Porta Potty Forum
Log inAsk a question

Gate code changed in November 2026 and driver couldn't get in. Who pays?

Marcus B.asked 0 viewsDelivery, Placement & ServicingMissed serviceTruck accessDelivery feeMonthly rental

We have a standard portable toilet on our residential addition site in Chicago, rented since October 2026. The gate code was updated overnight on November 3, 2026, without notice to the rental company. Their driver showed up for the weekly service visit but couldn't get in, so they logged it as a missed service. Now the invoice includes a charge for the trip. The unit is on level gravel about 20 feet from the gate, easily accessible by their vacuum truck when the code works. Our contract says we must provide access, but it feels harsh to pay for a trip where no service happened. Who is responsible for this charge? Should the rental company eat the cost if we update the code promptly?

1 answer

Sorted by votes
0
Brad L.Kansas City, MO

You pay the trip charge when your contract puts access on you and the driver hit a locked gate with no working code.

Most rental contracts treat a failed service visit like a completed one once the truck rolls to the site and cannot enter. The driver still burned fuel, time, and a route slot. Changing the gate code overnight without telling the dispatcher sits on the renter, not the company. Sending the new code promptly helps the next visit. It does not wipe the trip that already happened.

Same pattern as a blocked driveway or soft ground. If the vacuum truck cannot reach the unit, the operator logs a missed service and bills the trip under the access clause. Call the dispatcher, confirm the new code is in their notes, and ask whether they can swing back the same week so the holding tank does not sit another full cycle. Some outfits will try a return if the route still has room. Do not wait until the next scheduled day if the unit is already near capacity.

Your answer

Log in or create a free account to answer this question.

Related questions