My wife and I started a trash pickup company when Waste Management left our county. These videos will serve as an in-depth playlist that covers the growth and operations of the business. The items we use for the business: 95 Gallon Can Liners: amzn.to/45HeOdt Back Brace: amzn.to/3znkYmU Wireless Magnetic Strobe Lights: amzn.to/3zlJULH Hi-Vis Arm Sleeves: amzn.to/3zhGRUu Hi-Vis Balaclava: amzn.to/4cHf4LA Yard Signs: lddy.no/1k1nj
Great point! I sent notecards to all the HOA board members locally. I got one out of the 40-50 I sent, which I guess beats the print marketing average of 1% returns! :D
It’s not uncommon for established trash businesses to charge a new account fee to cover the delivery of new cans. In my area, we have one company that will also pick up from the side of the house and return the cans to the side of the house (for an extra fee on top of the base curbside rate) which means they have almost a monopoly with limited mobility and older customers. They also charge quarterly to reduce billing costs. Good luck with the new adventure.
Good tips! We do have a refundable can deposit (fully refundable after a year) that I am hoping will weed out tire kickers or people who don't think they will stay put for long.
I live in the UK and we pay for waste collection through Taxes paid to our local Council. Our local Council collects card/paper, bottles, cans, plastic, textiles and non-recyclable waste for free but we have to pay a yearly charge for garden waste if we want it collected. As I work by the local household waste recycling centre, I can book a slot and get rid of my garden waste for free.
@@ramblingman8992My town also has trash pickup included with its local utilities which is water sewer police fee recreation fee garbage I think that's all but it's all included we can put out X amount of bags per week If we have anything other than like a normal trash bag like for example if I want to throw away my couch we got call ahead and they can pick it up for an extra fee but to be honest it's kind of outrageous how much it costs they will pick up appliances for free because they sell those for scrap which is also what I do so I go around and pick them up before the town does because it's fair game but the next town from us you got to pay for your individual trash service which kind of sucks because I rather pay another company because I like their equipment better than supplying my iron for a different company to service my house I could get a small dumpster for the same price of what it's costing me my town to pick up my trash with the extra bags of trash we produce
I fired Republic during the pandemic after they raised their price by 20%. They wanted me to pay them $30.00 to pickup their old can. I had used this can for over 15 years. I refused to pay that charge. They wouldn’t tell me where I could drop it off either. I still have the can after 3 years. I love the color of your cans.
Brad, I'm glad you got the kind of cans you purchased. Small garbage trucks have lifters for these types of cans. When your business grows, you'll be fine. One suggestion is, when you put more cans out, get some QR Code stickers for your cans. The easier people can get on your website, the more clients you will get.
My friend tree top use to work for Toter in Statesville, NC. That place is hot in the summer time. They don't have air conditioning because of the big ovens to heat up the plastic and doors are wide open all the time. Every so often they have a Toter yard sale and they just sale directly to the public pretty cheap. If you ever need trash can and other totes, just wait and go to the Toter yard sale. But in your case you wanted the special stuff and I can't blame you. What probably took so long was the orange color plastic. They deal in green, brown and black mostly. It's been there all my life.
Orange you glad to see me?!?!? Ohhh I couldn't resist Brad!! This video was really enjoyable Bud. Wishing you the absolute best with the new business. Inagree with wifey orange was the eay to go. Very eye catching. Hoping all is well my friend, Dirty Jersey out!!
Great video! It's interesting to see the detailed breakdown of costs and logistics for ordering such a large quantity of branded trash cans. This is valuable information for anyone looking to expand or diversify their business. The long-term vision you have for pivoting away from mowing while still maintaining your original company is inspiring.
Leaving in your gaffes and bloopers is what makes your videos better than others and adds the humor element to them. It givese me a chuckle. (Like dropping a bin off at the wrong address haha) A lot of people would edit that out for fear of looking stupid but who cares , we all do it and it shows you’re a genuine bloke who doesn’t take himself too seriously. The fact you even have to justify and explain to people your colour choice of bins is ridiculous, at a guess they would be non business people.. Its marketing , its safety, its visibility , it looks good, it’s a no brainer really but Karen’s will be Karen’s and need to find something to whinge about. Look forward to the next video mate. 💪
I KNOW YUOR A SMART MAN. WHEN YOU ARE TELLING PEOPLE WHAT TYPE OF WORK AN HOW YOUR GOING TO DO YOUR JOB THEY COME OUT LIKE RATS KNOWING SO MUCH MORE THAN YOU , DO IT LIKE YOU FIGURED YOU KNOW BEST IT WILL WORK HARD WORK WILL PAY OFF LOVE YOUR VIDEOS HOPE YOU ARE DOING WELL YOUR ON THE RIGHT PATH 😊
I'm glad you're planning for the future. Trash will never go out of business and with time, you'll get a side loader truck and reduce the physicality of the work. If you don't already have a class B CDL, get it and charge it to the company expenses.
