a contract, or getting a new one. It’s extremely difficult to negotiate these fees in the middle of a contract.
Your Hidden Waste Problems are Costing You
Too many companies don’t realize how prices hikes, inaccurate service levels, and ancillary fees are costing them.
Price hikes are built into the fabric of the vast majority of waste contracts. Inaccurate service levels go unnoticed in most contracts. Ancillary fees are paid without question.
Take the time you need to take to carefully review your contract or contracts. You are likely sitting on significant savings.
Have you ever thoroughly reviewed your contract? Ever heard of any of these waste issues? Let me know in the comments below!
Top 3 Ways Most Commercial Companies Overpay on Waste - and How to Stop!
How would you feel if your landlord let you know that they had been overcharging you by 10% on rent for the past 3 years? What if they apologized and made good on their promise to reimburse you the thousands of dollars you are owed?
There’s a certain similarity between this fictitious landlord and your waste haulers. Your waste haulers have almost certainly been charging you 10-30% more than necessary. But they’re probably going to be the very last people to admit this, and there’s no way they’re going to reimburse you.
So what can you do? Hold them accountable. Stop doing these three things:
Not capping rate increases
Getting too many pick-ups
Not eliminating waste fees
These are issues we’ve fixed for many of our clients in the past 19 years, so we know that fixing these key issues will affect your bottom line positively.
Problem #1: No caps on rate increases on your waste hauler contract
Haulers, like all of us, like making profit. The problem is that most of them like doing it more than we think is fair. Haulers will raise their prices 1-4 times a year at a 10-15% increase each time! If you have multiple properties, this represents thousands of dollars in overspending.
Haulers can do this because there’s likely nothing in your current contract that limits these price hikes.
Solution: Attend to your contract. Pay attention to when your contract is up for renewal. Make sure that the “Notes” section on your contract includes price caps.
Different haulers will allow different rate caps. It depends on your region of the country and it often depends on how many competitors are in the area.
Problem # 2: Receiving Too Many Pick Ups from Your Waste Hauler.
70% of companies are getting too much service from their haulers. Why? Because haulers are compensated based on quantity of pick-ups. The more times they visit your locations, the more money they make.
So they tend to err on the side of too many pick-ups! We currently have the technology to monitor your fill levels to ensure you’re not receiving too much service. (This technology also lets us know if your hauler has missed service, and if you are due for reimbursement.)
Solution: Reduce the number of pick-ups at one of your locations. Test out how many you really need. Or, give us a call and let us do all the legwork!
Problem #3: Allowing ancillary fees on contracts.
Waste fees are fees like “administrative fees” or “waste cost recovery fees” that appear on your invoices. Most typical waste fees don’t have to be included on your contract.
And, like price hikes, if they’re not prohibited by your contract, there’s a good chance that you’ll get them on your invoices.
And we find that most waste hauling companies do exactly that.
Solution: Get all-inclusive, flat rates for your waste fees. When we negotiate client contracts, we include all fees and waste charges in one rate that is capped at a certain percentage growth. We allow the haulers to increase the flat rate at specific intervals in the contract term.
It’s fair to the haulers and it’s fair to our clients. The haulers can incrementally raise their prices to keep up with their own rising costs, but only within fair constraints. And our clients know exactly when and by how much their waste costs will rise, which really helps budgeting.
Solutions for Your Top Three Waste Problems
90% of companies have these waste problems at their locations - regardless of industry. These simply aren’t problems that most people are aware of.
But if you do the following, you will save yourself 10-30% on your waste expense every year:
Cap price increases
Reduce the number of pick-ups
Eliminate ancillary fees
Doing these three simple things will help protect your bottom line and prevent future overspending.
Have you ever tried one of these solutions for your waste management?
Real Stories: Saving on Waste Expenses {Free Download}
Waste reviews are, unfortunately, not common practice in most industries. As a result, most companies overspend by 10-30% every month on too much service, inflated rates, and inefficient waste equipment.
We’ve compiled the most common waste issues in an easy-to-download document that is interspersed with our client’s take on our process. It’s the real deal, and will hopefully help you understand how other companies just like yours have saved.
Many of you have likely wondered: “Can a waste audit really help me? Will it save me money? Will it work?”
Who better to answer these questions than our clients! Throughout this document, they'll share their thoughts on the waste savings journey.
They represent different industries, and each had waste issues unique to them. But they all share one thing in common: they suspected they could be overspending on their waste expenses and they chose to do something about it.
In this whitepaper, you’ll learn how companies just like you found hidden waste savings opportunities.
We’ll show you the three steps companies took in their savings journey:
“I could have hidden waste problems.”
“WCI can find savings.”
Savings achieved.
In the process, you'll learn what our waste review process was like for them, and how much they are saving or have saved as a result.
How We're Using Data to Help You Save Even More
We talk a lot around here about dumpsters, pickups, and service schedules.
If you’ve been following us for any length of time, you probably know that most US companies get too much service, and that most of them have no idea.
But what you may not know is that we now have a new way to quantify what we know by experience.
We’ve recently partnered with Compology, a company that collects data on dumpster usage. They’ve created special cameras to measure data from inside the dumpster.
Why is this so important? Because our clients stand to save even more.
Compology’s dumpster cameras give us the following data:
How many actual pickups vs expected pickups
The average fullness at pickup.
Recent pictures of fill levels
Contamination stats
This information helps us know what your service needs actually are - and how/if the hauler is filling those needs.
It helps us ensure you’re paying for the right service levels. It makes sure you don’t pay for pickups that didn’t happen. And it keeps us up to speed on fluctuating service needs.
Without this data on waste expenses, you’re driving blind - and you’re probably paying for it.
Like many of you, data drives the core of what we do: help people save on their waste expenses.
When we want to get the whole picture of a company’s waste management process, we go to the invoices and contracts. These documents tell us the details of service: how often garbage is supposed to picked up, how often a particular location gets overage fees, what equipment is onsite. They also tell us who you’re working with to get trash service, and how long you’ve contracted with the service provider.
All of this information helps us determine where you’re overspending.
But this traditional date plus the new data we have access to increases your waste opportunities even more.
