What's the most creative solution you've seen for a blocked unit?
Had a head-scratcher this morning. A concrete truck parked right in front of a standard portable toilet on my route. The truck was there for the day,…
3answers
55views
Luis A. replied
General Discussion
Introductions, lessons learned, stories from the field, etiquette and anything that does not fit elsewhere.
52 questions
What's the most creative solution you've seen for a blocked service truck?
Last Tuesday, my route had a construction site with six standard units and one ADA-compliant unit. The crew was pouring concrete, so a crane was…
3answers
57views
Priya N. replied
What's the one tool you never service a porta potty without?
I'm new to driving a vacuum truck and servicing portable toilets. My route covers construction sites, weekend events, and long-term rentals. I've…
3answers
53views
Porta Potty Forum Team replied
What's the one tool you never service a unit without?
Just started my first route driving a vacuum truck. I'm making a checklist for the truck to make sure I don't get to a site and realize I'm missing…
3answers
52views
Luis A. replied
What's the most common mistake new event planners make with porta potties?
I've been mentoring a new event coordinator and realized how often new planners underestimate portable toilets. The most common mistake is not…
3answers
58views
Deb K. replied
What's the weirdest thing you've found in a porta potty on a service run?
Ten years driving a vacuum truck, and I've pumped everything from the expected to the truly bizarre. Last week on a construction site, I opened a…
3answers
56views
Priya N. replied
What's the most creative placement you've seen for a porta potty?
Sixteen years of hauling portable toilets, and I'm still surprised by where people need them. I've delivered a standard unit to the roof of a…
3answers
64views
Sam O. replied
What's the weirdest place you've ever had to place a porta potty?
I've been driving a vacuum truck for nine years, and I've seen some spots. The weirdest placement I ever had was a standard portable toilet for a…
3answers
50views
Luis A. replied
What's the worst vandalism you've seen on a porta potty?
I pulled up to a construction site on a Monday to find someone had taken a forklift to a standard unit. The whole corner was crushed in. That was a…
3answers
37views
Luis A. replied
What's the one thing you always check on a porta potty before using it?
After nine years driving a vacuum truck and a lifetime of using these things at county fairs and construction sites, I have a set routine before I…
3answers
63views
Luis A. replied
What's the most unexpected item you've found in a porta potty?
I've been driving a vacuum truck for ten years now, servicing everything from construction sites to county fairs. You get used to the usual suspects:…
3answers
38views
Luis A. replied
What's the one thing you wish every customer knew before renting?
After nine years driving a vacuum truck, I have a short list of things I wish every customer knew. The biggest one is placement. A standard portable…
3answers
44views
Sam O. replied
What's the one thing you always check on a service visit?
Hey all, Deb here. I've been driving a vacuum truck for nine years, servicing 40 to 60 units a day on construction sites, at fairs, and on farms.…
3answers
53views
Sam O. replied
Worst weather you've ever serviced units in?
Last week I had to pump our ranch's standard unit during a hailstorm that came out of nowhere. The wind was trying to tear the door out of my hand,…
3answers
58views
Porta Potty Forum Team replied
Porta potty etiquette: what do drivers wish every user knew?
I run a ranch and have dealt with portable toilets for seasonal crews and hunting camps for years. My driver makes a 40-mile trip each way to service…
2answers
86views
Porta Potty Forum Team replied
What's the one piece of advice you'd give a new porta potty driver?
I start my first route driving a vacuum truck next Monday. The training covered the pump, the hoses and the paperwork, but I know there's a lot they…
3answers
47views
Sam O. replied
What do you wish you had known before your first porta potty rental?
I run a ranch out of Bozeman. We have seasonal crews, a hunting camp and a guest cabin with no septic. My first rental was for a three-week elk hunt…
2answers
37views
Porta Potty Forum Team replied
What's the proper etiquette for using a shared jobsite porta potty?
I'm new to a framing crew of 30 guys on a six-month build. We have two standard units on site. The service truck can pull right up to them on the…
3answers
58views
Porta Potty Forum Team replied
What's the most common mistake first-time renters make?
After nine years driving a vacuum truck, I see the same issues with first-time renters. The most common mistake is underestimating the need for good…
2answers
50views
Porta Potty Forum Team replied
What's the best way to anchor a porta potty on a windy site?
Our Montana ranch has a standard portable toilet placed for seasonal hands and hunting guests. The spot is a grassy flat with firm ground, but the…
2answers
95views
Deb K. replied
Why do festival porta potties always run out of toilet paper by evening?
I've been going to the same local music festival for years and always noticed the same thing: by Saturday evening, every single standard portable…
2answers
49views
Luis A. replied
What's the weirdest thing you've found in a porta potty tank?
Sixteen years driving a vacuum truck, and I thought I'd seen it all. Last week, on a Monday morning service run at a downtown construction site, I…
3answers
92views
Sam O. replied
Who invented the porta potty, and how did the industry get to where it is? ✓ Solved
The thread is right about the ADA cluster rule, but I get asked if it applies to a single unit. The ADA Standards for Accessible Design require an…
2answers
75views
Luis A. replied
Porta potty, porta john, portaloo, port-o-let: all the names for the same thing, by region
I am a general superintendent for a commercial GC in the Midwest. I have ordered portable toilets for jobs from Ohio to Missouri to the Dakotas. I…
2answers
79views
Priya N. replied
Why is the toilet called the john, and where did porta john and porta potty come from? ✓ Solved
The term 'john' for a toilet is a slang term that likely comes from the name John Harington, an English courtier who invented one of the first flush…
2answers
275views
Deb K. replied