Yep he will have to bit the bullet and buy at least a small trash truck maybe a used one, putting trash liners in the cans is crazy and expensive the money you saves with no trash liners put toward the truck, if you hope to grow your business that the only way to go.
I applaud you, sir. As you know from being an established business owner already, the hardest part about it is actually getting started. Learn as you go, just like you did with landscaping. Best of luck to you.
HDX 50 Gal. Clear Extra Large Trash Bags (100-Count) HDX50GC100-2PK - The Home Depot These are 50Gal bgs Cost about .32 per bg excluding tax. Hope this helps. This is what I use in lawncare. Kudos to your wife on the orange color... it makes you stand out over the competition. Wishing you the best in your new endeavor. Stay safe and God Bless from Texas.
Really enjoying you sharing your journey of starting a new business. Anyone who’s towed a trailer has had their share of oh cr&p moments. A set inspection routine really helps. Wishing you success!
If you flip the top lid closed on the tall stacks of cans they will not collect as much rain water. There will always be some but closing the top lid really helps keep the weight down. Also keep an eye out for an old mattress that you can use to soften the blow when you do have to tip them over. Keeps the cans looking nice and your neighbors will appreciate it too. Good luck!
Excellent point! Wrapping up for the day I realized my mistake about leaving the tops open and had to spend 20 minutes shuffling and closing each one! :D
For sure. You would need to cluster your customers in order to make money. The orange cans are a great for marketing. When the last few people on a street or in an area see everyone else has your service, let’s hope they hop on board.
its great to see someone starting a new trash business! im glad you thought about wanting to do this, its a great benefit for the community and environment especially since you care about customers and pricing and want to offer the best service there can be. sometimes its also great to change stuff up and get a feel for new experiences. as an enthusiast of the refuse industry and someone going into it, i really admire this a lot! i definitely will love to follow on this and hope sometime in the future youll be able to get an automated or at least manual truck with a tipper on it. kudos to you!!!
Thanks for sharing, I find this very neat that you're taking this on in addition to mowing. I figured the reason was that it's easier on your body, and then you talked about it at the end! In my area someone just opened a business literally cleaning garbage cans. Guess your boujee Florida residents will at least have clean trash cans due to the liner. I'm surprised with your lawn care business you weren't financially able to go all in with a garbage truck. But I haven't been on RUclips much recently and if I remember right your wife quit her job to help with the social media and your business so maybe the cash flow isn't good enough for that big of a risk right now. Can't wait for the future videos on the new trash business!
$260,000 was the quote for the truck we wanted. Traditional financing would have been $4,500 a month. Insurance was another $1,200 a month on it. Plus fuel, tires, grease, DEF, etc. My wife wisely talked me out of going that route when we had zero customers.
I paid $150 for same size a few years ago for a single can in Canada. So easily a decent deal you got. I'm sure in bulk / directly from a manufacture is much better then going to a hardware store.
Definitely sharing your mistakes helps out the community. Walk around safe so important, I always seem to notice tire tread, leaking fluid.. it's just a good habit to start. Great video 👍🏻
Well they say orange is the new black and I really like it. It stands out and looks professional. All the best in the world for your new business Brad xx
Granted it's not the most efficient way to run a trash business, but it looks like you've done it on a "shoe string" with just buying a trailer for your existing truck, and then trash cans. I have not seen a trash business operate with liners, but it makes complete sense without a garbage truck. Fun watching you start this service and seeing it grow.
Many thanks! Hoping to ditch the liners in the future once I get a tipper arm. A lot also depends on how the dump trailer holds loose trash going down the highway.
i appreciate the orange color. my town just went to requiring all trash in cans at the street, and they are all BLACK. can AND lid. and let me tell you, you cant see them at ALL when driving at night. if its windy, and one isnt that heavy, blows out in the road, you'd never see it before you hit it.
I admire you for starting a business in our current economy. You remind me a lot of my stepdad. When he started his cleaning business in the 90’s, he wanted his prices to be as reasonable as possible, and was very customer friendly. He also only wanted to serve a certain geographical area. The orange is a great idea, your wife is a keeper!
Im from Spain and here we dont have this type of bussiness so I was very intrigued and amazed by your journey. I think that with a side opening trailer you could be more efficient and punish less your back. You can stack some containers horizontaly so you only have to pull each container without lifting It up. And I would add some type of tray for the full bags, so IF any of them have liquids and leak, you can clean It easier. Amazing video
Great PSA at the beginning. At my last job, the most senior guy in the company forgot to double check his trailer pin and it popped off the hitch when he ran over a set of train tracks. Flipped the UTV and damaged the trailer really badly. He could have killed someone as well. Always do a walk around, especially when you're "in a hurry"!