You can save by not paying for a missed pickup that would otherwise go unnoticed. You can save when the data shows us you only need twice a week service instead of three times a week.
Better data means better savings opportunities.
How are you optimizing data in your business?
How to Renew Your Waste Hauler Contract
You should only renew your contract if you meet both of the following criteria. First, your contract may be about to expire. Most hauler contracts have a length of five years, then they automatically renew for another term. Most terms are a minimum of one year, but some contracts will renew for another five year term.
If you find yourself in the window of time prior to your contract renewing, you’re in luck! You have the freedom to evaluate whether there is better pricing or better service to be had.
Ensure your contract has these specifications, and you’ll maximize your savings opportunities.
Want to know exactly which clauses you should include in your contract?
Just give us your email address in the box below and we’ll send you a free PDF of our “Waste Contract Scorecard!”
You need to know for sure that your hauler has the best available pricing. You need to know that you are receiving the best price and the best service.
In this article, we will thoroughly examine the steps to renewing your waste hauler contract with your current vendor. (Looking to get a new contract?)
To get a new waste hauler contract with your current vendor, you’ll need to:
Cancel your auto-renewal clause.
Reach out to your sales accountant.
Create a new contract.
Carefully completing these steps will set you up for current savings and future opportunities.
Prior to Renewing a Waste Hauler Contract
Before you get a new contract with your current hauler, ask yourself these questions:
Do I know for sure that no better pricing is available from other area haulers?
Am I satisfied with the current vendor’s service record?
Is the current hauler easy to work with?
If the answer to any of these questions is no, now is not the time to renew your contract! You need to know for sure that your current hauler is actually the best option for you.
Cancel your auto-renewal clause.
Cancelling this clause will give you the time you need to create a new contract. If you don’t cancel this clause, your contract will almost certainly renew with your current terms. This is likely not ideal because your current contract probably guarantees you’ll overspend on your waste expenses. Most contracts don’t have clauses that limit price hikes, or ancillary fees. And they don’t typically include service provisions and term limits of 3 years. Have these specifics ensures you maximize your savings opportunities.
To make sure these clauses make it into your contract, you must cancel the auto-renewal clause so you have time to draw up a new one.
Reach out to your account manager.
You must also reach out to your account manager to let them know that you are creating a new contract with additional specifications and that you are cancelling the auto-renewal clause.
In our experience, it can be difficult to get in touch with your account manager. You may need to call the general customer service line to get in touch with them; they may not have a direct line (you may rightly be suspicious as to why that is). You will also want to follow up with an email that details what you are going to do. It is always critical to have this information in writing, so that if anything is later called into question you can point to your documentation.
Some account managers are not going to be pleased since they know your specifications will likely cut into possible profits. In the event that you encounter resistance, you may need to remind your hauler that you want to agree on a contract that is mutually beneficial - not just one sided. Assure them that they will still retain your business as long as the pricing is comparable to area service rates and quality of service remains high.
Set up a new waste contract.
In almost every contract we negotiate, we try to have the following clauses in the contract.
Language limiting price spikes. This is by far the biggest way you’ll save. Depending on which hauler you employ, they may agree to limiting raises in your rates to one or two a year, and capped by a certain percentage. It may require a bit of haggling, but in the long run this contract specification will can easily save you thousands of dollars at one location. Read more about contract problems and solutions here.
No auto renewal clause. Eradicating this clause will give you the time you need to evaluate the very best pricing and service options for your waste disposal needs. It gives you the freedom to review and change contract specifications before the same old (often expensive) stipulations automatically renew.
A service provision. If you’ve ever had service issues at any one of your sites, you probably understand why this clause is so critical. If your hauler fails to perform, you need an easy out of your contract.
Short terms. We highly recommend getting three year contract terms instead of five year terms. You need the freedom to review your market waste disposal options as frequently as possible so that you can take advantage of better pricing. Shorter terms allow you to do just that, thus saving you money.
Limited or eliminated ancillary clauses. There’s no law saying that fees have to appear on your invoices. We prefer to have them included in the rate since your base rates are hopefully already capped. It’s really hard for your hauler to bump up your fuel charge if your contract prohibits you from having one.
4 Reasons You Can Benefit From a Medical Waste Review
If you generate medical waste, you’re almost certainly paying more than you should for it’s disposal - just like most companies out there.
Check out the infographic below or click here to download this resource.
How to Turn Recurring Waste Cost Into Recurring Waste Savings
You can turn your recurring waste costs into recurring waste savings.
How? Delegate your waste management process to an independent reviewer.
Delegation is critical to your success as a leader. After all, as Eli Broad put it, “The inability to delegate is one of the biggest problems I see with managers at all levels.”
Delegation lets you pour more of your energy and time into big-impact priorities. For most people, trash simply does not fall into that category.
This is why one of the key components of our model intentional takes waste management off of your plate. You have better things to do. So do your staff.
Delegating the your waste management to a waste consultant means that you and your staff won’t have to:
constantly review invoices for billing errors
try to find new ways to save
waste hours at a time with hauler customer service.
get trapped in an ineffective contract.
Most companies in the US are doing exactly this, and they don’t realize there’s a better way. They don’t know what they don’t know. They also don’t realize how much capital they’re losing on a yearly basis because of poor quality contracts and service.
Leave waste management to the experts.
Covid hasn’t given more companies extra resources - it’s drained them. You and your staff may be up to your eyeballs in crises and are just trying to stay afloat.
You can protect your time by delegating things that aren’t urgent. And you can protect your resources by ensuring your waste management is always cost-effective and effective. When companies bring us on to review and monitor their waste management, we:
Ensure they’re paying fair rates.
Prevent future price hikes
Periodically review less expensive service options
Review invoices for errors.
Ensure your service frequency and equipment is cost-effective
The result? You pay the best rates for the best service. And when things do go wrong (when service is missed, or when there are billing issues), we handle them on your behalf.
In fact, this is one of the things that our clients most appreciate about us. Customer service issues can be tiresome and frustrating. We know who to call and what to say in order to get your issues resolved quickly and fairly - and we’ve done it for the past 18 years.
