Narrow Driveway: Will Service Truck Still Pump Our Unit?

Yes, they'll almost always still pump it, because the driver never needs to park right next to the unit. The vacuum truck stays at the curb or the top of the driveway and the tech drags a suction hose back to the tank. We had the same setup during our bathroom gut last spring, unit about 20 feet up a single car driveway, and our driver never once pulled in. He parked on the street, ran the hose up the side of the drive, pumped, restocked paper and was gone in a few minutes.

What actually causes missed visits is stuff in the hose path, not the width. A few things that helped us:

• Keep cars, the dumpster and material piles off the line between the street and the door.
• Face the door toward the street side so the tech isn't reaching around the back.
• Leave the gate unlocked on service day if the unit sits behind one.

If you're unsure, call the office and ask them to note on the ticket that the truck should stay at the curb. Moving the standard unit closer to the street is only worth it if the hose path crosses a fence, steps or a locked gate.