How to Choose a Hazardous Waste Disposal Transporter

At first glance this process may seem like an easy exercise. Run a quick internet search, call a couple of transporters and pick the lowest price. However, following this simplistic approach could end up costing you more than you bargained for.

What is Your Goal?

Thinking through the process of choosing a hazardous waste disposal transporter starts with the goal your company has when disposing of hazardous waste. Some questions to look at may be:

• Do you need a one-time pick up or regular service visits?
• Do you want to get rid of the waste at the cheapest price?
• Do you care if your waste is actually being disposed of correctly?
• What happens if the transporter has an accident and has no insurance or limited insurance?

Taking a serious look at these four questions may reveal some information that you may have not known and could affect the decision you make the next time you need a transporter. Let’s explore them further.

What Kind of Service Do You Need?

Even if you need a one-time pick up, going with the lowest possible price could end up costing you more. For instance, a very low price could mean:

• Poorly maintained disposal trucks
• No liability insurance or minimal coverage
• Poorly trained drivers or drivers with no training in how to handle hazardous waste
• Illegal disposal of the waste
• No certificate to prove the waste was disposed of
• Products could end up on EBay

A reputable company will have proper and well-maintained equipment, adequate insurance coverage, employees who are certified to handle hazardous waste and will certify that your waste is disposed of correctly. They will also offer walkthroughs or do overviews of your hazardous waste procedures and offer insights into cost-saving measures you can employ. They usually do this free of charge.

Waste generators must always remember that they are responsible for their waste from “Cradle to Grave.” If anything happens to that hazardous waste from the time it leaves your facility until the time it is disposed of, you could be on the hook for the financial responsibility of what happened to it!

You Get What You Pay For

We’ve all heard this. But when it comes time to choose a vendor ourselves, it’s all too easy to slip back into getting the cheapest price. After all, you need to keep costs under control. However, having a relationship with your service company can yield greater dividends and improved cost savings, even if their costs are little more up front. Look at the vendors you use now.

• Are they cheapest on the block?
• What kind of relationship do you have with them?
• Do they offer to help you become more cost-effective or just do a pick up and leave?

You are more likely to find that the vendors you currently use and are happy with will do everything they can to try to fulfil your expectations, and in many cases will exceed them. Those that you aren’t happy with probably won’t try to very hard to keep your business and will just do the bare minimum to keep it.

Hazardous waste transporters, who spend the extra time to understand your business and offer solutions to help your specific business needs, will ultimately yield a far greater return on your investment than those who just give you a low price. If you find a company that provides both, Yahtzee!

So How Do I Choose a Good One?

In today’s world, the internet and the company websites, is the first place to start. Review their website and look for these items to ensure that they are legitimate:

• Do they have a business address and phone number?
• Do they offer the service you desire?
• What other services do they offer?
• Do they have adequate insurance coverage? At least $5 million in liability insurance
• Do they offer free quotations?
• Do they have enough information on their website to instill confidence in you?
• What resources do they offer you free of charge?
• Do they make it easy for you to contact them?

If they don’t make it easy on their website, then how will they perform when they try to do business with you?

Ask other businesses who they use and get their feedback. There is nothing like a personal endorsement. Call the company up and ask them for a list of current clients who you can talk to.

The decision to use a hazardous waste transporter should not be taken likely, especially in today’s litigious world and heavily regulated industries like hazardous waste. The news is full of stories of the latest company being fined tens of thousands of dollars, if not hundreds of thousands, for doing the wrong thing when it comes to disposing of their waste. Trusting a transporter who seems okay can cost you dearly. Do your homework, investigate and review. It is worth it in the long run!