What's the most challenging site you've ever had to service a porta potty?

Question

I've been driving a vacuum truck for nine years now, and I've seen my share of tough spots. The worst was a spring construction site on a steep, muddy hill. The developer needed four standard units and one ADA-compliant unit for a crew of about 60 for three months. The mud was so bad the truck couldn't get within 100 feet. We had to run the hose down the slope, and I spent more time cleaning mud off my boots than servicing the tanks. Another tough one was a fall festival in a city park with a weekend rate; they had a dozen units on soft grass. The truck sank in, and we had to use boards under the tires just to get close enough.

What's the most challenging site you've ever had to service? Was it the ground, the weather, or just the distance from the truck?

Luis A. · Answer

The most challenging site was a winter hunting camp on my ranch, where we had a single standard unit for a crew of 10. The ground was frozen solid, and the service truck had to drive 40 miles on unplowed roads just to reach us. Truck access was impossible within 50 feet due to snowdrifts, so the operator had to haul the hose through deep snow. Weekly service is the norm, but cold weather demands winterization with antifreeze in the holding tank to prevent freezing. Distance drives the cost for remote sites like this, not the unit type. Mud and soft ground are tough, but nothing beats Montana winter for making a service visit a real ordeal.

What's the most challenging site you've ever had to service a porta potty?

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