You need a waste ally - someone who knows the industry and can show you where your savings opportunities are. You don’t need to have the time or expertise to do it yourself. You can delegate the entire process to a trusted industry expert.
Future Savings Opportunities are Never Missed.
After your initial review process is completed, we continue to periodically review your account for other savings opportunities.
We track all contract expiration dates. Prior to your contract’s expiration, we evaluate your market to see if other less expensive haulers are available.
We renegotiate expiring contracts. We ensure that you get the best terms available to you. We know exactly what should - and should not - be in a new contract, and we make sure that’s exactly what you get.
We handle the negotiate process for new contracts. If a better, less expensive vendor becomes available at the right time, we handle all the negotiations and make sure you get the ideal contract terms.
So on top of the 10-30% reduction in waste expenses every month, companies can continue to expect support to solve and prevent future waste disposal problems.
Put waste savings on auto-pilot.
Having a waste ally allows you to find waste savings automatically. During the initial audit period, we require minimal documents and interaction with your team.
Our thorough review happens entirely off-site, and we continually review your account for more savings opportunities.
The entire process maximizes your resources. We protect your time and your investment in the review process, and our results are reliable - 90% of companies we work with see a reduction in waste expenses.
What questions do you have about putting your waste savings on auto-pilot?
"How often do haulers increase their rates?" (Copy)
If your contract doesn’t include rate caps, it’s not a matter of when and if you will receive price increases, it’s a matter of when, how much and how egregious the price increase will be.
You can expect your hauler to increase prices up to two times each year, by as much as 15% each time. In the worst cases, we’ve seen up to four prices hikes in one year. Most haulers will only increase your rates once a year, but if there’s nothing stopping them from increasing more frequently, chances are they will.
Take the screenshot below, for example. This Republic customer’s rates increased by 200% over the past two years.
They were paying $275.42 for service. Now they’re paying almost $300 more - $573.15. That’s a 200% increase at a single location! If this increase occurred in a portfolio of many locations, this client would in effect be overpaying by thousands - something they could have prevented by just a few additional lines on their contract.
This is why we’re so intent on solving every contract issue you have. When we lock in your in your price, we eliminate the possibility that this will happen to you. Your staff will be able to budget with confidence for the entire term of your contract since your rate increases will be capped. And we’ll be there to hold the hauler accountable if they “forget” the price cap.
Are Some Price Spikes Legitimate?
As time passes, the cost of providing services increases. Fuel prices tend to rise over time, disposal charges at the landfill increase, as do the price of dumpster and garbage trucks. It’s reasonable for your hauler to increase prices to match the cost of doing service. But price spikes often go beyond these allowances.
How do we know? We know how haulers calculate their costs. To service your locations, your hauler incurs the following charges. We would expect for them to pass on some of the cost of these fees, but we find that they typically pass on the majority of them - and how much is added in on top of that.
Disposal cost to drop off waste materials at disposal facility. Waste disposal facilities (landfills) charge for the garbage they receive. Haulers must pay this fee, and this fee can be passed onto you in its entirety.
Cost of hauler equipment. Dumpsters, garbage trucks, and compactors are expensive to make and they can be extremely expensive to service. The trash haulers isn’t gentle on equipment. Dumpsters lose tops. Dumpster container bottoms become rusted. Compactor parts stop working. Since most companies rent the dumpsters or compactors from their waste hauler company, the haulers have to buy the equipment and service it.
Cost for servicing account. It’s expensive for haulers to drive their trucks to and from your locations. Haulers have to take into account employee compensation, the fuel charges, and the cost of maintaining the trucks. Haulers will typically divide up the number of locations they have to service to figure out how much to charge each customer.
This means you aren’t necessarily charged exactly what it takes to get from your location to another; it’s presumably divided up equally among those who are on the same route. However, it must be said, there’s no external oversight on this. Most companies trust that their haulers are accurately and fairly charging them.
Haulers should make a profit doing what they do - it’s important work! But they don’t need to overcharge simply because they can.
Want to know more about how you’re overspending?
Get premier access to our on-demand webinar. Fill out the information below and we’ll redirect you to the video so that you can start watching immediately!
"How do I Renegotiate my Waste Hauler Contract?"
Prior to a renegotiation, you need to:
Know what a good contract has in it,
Evaluate your own contract,
Decide what you want to change,
Know what market rates for services are.
Set yourself up for success, and spend some time gathering some critical waste disposal information.
See all of our resources on how to stop overspending!
Before you Begin the Renegotiation Process
You’ll need to know what your current contract length is. If your contract is a almost up, consider including some service or pricing addendum in the next contract. It’s much easier to negotiate a renewing contract than a current one. (This is also why those of you with month-to-month contracts actually have the best shot at renegotiating!)
And it’s also important to keep in mind that it’s incredibly difficult to renegotiate a contract that has quite a bit of time left in it. It’s not impossible, but it’s not something that we recommend doing. Haulers are simply not as likely to agree to new terms simply because you want them - there has to be some benefit in it for them as well. And since you’ve already signed a contract with them, they know they can just tell you “no” and go on their merry way.
However, if your contract is about to expire, you have some leverage. The haulers know that if they don’t give you at least some of what you want, you’ll likely switch to a different provider. So they have incentive to bend a little more than they would otherwise.
Determine if your contract is month to month. If it is you have more leverage and should get pricing from 1-2 other waste haulers if possible to determine the market pricing in your area.
Know What a Good Contract Looks Like
Most people don’t really know what a good contract includes. A good contract is one that has terms that are fair to the client as well as the hauler.
Good contracts:
Limit price spikes
Has accurate service levels
Limits ancillary fees
Is easy to cancel
Has provisions for poor service
A contract that includes these things will actually prevent waste headaches before they start. If you have a haulers who keeps missing pick-ups, you’ll already have a penalty in place. If a hauler tries to raise prices above a certain percentage, you can point to your contract and kindly say, “Not today, amigo.”
In short, you’ll have immediate recourse for when things do go wrong.
Download our free Waste Hauler Scorecard!