One of my college jobs was building the cans for a garbage company one summer - I would build about 100 every day. They were Toter brand too. Good times!
I love the orange. Our former local company in Eau Claire, WI called Boxx Sanitation used orange cans with brown lids (and later brown cans with brown lids for recycling). The orange certainly stands out, however I will say the cans start to look quite pink after 8-10 years depending on if people keep them in their garage or outside. Boxx used primarily Cascade, but did buy Rehrig Pacific for a while. I tend to think the Toters are a bit too "squishy" or flimsy compared to some of the other molded cans, but at the end of the day they'll work!
If you're going to hire-help then you might ought to install a buzzer of some sort to allow the driver to know if those doors are latched. Or maybe even just a buzzer on the trailer that buzzes when given power with an open gate.
@@CopperCreekCuts It's no different than a reverse-buzzer except you'd need a magnet-switch or something. Try asking different semi-mechanics for what might be possible.
When you put your liners in, try this. Open the bag, grab the bottom of the bag and run it through a O with your other hand 👌🏻 so that it’s straightened out. When you put it in the can, it’ll remove a lot of that air in the bottom. When you put the bag in like a balloon, the bottom gets full of air. So when someone throws in weight, that bag is going to pull down. Long story short, that’ll help your liners not fall in the can during the week. If you still have a problem, tie a knot on a corner and you can tighten the bag. Ps I had a neighbor who did basically what you’re doing and it has done really well. He also deals with dumpsters. Cheering you on, bud.
You could also try getting a flyer with a semi-sticky backing/sticky tab/easy peel. Follow the other trash company pickup and pop a sticker on the cans that have been emptied, you then wont have to walk to each door and the ad will be on the can ready for them to read.
Carts are the way to go! And the orange definitely can help you know if your at the right stop 😂 Also, if you get automatic trucks in the future, it will be fluid motion going through routes, with hardly any labor! Look forward to seeing more from these endeavors, and I wish you well, and a Great week this week Doing business!
I love the bright orange. I swear some people will find anything to complain about. A garbage can goes out the night before and gets taken in after it’s picked up. It’s not sitting in your front yard all week.
I have a steep yard so mine sits about halfway up the driveway on the side. It's in the front yard. I'd hate Orange. Bad enough that the recycling is blue. Yes I could build a "trash can house" to hide it, but none of my neighbors would so the whole neighborhood would be littered with bright orange containers.
I think I was worried about the abrasion along the whole side vs. concrete doing that but I guess I could get a plywood piece or something to fix that!
You could try grabbing a small ebike or escooter, park on the street and zip around the houses or down those long drives for getting new business. Also be prepared for super heavy full bins, that small bin you emptied looked heavy at 1/3 the size.
You should buy cans from Roto they last 30 years plus there first generation were rumored to be bulletproof but they last more than toters and the Toter EVR 1 they are great as well
That would be really cool but it is mainly a cost/benefit thing. I would be willing to bet it costs more than the dump trailer which has about 15 yards of storage and 4.5 tons capacity compared to the 8 yds/1 ton capacity of the Perkins (I think my truck payload is around 3K and guessing the lifter weights at least 1K)
Dude, I love seeing 200 cans stacked up in the back of your trailer, that looks so awesome. But its a sad state of affairs when most of the can companies you contacted, didn't bother to respond. Thats just how you know that they don't need your business, you made the right decision to go with Toter, since they keep it real. I have a suggestion about the .75 cents per bag, why don't you contact the trash bag company, and make a collaboration deal to get them cheaper in bulk. I loved that lady who said that she was so happy to see you, that just confirms you are doing the right thing here with this business.
This is super cool to see the behind-the-scenes of a business like this. I do have a couple questions as someone who lives in an urban area with different types of services: 1. Are liners normal in your area? I've never seen them used before where I live in the NW. We typically just throw it all in the bin. 2. Do you plan on expanding to more than just garbage? My local hauler gives us 4 bins for garbage, recycling, glass, and compost/yard waste.
I love the orange! I think it’s unique and fun (and probably will make good brand recognition for your company, at least where I live, no one has orange trash cans.) Good call Brad’s wife 👏
It doesn’t seem to matter what you are doing, I either get a good laugh or learn something new. This was both. To bad more people don’t have you work ethic or business sense!
Paying about $70/cart all in isn't bad given it's a smaller order with a special color and hot stamp. IIRC the cost per cart in larger orders such as 10,000 for a city contract or something is around $40-$60 depending on the size/model/manufacturer. Toter is a good brand too.
