Porta Potty Forum

Service truck access: What if our driveway is too narrow?

Marcus B.asked 1 viewDelivery, Placement & ServicingTruck accessPlacementMissed serviceService visitLong term rental

We're renting a standard portable toilet for a six-month residential construction project. The site has a narrow gravel driveway that our dumpster truck barely fits down, and I'm worried the service truck won't make it. The unit is placed on level ground about 50 feet from the street, but if the driver can't get close, how does pumping work? Do they use a longer hose, or do we need to move the unit to the street on service day? What happens if the truck gets stuck?

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Brad L.Kansas City, MO

Most service trucks carry hose long enough to pump from the street if the driveway is too tight, so you usually do not need to drag the unit out every week.

On our last addition job the driveway was one car wide with a stone wall on one side. The vacuum truck parked at the curb and ran hose about 60 feet to the standard unit. Drivers will tell you their reach up front if you ask when you book. Call before the first service visit and give them the driveway width and how far the unit sits from the street.

Moving the unit to the curb on service day only comes up when the hose still will not reach or the gravel is so soft the truck will sink. That is a pain and it risks a missed service if nobody is there to roll it. Better to place it where a hose can hit from the street and leave a firm pull-off so the driver is not backing into soft shoulders.

If a truck does get stuck, that is usually on the rental company for the pull-out, but they may push back if the driveway was clearly too soft or blocked and nobody warned them. Flag the tight access when you order and ask what hose length they run. That one call usually settles it.

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