Know What You Want to Change About Your Current Contract
Make a list of things you want to change about your current contract. Some of these things may include:
Service levels (the number of pick-ups made by the hauler per week)
Term (the length of the contract)
Price Increase Caps - language that limits or eradicates price hikes
Fee Caps - language that limits or eliminates ancillary fees.
Auto-renewal - cancelling your auto renewal puts you in the driver’s seat when it comes to whom you entrust your waste disposal.
Now, prioritize that list. You have to be prepared to not get everything you want - especially if you’re trying to renegotiate in the middle of a term. Having clear top priorities will help you let smaller issues go, if need be.
Know the Waste Market Prices
Even if you’re not intending to switch haulers, it can be exceedingly helpful to have a few bids from other area haulers. Some bids may be higher than your current service fees, but some are bound to be lower.
Knowing waste market prices will give you an additional bargaining chip. Unfortunately, a lot of times haulers are banking that you don’t know what other haulers charge. If you’re blind, you’re more likely to accept the prices they’re charging you.
But if you know market prices, you’ll have a pretty good idea about what’s fair and, well, what isn’t.
If you know what you don’t like about your contract, what a good contract includes, and what area haulers charge, you’ll be well armed to renegotiate your contract.
Renegotiating Your Contract Is a Critical Part of Your Waste Expense Reduction Strategy
Your contract can play a huge part in protecting you and your bottom line from waste expense increases. Renegotiating your contract can be time consuming, but you’ll reap the benefits for years to come.
Ignoring waste problems don’t make them go away, unfortunately. Strategizing about how to stop overspending on your waste disposal and coming up with a plan of attack can yield surprising savings - and peace of mind!
Take a step towards savings: schedule a free consult today.
How to Renew Your Waste Hauler Contract
You should only renew your contract if you meet both of the following criteria. First, your contract may be about to expire. Most hauler contracts have a length of five years, then they automatically renew for another term. Most terms are a minimum of one year, but some contracts will renew for another five year term. If you find yourself in the window of time prior to your contract renewing, you’re in luck! You have the freedom to evaluate whether there is better pricing or better service to be had.
Ensure your contract has these specifications, and you’ll maximize your savings opportunities. Want to know exactly which clauses you should include in your contract? Just give us your email address in the box below and we’ll send you a free PDF of our “Waste Contract Scorecard!”
Second, you need to know for sure that your hauler has the best available pricing. You need to know that you are receiving the best price and the best service.
In this article, we will thoroughly examine the steps to renewing your waste hauler contract with your current vendor. (Looking to get a new contract?)
To get a new waste hauler contract with your current vendor, you’ll need to:
Cancel your auto-renewal clause.
Reach out to your sales accountant.
Create a new contract.
In the next article, we’ll look at how to the next step of renegotiating your contract.
Carefully completing these steps will set you up for current savings and future opportunities.
Prior to Renewing a Waste Hauler Contract
Before you get a new contract with your current hauler, ask yourself these questions:
Do I know for sure that no better pricing is available from other area haulers?
Am I satisfied with the current vendor’s service record?
Is the current hauler easy to work with?
If the answer to any of these questions is no, now is not the time to renew your contract! You need to know for sure that your current hauler is actually the best option for you.
Cancel your auto-renewal clause.
Cancelling this clause will give you the time you need to create a new contract. If you don’t cancel this clause, your contract will almost certainly renew with your current terms. This is likely not ideal because your current contract probably guarantees you’ll overspend on your waste expenses. Most contracts don’t have clauses that limit price hikes, or ancillary fees. And they don’t typically include service provisions and term limits of 3 years. Have these specifics ensures you maximize your savings opportunities.
To make sure these clauses make it into your contract, you must cancel the auto-renewal clause so you have time to draw up a new one.
Reach out to your account manager.
You must also reach out to your account manager to let them know that you are creating a new contract with additional specifications and that you are cancelling the auto-renewal clause.
In our experience, it can be difficult to get in touch with your account manager. You may need to call the general customer service line to get in touch with them; they may not have a direct line (you may rightly be suspicious as to why that is). You will also want to follow up with an email that details what you are going to do. It is always critical to have this information in writing, so that if anything is later called into question you can point to your documentation.
Some account managers are not going to be pleased since they know your specifications will likely cut into possible profits. In the event that you encounter resistance, you may need to remind your hauler that you want to agree on a contract that is mutually beneficial - not just one sided. Assure them that they will still retain your business as long as the pricing is comparable to area service rates and quality of service remains high.
Set up a new waste contract.
In almost every contract we negotiate, we try to have the following clauses in the contract.
Language limiting price spikes. This is by far the biggest way you’ll save. Depending on which hauler you employ, they may agree to limiting raises in your rates to one or two a year, and capped by a certain percentage. It may require a bit of haggling, but in the long run this contract specification will can easily save you thousands of dollars at one location. Read more about contract problems and solutions here.
No auto renewal clause. Eradicating this clause will give you the time you need to evaluate the very best pricing and service options for your waste disposal needs. It gives you the freedom to review and change contract specifications before the same old (often expensive) stipulations automatically renew.
A service provision. If you’ve ever had service issues at any one of your sites, you probably understand why this clause is so critical. If your hauler fails to perform, you need an easy out of your contract.
Short terms. We highly recommend getting three year contract terms instead of five year terms. You need the freedom to review your market waste disposal options as frequently as possible so that you can take advantage of better pricing. Shorter terms allow you to do just that, thus saving you money.
Limited or eliminated ancillary clauses. There’s no law saying that fees have to appear on your invoices. We prefer to have them included in the rate since your base rates are hopefully already capped. It’s really hard for your hauler to bump up your fuel charge if your contract prohibits you from having one.
5 Ways You're Overpaying for Dumpsters (and How to Stop!)
Of the hundreds we’ve worked with over the past 18 years, we estimate that over 60% of our clients have benefited from equipment changes.
You’re overspending on your dumpsters.
How do we know? Because we’ve seen it over and over again with our clients.
Of the hundreds we’ve worked with over the past 18 years, we estimate that over 60% of our clients have benefited from equipment changes.
Prior to us coming on board, these companies were paying thousands of dollars for commercial waste equipment. But they weren’t being used efficiently! They didn’t know - but they do now.