I think the liners are really smart. Forget about what people say. I carried the brute trash cans on my back full of debris for years to dump on the road for the county to pick up or dump in a trailer/truck bed. It’s way easier and quicker and less on my body jugs to buy the bigger more expensive brute trash can with wheels to wheel to the trailer/road. People are like you being weak blah blah. We are here to make money. Be profitable and get in and out while doing a good job and taking care of our health. Who cares what people say.again, I think the liners are a great idea. And jugs like lawn care. You’ll learn as you go what’s best for you and your company. I think you’re gonna take over with that business model. I see you as the Mike Andes of trash pick up lol people will se professionalism the brand and say I want that orange trash can pick up service lol you’ll do great man. 🙏💯💪 I’m looking forward to seeing the journey. Thanks for sharing. Makes me think when I want to start a second business.
If you want your logo to be durable and long lasting you should request polyfuse labeling. Its a bit of a upcharge but much more durable then other labeling methods.
Honestly, this looks pretty dang fun. There’s all kinds of add-ons you could potentially offer as well. Though, keeping it simple is also smart. You are going to have to figure out a way to get trash in your trailer without having to throw it in by hand. I think those liners will be good most of the time, but I could see heavy loads ripping the liners getting really annoying. There has to be a way to get some sort of lift installed on that trailer
As a cdl driver, we do what they call a pre-trip inspection. All of my guys on mow routs and landscaping trailer I enforce the to do a pre-trip inspection of the vehicle and the equipment. Just so we catch hazards before we hit that road and put innocent bystanders at risk.
Love the bright orange color, very unique! Hot stamp logo with the truck is neat looking as well! Never seen a company line every bin with a trash bag before - is that just a courtesy you provide, or a goal to keep them clean? Or just for first delivery? Good luck with continuing the company, came here from your comment on HunterDawg89's video of the under-CDL truck
One thing that might make you reconsider the orange is that the cans will fade really quickly. The orange has lots of red in it and unfortunately red is a color that fades fast due to the UV in the sun. In a couple years it will be really noticeable when you place a new can next to an old one. They will also become more brittle with the fade. In a few years you will start to need replacing them unless you are not going to care how they look, but based on your attention to detail, I think you will face a dilemma on what to do, replace 3 year old cans because of fading with now more expensive cans or live with the faded color and subsequent loss of perceived care you have.
Hmmm, good point! Only time will tell. I saw another comment stating they would fade to pink which would kind of stink as far as the color scheme BUT would still work for grabbing attention. Thanks for the feedback, much appreciated!
@@CopperCreekCuts if they are always on you are the reason no one respects yellow lights in construction zones. You aren’t cool because you always have lights on for fun like you think you are.
Be careful with the lids, they begin to crack when There is pressure near the lid hinges. As for the wheels, what I do is take the axel and stand it up on concrete and attach and hammer the pal nut on one side (the name for the metal caps) and then slide the axel through one wheel and then put in the holes of the can. Then take the second wheel, attach it on the axel and then using a knee pad or with a gloved hand press against the cap on the other side and hammer it in. There is a dilemma… if you smack these caps in too hard, good luck getting them off for repairs. They are hard to come off. The lids are easy repair, requires a torx bit. Very neat that you are getting organized here. You should have ordered some variety with your toters, maybe like have bought 35 64 gallon ones for a downsized service for customers who have problems wheeling out a big can or don’t make as much trash. You’re a starter so, cut you some slack. I hope you took down the serial numbers on those things.. people unfortunately will steal these for whatever purpose they want. Writing the serial number does help to keep track of what can belongs to what property. Good job though, I’m just providing some recommendations. Oh and sorry about the long ass comment 😂
i like the orange.....but you would be surprised about getting your number from the can....i moved into the country 5 years ago and got a number from my neighbors can bc only 2 companies are in the area for trash i guess.
Very informative video, like the company orange color, have you considered down the road wrapping your truck in the same orange color, matching truck and trailer would be a great visual. 😎👍🏼👍🏼
I have, but I use the same truck for Copper Creek Cuts AND Baker County Trash Pickup, so trying to keep it as brand agnostic as possible. Maybe in the future if the trash company deserves a dedicated truck?
I think you are doing great brand management. I know orange and black is your brand. But I would have done the number and logo in white so it was more visible.
I think that if your wife, or maybe your kids, take an empty liner and put it in the tote after you have taken out the full liner that may save some time? Just a thought. I can hear the wheels turning in your head all the up here in Illinois!
I pay $14/week to have my two cans picked up. I had to supply my own cans otherwise I have to pay a rental fee for the toters. I hope you’re charging people a rental fee and you’re not including that on your $8/week pick up price. Charge a few $ bucks a week rental and that’ll include replacing the can if it breaks or servicing them etc. peace of mind for home owner.
@@CopperCreekCuts thanks. I really enjoy your content and can’t wait to continue watching this journey. I’m going to look into trying the dumpster pickup business in my area.
