Porta Potty Forum

What happens if the service truck can't reach our unit due to mud in October 2026?

Marcus B.asked 0 viewsDelivery, Placement & ServicingTruck accessMissed servicePlacementService visitHolding tank

Our site has a standard portable toilet and an ADA-compliant unit for a crew of 25, and we're on week three of a six-month build. The access road is dirt and turns to soup after heavy rain. Last October, the vacuum truck got stuck trying to reach our units, and I got billed for a missed service. I'm worried about October 2026 repeats. The rental agreement says they need clear truck access within 25 feet, but mud happens. What's the standard practice when the service truck can't reach the unit? Do I get charged for the trip if the driver shows up but can't pump it?

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Carl D.Oklahoma City, OK

If the driver shows up and can't get within hose reach, that usually gets written up as a missed service on your end, because your agreement already puts truck access on you. That's how it went on two of our jobs, and arguing the bill afterward never got us anywhere.

What actually worked for us:

  • Move the units before the wet stretch, not after. We parked ours right off the gravel apron by the job trailer so the truck never left hard ground.
  • If the units have to stay deeper in, put crushed rock or a few ground mats on the last stretch. The truck just needs one firm spot inside that 25 feet.
  • Call the office the morning of a scheduled service visit if the road is soup. Ask to slide it a day or send a smaller truck if they run one. A heads up call is a lot easier to get waived than a driver who drove out for nothing.
  • Keep the path to the ADA unit dry too. A rutted, muddy approach makes that unit useless for the person who actually needs it.

With 25 guys on two units, one skipped pump fills up fast, so it's worth sorting the access plan with the office now and getting it in writing before October.

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