When You Don’t Want That Great Price — When It’s On The Wrong Waste Hauler Service

Posted by RecycleSmart Team on Dec 18, 2019 11:51:00 AM

So, you negotiated yourself a rate you’re not seeing anywhere else? Probably feeling pretty accomplished. Well, hold on. Because a super cheap waste hauling price isn’t always the whole story.

The waste hauling industry is famous for contract creep and unexpected fees. Without the right approach? That steal of a price will take more from your company than you think. It could be a year, it could be a few months — but one way or another, the price will increase.

Waste hauler contract with hidden fees

And you’ll look back at the contract to check your options only to find you’re locked in.

The Cost of a Low Price

Let’s say you negotiated a 25% discount. But then after a couple of smooth months, that discount gets eaten up by surprise fees:

  • You’re charged extra for over-filled bins
  • You’re charged for different material disposal
  • Loads that look perfectly normal get categorized as “overage” or “contaminated”
  • Environmental and recycling fees
  • Totally mystery fees, like:
    • Administrative fee
    • Regulatory fee
    • Container refresh fees

All of a sudden that sweet discount feels more than a little empty. So, what’s there to do about it?

Read the Contract

Read the full contract multiple times. Make sure you clearly know what’s on the line — and if something feels fishy, don’t let your potential hauler off the hook if they handwave your concerns away. You're signing a multi year, legally binding agreement - take the time to review. 

Of course, you’ll want to have gotten multiple quotes and multiple contracts review. Even more reason to read carefully. Many haulers will try the same tricks, making spotting them more difficult, and one contract is often tiring enough to read, let alone three or four.

But understand clearly what the frequency of pickup would be, what happens when there’s excess waste to haul,  what terminating the contract will take, and all the possible fees that might show up on your invoice — and what triggers each.

That’s of course, just the start.

Avoid the Hassle — Get a Hand

Don’t try to do this alone. Work with someone like RecycleSmart. We’ve got access to a huge nationwide waste hauler network, we’ve built relationships, we know how to find a good match — and we’ve seen all the contract tricks.

We can help you get set up with the right waste hauler with a price that you understand and can rely upon. No weird fees. No surprises.

If you’re already with a hauler you’re not satisfied with — or if you’re just looking to see if there’s a better deal available — get in touch. The only surprise you’ll find with us is how much you can actually save!

Subscribe to our Blog

RecycleSmart Team Member, Manny

Try it for yourself

Don’t just take our word for how great our smart waste management program is – find out how it works for yourself with a free demo today!