Do you collect recycling and garbage or is it all just whatever is in the can? Maybe when your business is big enough if it’s worth it you could separate recycling using the lime green cans. Thanks for the video!
@@CopperCreekCuts Down the line I bet you could figure out a system that works for it if you offer it at an extra charge. Around here we have a company that just puts a recycle sticker on the same cans vs getting a different color. Maybe you could use clear liners for recycle and just throw them in your pick-up bed on your regular trash route. It would save you trash tonnage as well. Just a thought
I live in the suburbs of a large city. If I had a service like yours where you manually lift all the garbage into the truck I would be very conscious on what I throw out so it’s not a huge hassle. My big name garbage collection company’s all have fancy garbage trucks for no physical labor besides the occasional large item. I threw away a bunch of pieces of old deck wood full of nails which is really heavy and would break any bag or liner. I hope you do finally get a machine to do all the heavy lifting instead of you. It must be really tiring to lift all those bags! Hope your business succeeds and you get more clients!
Thank you for the kind words. I am hoping in the next week to get our lifter arm installed (If I do you will probably see it in two or three Saturday videos from now).
hey mate, ive had the same idea for awhile now but haven't added this service yet. how much do you charge the customer? do you charge a sign up fee etc also? and is it $8 flat rate?
I have a span of pricing depending on what discounts folks qualify for. $8 per pickup is the rough cost for the cheapest plan, which is an annual paid in full.
@@CopperCreekCuts any chance you could message me more about it mate? I’m no competition for you haha I live in Australia. I’m really interested in starting this side of my business as junk removal has slowed down a lot
My wife and I started a trash pickup company when Waste Management left our county. These videos will serve as an in-depth playlist that covers the growth and operations of the business.
The items we use for the business:
95 Gallon Can Liners: amzn.to/45HeOdt
Back Brace: amzn.to/3znkYmU
Wireless Magnetic Strobe Lights: amzn.to/3zlJULH
Hi-Vis Arm Sleeves: amzn.to/3zhGRUu
Hi-Vis Balaclava: amzn.to/4cHf4LA
Yard Signs: lddy.no/1k1nj
yo i work for WM why did they leave did they lose contracts? or forced out?
I like it
The bright orange makes them high vis and safer. It's a great idea
Thank you for the comment!
You should try to contact some HOA and see what they’re doing for garbage. Might be an easy way to get a whole neighborhood.
Great point! I sent notecards to all the HOA board members locally. I got one out of the 40-50 I sent, which I guess beats the print marketing average of 1% returns! :D
It’s not uncommon for established trash businesses to charge a new account fee to cover the delivery of new cans. In my area, we have one company that will also pick up from the side of the house and return the cans to the side of the house (for an extra fee on top of the base curbside rate) which means they have almost a monopoly with limited mobility and older customers. They also charge quarterly to reduce billing costs. Good luck with the new adventure.
Good tips! We do have a refundable can deposit (fully refundable after a year) that I am hoping will weed out tire kickers or people who don't think they will stay put for long.
I live in the UK and we pay for waste collection through Taxes paid to our local Council.
Our local Council collects card/paper, bottles, cans, plastic, textiles and non-recyclable waste for free but we have to pay a yearly charge for garden waste if we want it collected.
As I work by the local household waste recycling centre, I can book a slot and get rid of my garden waste for free.
@@CopperCreekCutsI will take a orange can
How does a can cost
@@ramblingman8992My town also has trash pickup included with its local utilities which is water sewer police fee recreation fee garbage I think that's all but it's all included we can put out X amount of bags per week If we have anything other than like a normal trash bag like for example if I want to throw away my couch we got call ahead and they can pick it up for an extra fee but to be honest it's kind of outrageous how much it costs they will pick up appliances for free because they sell those for scrap which is also what I do so I go around and pick them up before the town does because it's fair game but the next town from us you got to pay for your individual trash service which kind of sucks because I rather pay another company because I like their equipment better than supplying my iron for a different company to service my house I could get a small dumpster for the same price of what it's costing me my town to pick up my trash with the extra bags of trash we produce
I fired Republic during the pandemic after they raised their price by 20%. They wanted me to pay them $30.00 to pickup their old can. I had used this can for over 15 years. I refused to pay that charge. They wouldn’t tell me where I could drop it off either. I still have the can after 3 years. I love the color of your cans.
That's pretty wild! Thanks for watching!
Bruh WM is 55.96 a month!
😱 Lesson learned! Good morning, Brad! One thing is for sure. No one can ever fault you for not being a hard worker. Keep at it, Brother!
Thank you Sir, will do!
It's great you show your mistakes so you and others can learn from them.
Thank you for the kind words!
Brad, I'm glad you got the kind of cans you purchased. Small garbage trucks have lifters for these types of cans. When your business grows, you'll be fine.
One suggestion is, when you put more cans out, get some QR Code stickers for your cans. The easier people can get on your website, the more clients you will get.
