Whatever steps you take when evaluating your roll-off hoist system options, invest as much time in the process as you would when evaluating different truck brands. You’ll find your short-term efforts will produce substantial dividends over the long haul.
Warren Eulgen
U.S. sales of roll-off hoists in the salvage, construction, recycling and solid waste industries have slowed over the past 24 months due in large part to parallel slowdowns these industries experienced as the country weathered the economic downturn. Many roll-off owners elected to delay investments in new equipment during this time in favor of making their existing fleets last a little longer to reduce expenditures and control costs. Now that the economy appears to be turning a positive corner, and labor indicators predict a slow but steady rise in construction hiring, haulers are taking the time to evaluate their current equipment and determine whether purchasing new technology could help them grow their business profitably with the right ROI.
With the increasingly wide range of hoist system options available for truck fleets that haul roll-off containers, evaluating performance and determining bottom-line profit contribution can be a difficult challenge. What you haul and how far certainly are key factors, as are various load weight limitations and bridge laws. But, have you thought about productivity? What would making one or two more pulls per day mean to your operating and maintenance costs? How about operator safety? What else should you look for? If evaluating new products and new technologies is part of your short-term roll-off strategy, the simple application of a “do-your-homework, try-before-you-buy” mentality may be the best approach.
Seven Tips for Your Consideration
When considering the purchase of a new roll-off unit or placing a new hoist on an existing truck, consider these seven tips to help you achieve the highest productivity at the lowest possible cost:
- Carefully evaluate the needs of your current customers and ask them about their anticipated needs for future roll-off container service. Knowing where they are going will help you to determine how you can best equip yourself to support them.
- Assess your outlook for growth with new prospects and the types of roll-off services they will likely require.
- Evaluate your competition. What are they using? Where do they have product and service deficiencies that could create opportunities for you?
- Conduct a study of the available roll-off systems looking at features and benefits that deliver increased productivity, profitability and safety.
- After narrowing your choices, talk with owners who are using the systems you’re evaluating. If possible, visit their operations and see the units in action.
- Ask the manufacturers and dealers if any units are available in your area for a one-week demonstration. There’s nothing like conducting an evaluation with your own people, in your own operation.
- Finally, use a total-life-cycle-costing approach, rather than looking only at initial purchase price. Be sure to consider parts, service, and training support. When evaluating hoist systems for your roll-off containers, the cheapest choice is rarely your most profitable choice.
Whatever steps you take when evaluating your roll-off hoist system options, invest as much time in the process as you would when evaluating different truck brands. You’ll find your short-term efforts will produce substantial dividends over the long haul.
Warren Eulgen is founder and president of High Velocity Communications, a full-service marketing communications firm based in Waukesha, WI.
Heil Environmental manufactures refuse collection bodies and roll-off hoists that provide customers with the lowest total cost of ownership. For more information, call (866) 367-4345 or visit www.heil.com.
Case Study
Product Speed Improves Service Rates and Delivers Higher Profitability
With more than 50 years in the roll-off business and family roots tracing back to 1911, E. L. Harvey & Sons is a well-known success story in Boston, MA and the surrounding area. At its 43-acre campus, the full-service firm has five dedicated facilities for construction and demolition debris, paper recovery, waste transfer, MRF operations, and maintenance. In addition to 45 roll-off trucks and hundreds of open-top containers, E. L. Harvey & Sons has more than 2,000 compaction units to serve a broad array of customers.
To equip their construction and demolition service capabilities, vice president of operations Mike Cozad is always looking at available technology. For him, testing new solutions is the best way to see if a piece of equipment is right for their business. “While trying a demo unit in our yard can be helpful to the decision-making process,” said Cozad, “nothing beats using a unit on multiple customer job sites in a variety of circumstances.”
A week-long trial was a key factor in deciding to purchase a LowLift cable hoist from Heil. “We quickly noticed the pickup and put-down speeds were at least 50 percent faster than our other hoists,” said Cozad. “It was an eye-opening trial and now the LowLift is the most requested roll-off unit in the fleet by our drivers.” This increased speed translated into one or sometimes two extra pulls during a typical 10-hour day. “For any roll-off operation, that increased productivity is a real homerun,” said Cozad.
While they sometimes encounter low overhead situations where the LowLift’s low loading angle is beneficial, the drivers at E.L. Harvey have also discovered that the LowLift improves approach angles and requires less maneuvering space. The canshaking capability helps them quickly break loads free that are frozen or have been compacted by a wheel loader or hydraulic excavator on the job site. “Our contractor customers noticed the improved ability to handle tight job sites quickly and began requesting the truck equipped with the LowLift,” said Cozad. “We plan on equipping more of our roll-off units with the LowLift system in the future. The first unit has confirmed the investment payback will be relatively quick, and the uptime has been nearly 100 percent.”
From the driver’s seat, Ray Mercurio, LowLift driver, consistently ranks at the top of weekly productivity statistics. “During my first year on the job, I learned a great deal about the LowLift hoist,” said Mercurio. “I can complete most container switchouts in half the time as other hoists. The 50-gpm hydraulic flow makes the truck a real workhorse, plus its fast yet easy to control. Plus, I don’t have to raise the LowLift full up to drop a can. The hinged tail works great … like a loading platform that aligns the box and makes it nearly impossible to derail it. The three fingertip controls are ergonomically designed and almost as easy to use as the keys on a piano.”