They stopped overpaying, and you can too.
You may need:
fewer dumpsters
a compactor
more dumpsters (with fewer pickups)
larger containers
smaller containers
How will you know what your true needs are unless you get a waste audit?
Let’s take some time to dive into each of these categories. At the end of this blog post, you’ll know a few ways you’re likely overpaying for waste containers.
You Need Fewer Dumpsters
You need fewer waste or recycling dumpsters at your locations.
Are your dumpsters full each time they are serviced? Does your dumpster usage differ seasonally? Do you need every dumpster at every location?
What you don’t know is costing you
Your ideal service levels are those where you are receiving the right number of picks-ups for each dumpster. If your dumpsters aren’t full when they are picked up, you’re paying for wasted space.
Stop paying for inefficient equipment levels
If your dumpsters have different usage rates based on tourist season, for instance, you need a contract that reflects that. Why pay for additional services that you can’t use?
We often remedy this situation by evaluating your unique location needs. First, we’ll scour your invoice history. Do you have any overages? If so, how many? If you have none at all, that can be an indicator that your dumpsters are not being used at maximum capacity.
If you have a waste container that is charged by weights, we’ll look at your tonnage history. If you consistently have low container rates, this means that either you need few containers - or that you ended fewer pick-ups.
Our recommendations will take into account pricing from other market providers and your waste hauler contract specifications.
We’ll find the solution that’s right for you. And what saves you the most money.
(Psst! Equipment is only one way you’re overpaying on waste disposal. Your contracts are costing you. )
You may need a waste compactor
There are many reasons you may need a compactor, but these are the top two:
You’re a higher trash generator. Does an 8-yard dumpster picked up every day meet your service needs? If you’re generating more trash, you need equipment that can perform accordingly.
You generate food waste. You don’t need us to tell you this, but food can reek if it’s left out too long. Compactors help contain liquid and smells, keeping your location tidy and clean.
A waste compactor crushes garbage so that fewer pick-ups are necessary. The most frequently used size is 30 cubic yards. It requires an investment upfront, but it can save quite a bit of money over time.
We typically recommend compactors to clients who produce large amounts of waste and those who have space at their site.
You may need more dumpsters
You need more dumpsters but with fewer pickups.
As contrary as it sounds, you may be in a situation where it’s cheaper to pay for additional dumpsters but fewer pick-ups.
Assuming your dumpsters are being emptied when they are completely full, adding more dumpsters can be a cheaper option than paying for more pick-ups.
This solutions depends on:
What your haulers charge for pick-ups
What your waste haulers charge for dumpster rentals
If you are facing a situation where you have increased usage at a particular site or multiple site, schedule a 15 minute Discovery Call with us today.
You can’t afford not to know what options are best for you, and what money you can save.
You need larger waste containers
On the other hand, you may have the opposite waste disposal problem. Instead of needing more dumpsters, you may just need larger ones.
Suppose you have three 6-yard waste dumpsters on your site location that are picked-up 3 times a week. Our audit finds that these dumpsters are not used to capacity and that you could instead install 2 8-yard waste containers instead.
The larger size will allow you to decrease service to once a week. The rent for the larger dumpsters will be more expensive, but you’ll save more over time because you’ll be paying for fewer pick-ups.
You need smaller waste containers
More companies need this solution - and they have no idea! As a result, they’re overspending by hundreds if not thousands of dollars each year.
How to tell when you may need a smaller container
If your dumpsters are not full when serviced, you may need to downsize the containers. For each one of our audits, we get in touch with every site manager and go over waste and recycling details. We ask questions about current service levels and pick-up frequency. We ask about the equipment they have on site.
We ask these things to ensure that we have accurate information. Hauler invoices sometimes say one thing, but the reality may be something completely different!
How to tell when small waste containers really are a solution
We also find it invaluable to talk with those who have day-to-day knowledge of your current waste management process. We’ve found that they often have information that allows us to tailor our recommendations to the real needs of that location.
For instance, when our senior analyst will often ask “I’m thinking about “X” solution for this particular problem. Have you all ever tried that before? Would that work for your location from your perspective?”
Sometimes the site manager will give us really good reasons why that idea may or may not work. Maybe there’s a construction issue we don’t know about. Maybe there’s a vendor issue we haven’t heard of.
Finding out about these things from those on the ground is an invaluable part of our process.
Smaller containers vs. fewer pickups
Some of you may be asking, couldn’t you just get fewer pickups instead of pulling a few dumpsters?
The short answer? It depends. When we evaluate a location, we weigh the benefits of getting smaller containers vs. keeping the current containers and instead getting fewer pickups.
We do the math, and we figure out which solution is right for you and your locations.
Smaller trash dumpsters can mean big savings
Suppose you have four 8 yard dumpsters, but we find that they’re only half-full when they’re picked up. So long as there are no seasonal usage issues to keep in mind, we would likely recommend that you remove two of those dumpsters. Why pay for what you’re not using?
You could keep the same pick-up schedule; but you’d be paying significantly less.
Solve your waste problems today!
Solve your waste problems starting today. 90% of businesses are overpaying on waste - and you’re likely one of them.
But you can take the steps toward savings today!
Let us evaluate your locations to see if you need:
fewer dumpsters
a compactor
more dumpsters (with fewer pickups)
larger containers
smaller containers
You won’t pay us anything unless we find savings.
Schedule a 15 minute Discovery Call with us, and we’ll show how you can save.
How to Get a New Waste Contract
You may find yourself at the point of needing a new waste contract.
Maybe you have just had enough of your hauler and their terrible service. Maybe you’ve realized that you’re paying ridiculous rates. Maybe you’re sick and tired of battling the same issues over and over again.
Whatever the reason, you’re officially done and you want out.
You’ll need to:
Consider whether you actually can cancel your waste contract.
Cancel your auto-renewal clause
Compare bids
Let your current hauler know you are terminating service
Getting a new hauler can seem like a daunting process, but these step-by-step instructions below will show you exactly what to do.
Consider whether you can cancel your waste contract.