Good tip, thanks so much!
My friend tree top use to work for Toter in Statesville, NC. That place is hot in the summer time. They don't have air conditioning because of the big ovens to heat up the plastic and doors are wide open all the time. Every so often they have a Toter yard sale and they just sale directly to the public pretty cheap. If you ever need trash can and other totes, just wait and go to the Toter yard sale. But in your case you wanted the special stuff and I can't blame you. What probably took so long was the orange color plastic. They deal in green, brown and black mostly. It's been there all my life.
Too cool! Yes, that's the place these shipped from. Neat piece of history/knowledge, thanks for sharing!
Orange you glad to see me?!?!? Ohhh I couldn't resist Brad!! This video was really enjoyable Bud. Wishing you the absolute best with the new business. Inagree with wifey orange was the eay to go. Very eye catching. Hoping all is well my friend, Dirty Jersey out!!
LOL Love it!
Great video! It's interesting to see the detailed breakdown of costs and logistics for ordering such a large quantity of branded trash cans. This is valuable information for anyone looking to expand or diversify their business. The long-term vision you have for pivoting away from mowing while still maintaining your original company is inspiring.
Thank you! I appreciate the comment!
Good luck with the new business Brad. Hope everything works out.
Thank you so much!
Leaving in your gaffes and bloopers is what makes your videos better than others and adds the humor element to them. It givese me a chuckle. (Like dropping a bin off at the wrong address haha) A lot of people would edit that out for fear of looking stupid but who cares , we all do it and it shows you’re a genuine bloke who doesn’t take himself too seriously. The fact you even have to justify and explain to people your colour choice of bins is ridiculous, at a guess they would be non business people.. Its marketing , its safety, its visibility , it looks good, it’s a no brainer really but Karen’s will be Karen’s and need to find something to whinge about. Look forward to the next video mate. 💪
Many thanks for the kind words!
I KNOW YUOR A SMART MAN. WHEN YOU ARE TELLING PEOPLE WHAT TYPE OF WORK AN HOW YOUR GOING TO DO YOUR JOB THEY COME OUT LIKE RATS KNOWING SO MUCH MORE THAN YOU , DO IT LIKE YOU FIGURED YOU KNOW BEST IT WILL WORK HARD WORK WILL PAY OFF LOVE YOUR VIDEOS HOPE YOU ARE DOING WELL YOUR ON THE RIGHT PATH 😊
I'm glad you're planning for the future. Trash will never go out of business and with time, you'll get a side loader truck and reduce the physicality of the work. If you don't already have a class B CDL, get it and charge it to the company expenses.
Great feedback, thanks!
Next video I bought a trash truck with hydraulic arm 😂
LOL I wish! Need a few more cans (more like a few hundred more cans) on the street before I could afford that!
Yep he will have to bit the bullet and buy at least a small trash truck maybe a used one, putting trash liners in the cans is crazy and expensive the money you saves with no trash liners put toward the truck, if you hope to grow your business that the only way to go.
This comment aged very well.😂😂
Brad this is crazy man, you’re a legend
LOL Crazy is right!
I applaud you, sir. As you know from being an established business owner already, the hardest part about it is actually getting started. Learn as you go, just like you did with landscaping. Best of luck to you.
Thank you for the kind words!
HDX 50 Gal. Clear Extra Large Trash Bags (100-Count) HDX50GC100-2PK - The Home Depot
These are 50Gal bgs Cost about .32 per bg excluding tax. Hope this helps. This is what I use in lawncare.
Kudos to your wife on the orange color... it makes you stand out over the competition.
Wishing you the best in your new endeavor.
Stay safe and God Bless from Texas.
I don't think a 50 gallon bag will fit in a 96 gallon can :D
@@CopperCreekCutsif you end up buying smaller cans lol
Really enjoying you sharing your journey of starting a new business. Anyone who’s towed a trailer has had their share of oh cr&p moments. A set inspection routine really helps. Wishing you success!
Awesome! Thank you!
I look forward to these videos. Very inspirational. Tks again for sharing the journey!
Very much appreciated!
If you flip the top lid closed on the tall stacks of cans they will not collect as much rain water. There will always be some but closing the top lid really helps keep the weight down. Also keep an eye out for an old mattress that you can use to soften the blow when you do have to tip them over. Keeps the cans looking nice and your neighbors will appreciate it too. Good luck!
Excellent point! Wrapping up for the day I realized my mistake about leaving the tops open and had to spend 20 minutes shuffling and closing each one! :D
For sure. You would need to cluster your customers in order to make money. The orange cans are a great for marketing. When the last few people on a street or in an area see everyone else has your service, let’s hope they hop on board.
