Porta Potty Forum

Service truck got stuck in our muddy field. Who covers the cost of the tow truck?

Luis A.asked 0 viewsDelivery, Placement & ServicingTruck accessMissed serviceDamage waiverPlacementService visit

We rent two standard portable toilets for our seasonal ranch crew of 15. The toilets have been on a gravel pad near our barn for three months with weekly service. After heavy rain, the access road turned to deep mud. I warned the rental company the day before service, but their driver still came out. His vacuum truck got stuck axle-deep in the field. They had to call a tow truck to pull it out. Now the rental company is billing us for the tow. I thought their driver should have assessed the conditions and not attempted it. Who is responsible for this towing cost, us or the rental company? Does the service contract usually cover stuck trucks?

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Nina R.Nashville, TN

You are responsible for the towing cost. The rental company's driver attempted access after your warning, but the service contract places the duty of providing safe, passable access on you, the customer. Most contracts state that the customer must ensure truck access to the units on every service day, including maintaining roads and level ground that can support a heavy vacuum truck. A blocked or inaccessible unit typically results in a missed service charge, but if the driver attempts access and the truck gets stuck, the customer is liable for recovery costs. In my experience, even with a warning, the driver may still be dispatched per company policy, and the contract language holds. Review your rental agreement for the access and liability clause; it will specify your responsibility for maintaining access routes. For future services after heavy rain, consider canceling or rescheduling if the road is not firm enough to avoid this issue.

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