Most waste hauler contracts have 3-5 year terms. To cancel without a incurring an exorbitant fee, you will need to be in the last 3-6 months of your contract.
If you find yourself in this position, congratulations! You ‘l be able to get a new waste hauler soon.
However, if you’re not nearing the end of your contract, you’ll need to carefully consider whether it’s worth terminating the contract and incurring the associated fee. Usually, this fee is the average of the past six months worth of invoices - which you have to pay all at once!
In some cases, it may actually be worth it for you to consider paying the termination fee. Ask yourself: is my staff spending too much of their time trying to rectify issues? Are my residents too fed up? What are the other ways that I’m incurring financial loss due to these continued issues?
Even if you can’t get out of your contract right away, definitely cancel the auto-renewal clause as we describe below. That will set you up for successfully ending your contract when your current contract permits.
Cancel your auto-renewal clause.
Most contracts will automatically renew for an additional term of 3-5 years. When this happens, you’ll be stuck with your current contract and the same hauler, which is likely not what you want.
Other contracts may only renew for a month-to-month with the same terms - you’ll need to check your contracts and see what yours specify.
You’ll need to send a letter (yes, through the mail) to notify your hauler of intent to cancel this clause. Make sure to send it certified mail so that you have proof of its delivery so the hauler can’t say they “lost” it.
It’s worth noting that once you cancel this clause, it doesn’t necessarily mean that you won’t get a new contract with the hauler. It just means that you have the freedom to look for another hauler to employ.
Compare Waste Hauler Bids
To find other area haulers, try googling “waste haulers near me.” Contact them and ask them to provide bids for servicing your locations. You’ll need to tell them:
The number of locations you have
The types of equipment at each site and their size
How frequently each site and equipment should get serviced
Most waste sales representatives will get back to you with estimates in under a week.
You’ll want to go over your list of service issues or questions with the haulers and see what their responses are. Some may be a bit cagey about their service reliability. Others may not care to limit their price hikes. Asking questions will root out the bad apples.
Let the best vendor know that you’d like to employ them starting on a specific date. Make sure to coordinate your waste schedule with your old and new waste vendors so that you don’t have a service gap!
Your new vendor will then send you a new contract. Look over it carefully - does it include all the language it needs to? Does it prohibit price hikes or cap them at a specified, annual percentage? Does it eliminate or cap ancillary fees?
Since you have at least one other bid from an area hauler, you have a pretty good idea of the market rates for waste services. You can use this information transparently with the hauler you’re negotiating with.
The hauler’s aren’t guaranteed your business until the new contract is signed, and you can go elsewhere, if necessary. So they have incentive to work with you!
Terminate the Old Service Provider
You will need to terminate per your contract specifications. Usually, you will need to send a certified letter to them informing them that you are terminating the contract and that they will need to remove their equipment by a certain date.
You’ll need to make a note of when the new service provider is dropping off their equipment, and when the old service provide will remove theirs. You don’t want to have a gap in service or too many dumpsters at your site!
Set Yourself up for Success with a New Waste Hauler Contract!
Follow these steps carefully, and you’ll be able to get a new waste contract with a hauler who is fairly priced and reliable. You, your staff, and those you serve all deserve to have trash service that isn’t a constant issue or headache! You’re well on your way to eliminating this sometimes aggravating problem.
What persistent issues are you having with your waste hauler right now? Let me know in the comments below.
Utility and Telecom Audit [Free Download]
80% of companies across the US are overspending on their utility and telecom expenses.
Why be one of them?
In a time when most companies are scrambling to try to cut expenses, a telecom audit may be the perfect way for you to start saving on recurring expenses.
In this free download, you’ll learn:
4 reasons you’re a great candidate for an audit
4 hidden utility and telecom problems you likely have
What a utility and telecom audit is
How much you could save with a utility audit
We’ve distilled all of our industry knowledge into a few short sections for your convenience.
How Hauler Contracts Make You Overpay on Waste Expenses: Part 2
What if news broke tomorrow morning that you didn’t actually have to pay your mortgage? That somehow, a swanky lawyer somewhere figured out that most Americans were not actually obligated to pay their mortgage?
What if news broke tomorrow morning that you didn’t actually have to pay your mortgage? That somehow, a swanky lawyer somewhere figured out that most Americans were not actually obligated to pay their mortgage?
You’d probably be elated at first. But give it a day or two, and you’d probably start thinking, “Man, think of how much we could have saved if we had known this two years ago!”
At the risk of bursting your bubble, you definitely have to pay your mortgage this month. But you don’t necessarily have to be trapped into paying your hauler invoices.
Read Part 1 of this series here!
It’s all in what your contract stipulates. We’ve helped a lot of companies significantly reduce or completely eliminate their ancillary waste fees. You don’t have to include them on your contract, and if they’re not on your contract, you don’t have to pay them.
I’ll show you what I mean. Let’s look at some common contract fees that can be reduced or eliminated.
Your Hauler Invoice: Deconstructed
Take a look at your most recent hauler invoice. You’ll likely see a few fees listed near the bottom of your invoice, like this one.
You’ll notice there are three fees listed in the left hand column: a container service plan, a fuel/environmental charge and a regulatory cost recovery charge.
These are just three examples of waste fees that can be reduced or avoided altogether on your contract.
Pull out your most recent invoice, and see which of the following fees you’re being charged.
Want to stop overpaying? Download our free Guide to Reducing Your Waste Expenses!
The Most Common Waste Invoice Fees
There are dozens of waste fees that can appear on your invoices, but I’m going to focus on the ones you’re most likely to see.
Container Service Plan: This is a fee that was automatically added to most Waste Management Accounts a few years ago. Enrollment in this plan (involuntary though it may be) allows you to replace your container ev as necessary. But most people don’t need to replace their garbage container frequently - some of our customers have containers that over 5 years old and still look fine.
So do you really need to be a part of this plan? Probably not.
Container Refresh fee: This one is specific to one of the biggest haulers out there, Republic. Republic has a fee called a “Container Refresh” fee that allows the customer to get a no-cost swap out of their container every 2 years. Which sounds great - if your container gets rusted out, you can replace it for free.