That's the thoughts, we will see if it works! :D
its great to see someone starting a new trash business! im glad you thought about wanting to do this, its a great benefit for the community and environment especially since you care about customers and pricing and want to offer the best service there can be. sometimes its also great to change stuff up and get a feel for new experiences. as an enthusiast of the refuse industry and someone going into it, i really admire this a lot! i definitely will love to follow on this and hope sometime in the future youll be able to get an automated or at least manual truck with a tipper on it. kudos to you!!!
Thanks for the kind words!
@@CopperCreekCuts not a problem !
Good work! I really hope you succeed!
Thank you!
Thanks for sharing, I find this very neat that you're taking this on in addition to mowing. I figured the reason was that it's easier on your body, and then you talked about it at the end!
In my area someone just opened a business literally cleaning garbage cans. Guess your boujee Florida residents will at least have clean trash cans due to the liner.
I'm surprised with your lawn care business you weren't financially able to go all in with a garbage truck. But I haven't been on RUclips much recently and if I remember right your wife quit her job to help with the social media and your business so maybe the cash flow isn't good enough for that big of a risk right now.
Can't wait for the future videos on the new trash business!
$260,000 was the quote for the truck we wanted. Traditional financing would have been $4,500 a month. Insurance was another $1,200 a month on it. Plus fuel, tires, grease, DEF, etc. My wife wisely talked me out of going that route when we had zero customers.
The Orange Toters look beautiful!!!! Plus Totors are the best!
Thank you!
I paid $150 for same size a few years ago for a single can in Canada. So easily a decent deal you got. I'm sure in bulk / directly from a manufacture is much better then going to a hardware store.
I think you are right!
Definitely sharing your mistakes helps out the community. Walk around safe so important, I always seem to notice tire tread, leaking fluid.. it's just a good habit to start. Great video 👍🏻
Great tip! Thank you!
Well they say orange is the new black and I really like it. It stands out and looks professional. All the best in the world for your new business Brad xx
Haha, thanks so much!
@@CopperCreekCuts You’re welcome xx
absolutely love this trash pickup business model!
Thanks so much!
Granted it's not the most efficient way to run a trash business, but it looks like you've done it on a "shoe string" with just buying a trailer for your existing truck, and then trash cans. I have not seen a trash business operate with liners, but it makes complete sense without a garbage truck. Fun watching you start this service and seeing it grow.
Many thanks! Hoping to ditch the liners in the future once I get a tipper arm. A lot also depends on how the dump trailer holds loose trash going down the highway.
i appreciate the orange color. my town just went to requiring all trash in cans at the street, and they are all BLACK. can AND lid. and let me tell you, you cant see them at ALL when driving at night. if its windy, and one isnt that heavy, blows out in the road, you'd never see it before you hit it.
I never thought about that, excellent point! Thank you for watching!
I admire you for starting a business in our current economy. You remind me a lot of my stepdad. When he started his cleaning business in the 90’s, he wanted his prices to be as reasonable as possible, and was very customer friendly. He also only wanted to serve a certain geographical area. The orange is a great idea, your wife is a keeper!
Thank you for all the kind words!
Did you mean the current booming economy?
Im from Spain and here we dont have this type of bussiness so I was very intrigued and amazed by your journey. I think that with a side opening trailer you could be more efficient and punish less your back. You can stack some containers horizontaly so you only have to pull each container without lifting It up. And I would add some type of tray for the full bags, so IF any of them have liquids and leak, you can clean It easier. Amazing video
Very good feedback and tips, thank you for the comment and for watching!
Great video Brad! Very informative. ❤
Thanks!
Great PSA at the beginning. At my last job, the most senior guy in the company forgot to double check his trailer pin and it popped off the hitch when he ran over a set of train tracks. Flipped the UTV and damaged the trailer really badly. He could have killed someone as well. Always do a walk around, especially when you're "in a hurry"!
Yeesh, hope everyone walked away! Thanks for watching!
Toter with good customer service. I damn near fell over.
Notice I only commented on the sales side, not the customer service. :P
Exciting to see! Indeed you will need a lot of customers in the same area to make the big money. Wishing you luck growing this business.
Thanks so much!
One of my college jobs was building the cans for a garbage company one summer - I would build about 100 every day. They were Toter brand too. Good times!
Very cool!
I liked the orange right away, it was different and gave a more "modern" feeling. Like someone else said, good marketing 👍🏻
Thank you kindly!
@@CopperCreekCuts your wife is a smart lady 😁
I love the orange. Our former local company in Eau Claire, WI called Boxx Sanitation used orange cans with brown lids (and later brown cans with brown lids for recycling). The orange certainly stands out, however I will say the cans start to look quite pink after 8-10 years depending on if people keep them in their garage or outside. Boxx used primarily Cascade, but did buy Rehrig Pacific for a while. I tend to think the Toters are a bit too "squishy" or flimsy compared to some of the other molded cans, but at the end of the day they'll work!