But most containers are good for much longer than that. This is a good example of a service that seems like it’s there to serve you, but is actually in the haulers best interest. Haulers wouldn’t offer it if they didn’t profit from it. They know most of their customers will pay $10 a month for a service they will never use.
Fuel/environmental fee: Almost everyone gets this charge on their invoice. Basically, the hauler is charging you for the gas it takes to get to your site and deliver your trash to the dump. But here’s the thing - they charge everyone on their route a fuel fee. They are more than recouping the cost of gas.
And those fuel charges add up. The location that got the invoice above is being charged almost $60 a month, or $720 a year. Supposing this is a three year contract, that’s $2160 they could be saving!
Recycling recovery fee: This fee is charged by the hauler to transfer your recyclable material from your site to the drop off site. You may rightly ask, “Well, aren’t they charging me already for fuel? What exactly does this fee cover?” Herein lies the problem. This charge often isn’t actually covering anything - it’s just another fee that the haulers often tack on because they can.
Minimum tonnage fees: The hauler will charge you this fee when the containers weight is below a specific threshold. These fees typically only apply to roll-off or open-top accounts. In other words, they are charging you for not having enough garbage in the container.
Basically, when you incur this fee, the hauler is saying “I made up this rule, and you broke it, so you have to pay.” The dump site does not charge a minimum fee - this is just something the hauler makes up because, well, they can.
Psst! See all of our resources on how to stop overspending!
Administrative fees: Typically charged if a client elects to receive paper invoices instead of electronic delivery of invoices. Most of the time, this administrative fee is pretty small - less than ten dollars per month. But small does not equal fair! You shouldn’t pay a penny more than you need to on your waste disposal.
Regulatory Cost recovery fee: Some haulers, (like Waste Management) will charge this fee to cover costs in other regions - not necessarily yours. Your fees go towards paying other people’s garbage disposal.
You Don’t Have to Overpay on Contract Fees
The fees in the list above - and a whole lot more that we haven’t mentioned - are not required to be in your contract. Local and state governments don’t mandate these; they exist because your hauler wants to make more money.
If you aren’t interested in overpaying anymore, fill out our contact form! We’d love to hear from you. Or, let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
Free Access: Mini E-Course, "Your 5 Hidden Waste Problems"
When was the last time you heard someone complain about their waste contract? Probably never, right?
This is because most people don’t see the waste problems right under their own nose.
They don’t know they have hidden waste problems - and chances are that you’re one of them.
This is exactly why we created this free mini course. We spell out exactly what you should look for to save.
Check out the first video of the series below!
These issues can steal thousands of dollars from your bottom line, but they can absolutely be prevented.
This course is the first of its kind and is designed for busy professionals who want to save on their company’s waste expenses.
Why this free course is necessary
90% of companies nationwide are overspending on waste by 10-30% every month. Why? Because they don’t know how they’re overspending.
Not many people have the time or expertise to carefully review their waste and recycling contracts before they sign them. You have more important things to do during your day, right?
And even fewer people know what to look for on those contracts - and when they’re hiring a hauler, or renegotiating a current contract.
But there’s another reason these problems are hidden. It’s because most haulers are not going out of their way to charge fairly and set up honest contracts. Haulers are out to make a profit, and they will sometimes go to extremes to ensure they retain your business.
In the course, we talk about how having automatic renewal clauses makes it difficult for you to change vendors. We talk about how not capping price hikes will make you overpay. We talk about how you actually aren’t required to pay ancillary fees.
We take a behind the scenes look at how haulers try to pull fast ones. And we show you what you can do about it.
How this course is delivered
One section of this 7-part course is delivered to your email inbox every three days. At the end of the course, you’ll receive a link with access to all of the videos and additional PDFs so that you can easily and permanently access the course.
This course is:
Easy. We break down concepts and make it clear how each problem can impact your bottom line.
Convenient. We’ll email you once every three days, so you can view the videos at your convenience. No rush, and no deadlines.
Completely free. We’ve distilled 18 years of waste experience in this course and you can access it all for free.
And if you sign up right now, we’ll include an additional free PDF with even more savings tips!
Click here to sign up >>
Your Waste Hauler Contract is Garbage - Here's How to Fix It
You’re overspending on your waste. We’re 90% sure.
You’re overspending on your waste. We’re 90% sure, in fact.
How do we know? We’ve worked with hundreds of companies in the past seventeen years, and we realized that 90% of them had waste disposal problems they didn’t know about.
What you don’t know is costing you.
Most of the overspending can be completely eliminated. How? By fixing your waste hauler contract.
All of these common problems can be prevented by having the right waste service agreement:
Waste hauler price hikes allowed
No recourse for waste service issues
Waste service contract auto-renewal
Lengthy contract terms
Ancillary fees allowed
Fix these things, and you’ll likely save upwards of 20% on your waste spend.
Psst! Learn more about your top 5 hidden waste problems.
Let’s examine what your issues are in each of these categories - and what your solution possibilities are.
Waste hauler price hikes must be eradicated
Haulers will increase their prices by up to 10% at least once a year. We’ve seen haulers that will increase them 4 times a year.
When you set up your contract, they calculate their profit margin by including these price hikes.
Over a number of years, this pricing compounds. Say you’ve employed a hauler for four years. You started paying them $1,000 a month. With rate increases, you could be paying as much $1,500 a month or more by the time your term ends. That’s a 50% increase!
Prevent price hikes by including language in your contract that caps or limits them. It’s unlikely that the hauler will agree to completely eradicating them; after all expenses do tend to go up over time. But you can limit the increases - and in doing that, make budgeting simpler.
Ensure recourse for waste service issues
When waste and recycling goes wrong, it doesn’t go unnoticed. Visitors or residents on your property are going to take note. So resolving - and preventing - these issues is critical.
What does your contract specify about missed service or service that is performed poorly? If you don’t have language about this in your waste hauler contract, you’re leaving yourself open to some gnarly problems.
We have the time and knowledge to keep your haulers in line. If there are continued issues with your hauler and their service, you need to know that you have an out if you need one. Many contracts will include a poor performance clause, but not many companies have the expertise or time needed to hold companies accountable.
At least four communication touches have to happen before an issues is resolved. This amounts to at least 15 minutes for each waste issue. I actually find that it takes me closer to 45 total minutes to fully resolve each issue.
You can’t afford to spend this amount of time on a waste or billing issue - and neither can your staff.
We are our clients waste ally. When service issues arise, we address them on your behalf and make sure full resolution is attained. You and your staff don’t need more to do.
This is part of the reason why Vic Nussbaum of Southern foods wrote of his relief that he no longer has to manage his waste disposal issues: “Your thoroughness allowed me to spend time ‘managing’ the operations here at Southern Foods, instead of ‘managing’ our waste bills.”
Your time is your greatest asset - and we’re passionate about making sure yours is protected.
Eliminate waste service contract auto-renewal
You’re making your hauler rich by not eliminating your auto-renewal clause.
Most haulers are betting on the fact that you’re not going to remember when your contract expires three or five years from now. They know that if you do, you may choose to go with a different hauler, or start changing your contract. So they, in effect, limit the possibility of that happening.
Your contract will automatically renew without your input. So we’ve seen a lot of our customers get stuck with a service that may or may not be ideal.
Waste needs often change over time, and waste service levels may need adjusting. Your waste market may change as well. More haulers may be available in your area than before. You may have the option to secure lower rates and more favorable terms with another hauler.
The language often looks like this:
Allowing your contract to auto-renew doesn’t allow you a chance to review what is really best for your company.
Cancel your auto-renewal clause. Or let us do it for you!
When we cancel the autorenewal clauses for our clients, it allows us the opportunity to find better pricing or to renegotiate new contracts, both of which contributes to thousands of dollars in savings over time. Our clients never overpay for their waste and recycling spend.
Shorten waste contract terms
Shorter contract terms allow you to more frequently evaluate your contract and service needs.
To put it another way: the longer your contract is, the fewer opportunities you have to analyze your best options.
Why? Market rates change. New vendors become available. You don’t need to lock yourself into a contract more than three years. Otherwise, you’re likely putting yourself in a position where you’re overspending.
You’re overpaying on your waste spend because your contract term is preventing you from getting perspective.
Limit your contract term length to three years. The norm is five years - and too much can change in that time. Leave yourself room to change when necessary.
We manage our clients contracts and track expiration dates closely. It’s one less thing our clients have to think about. They can rest easy knowing that we’re on the lookout for better options when they arise. We present solutions and implement them - and you get the benefit to your bottom line.
Eliminate ancillary waste hauler fees
We eliminate or reduce fees like the following on most of our client’s contracts - like Rhonda’s!
Here are some examples of these fees:
Container Service Plan: Enrollment in this plan (involuntary though it may be) allows you to replace your container as necessary. But most people don’t need to replace their garbage container frequently - some of our customers have containers that over 5 years old and still look fine.
Container Refresh fee: Republic has a fee called a “Container Refresh” fee that allows the customer to get a no-cost swap out of their container every 2 years. Which sounds great - if your container gets rusted out, you can replace it for free. But again, most containers are good for much longer than that.
Fuel/environmental fee: The hauler is charging you for the gas it takes to get to your site and deliver your trash to the dump. But they don’t just charge you.They charge everyone on their route a fuel fee. What does this mean? They are more than recouping the cost of gas.
Recycling recovery fee: This fee is charged by the hauler to transfer your recyclable material from your site to the drop off site.
Minimum tonnage fees: The hauler will charge you this fee for not having enough garbage in the container. These fees typically only apply to roll-off or open-top accounts.
Administrative fees: Typically charged if a client elects to receive paper invoices instead of electronic delivery of invoices.
Regulatory Cost recovery fee: Some haulers, (like Waste Management) will charge this fee to cover costs in other regions - not necessarily yours. Your fees go towards paying other people’s garbage disposal.
We eliminate or significantly reduce waste fees for every client we can. Some are in the middle of less than ideal contracts, so we wait until those expire, then replace them with better agreements.
Put our expertise to work for you
You can stop overpaying by having an expert fixing your waste contract.
We make sure every contract we touch:
Caps price hikes
Provides recourse for waste service issues
Eliminates your auto-renewal clause
Limits contract terms
Reduces or eliminates your ancillary fees
We don’t just fix these problems for our clients; we actively look for additional ways to save. We monitor billing, and we are your first line of defense when service issues arise.
Take the first step and see what savings opportunities you can take advantage of. Give us a call today at 828-386-4153 and ask us any questions you may have about your waste spend.
3 Steps to Getting an Airtight Contract (Infographic)
Why bother with making sure your valet contract is airtight?
Because you deserve to not overpay.
Unfortunately, the vast majority of valet contracts don’t include key clauses that prevent price hikes or poor service. If you don’t have those clauses, you’ll pay more than you need.
Take a look below to learn how to make sure your valet contract protects you and your resources.
5 Reasons You're the Perfect Candidate for a Utility Audit {Infographic}
Wanting to reduce your recurring expenses, but not sure how? A utility audit may be exactly what you need to start saving on your utilities!
Utility audits are a unique opportunity for a professional to review your utility expenses. When we do our audits, we thoroughly look over your invoices and contracts to find ways to save. We also evaluate tax brackets to ensure you’re paying what you should - and not paying for what you shouldn’t.
Below, you’ll find some helpful ways to evaluate if you’re a candidate for this kind of opportunity.
Free Download: Fix Your Waste Hauler Contract
Your waste hauler contract is likely your core issue when it comes to overspending on your waste contract.
Why?
It doesn’t prohibit what it should prohibit. It doesn’t limit price hikes. It doesn’t limit ancillary fees. It doesn’t limit the auto-renewal. All of which cost you.
Learn what clauses you should have in your contract today by downloading our free Waste Hauler Optimum Clause Worksheet.
This download will show you the clauses you should have in your contract to protect your bottom line. We’ve condensed 20+ years of experience in the waste industry into those concise document to help you take control of your waste expenses - for good!
It includes the same language that we make sure to include on our client’s contracts.
What questions can we answer for you about your waste contract? We’d love to hear!