Very good feedback, thank you! I don't like the orange turning to pink but it still works for visibility I guess! :D
Dennis said to tell you…why it’s a “must” to ALWAYS do a proper pre trip! So happy it’s all good!
He speaks the truth!!!
@@CopperCreekCuts yeah I don’t like it buts he’s usually right🤦♀️
@@meloneycrews 🤣😂
You got a new sub. I'm curious about this new business venture and you explain everything great.
Awesome, thank you!
that orange look clean af keep up the good work👍
Thanks, will do!
If you're going to hire-help then you might ought to install a buzzer of some sort to allow the driver to know if those doors are latched. Or maybe even just a buzzer on the trailer that buzzes when given power with an open gate.
Not a bad idea, just more work than I would ever do (and more importantly I wouldn't know how to rig something like that up).
@@CopperCreekCuts It's no different than a reverse-buzzer except you'd need a magnet-switch or something. Try asking different semi-mechanics for what might be possible.
When you put your liners in, try this. Open the bag, grab the bottom of the bag and run it through a O with your other hand 👌🏻 so that it’s straightened out.
When you put it in the can, it’ll remove a lot of that air in the bottom. When you put the bag in like a balloon, the bottom gets full of air. So when someone throws in weight, that bag is going to pull down.
Long story short, that’ll help your liners not fall in the can during the week. If you still have a problem, tie a knot on a corner and you can tighten the bag.
Ps I had a neighbor who did basically what you’re doing and it has done really well. He also deals with dumpsters.
Cheering you on, bud.
Thanks so much!
You could also try getting a flyer with a semi-sticky backing/sticky tab/easy peel. Follow the other trash company pickup and pop a sticker on the cans that have been emptied, you then wont have to walk to each door and the ad will be on the can ready for them to read.
LOL That may be too predatory for me, but I like the idea!
Carts are the way to go! And the orange definitely can help you know if your at the right stop 😂
Also, if you get automatic trucks in the future, it will be fluid motion going through routes, with hardly any labor! Look forward to seeing more from these endeavors, and I wish you well, and a Great week this week Doing business!
Thanks for the tips!
I love the bright orange.
I swear some people will find anything to complain about.
A garbage can goes out the night before and gets taken in after it’s picked up. It’s not sitting in your front yard all week.
Such were my thoughts but some people don't listen to reason! :D
I have a steep yard so mine sits about halfway up the driveway on the side. It's in the front yard. I'd hate Orange. Bad enough that the recycling is blue. Yes I could build a "trash can house" to hide it, but none of my neighbors would so the whole neighborhood would be littered with bright orange containers.
For putting the wheels on the toters you can lay it on the side with the axle resting on a 2x6 so you can hammer on the end caps
I think I was worried about the abrasion along the whole side vs. concrete doing that but I guess I could get a plywood piece or something to fix that!
@@CopperCreekCuts plywood and a blanket #ProblemSolved
Great video, and the cans are perfect!
Thank you!
Like what others are saying I appreciate that you show your mistakes and own up to them
Also congrats on how the business is going
I appreciate that!
😂 The cans look awesome. Grate job .
Thank you!
Pre-trip inspections!
Going to start them!
This is soo amazing and inspiring
Thank you for the kind words!
You could try grabbing a small ebike or escooter, park on the street and zip around the houses or down those long drives for getting new business. Also be prepared for super heavy full bins, that small bin you emptied looked heavy at 1/3 the size.
Not a bad idea!
You should buy cans from Roto they last 30 years plus there first generation were rumored to be bulletproof but they last more than toters and the Toter EVR 1 they are great as well
We will see how the toters hold up.
Love the orange color, orange everywhere!
Haha, thanks!
Great video content. I really like how you share.
I appreciate that!
You should look into getting a Perkins SAT8 or similar trash compactor. Just fits in the bed of an 8ft pick up and has a tilter.
That would be really cool but it is mainly a cost/benefit thing. I would be willing to bet it costs more than the dump trailer which has about 15 yards of storage and 4.5 tons capacity compared to the 8 yds/1 ton capacity of the Perkins (I think my truck payload is around 3K and guessing the lifter weights at least 1K)
Dude, I love seeing 200 cans stacked up in the back of your trailer, that looks so awesome. But its a sad state of affairs when most of the can companies you contacted, didn't bother to respond. Thats just how you know that they don't need your business, you made the right decision to go with Toter, since they keep it real. I have a suggestion about the .75 cents per bag, why don't you contact the trash bag company, and make a collaboration deal to get them cheaper in bulk. I loved that lady who said that she was so happy to see you, that just confirms you are doing the right thing here with this business.
I already reached out to them, no reply yet! :D
This is super cool to see the behind-the-scenes of a business like this. I do have a couple questions as someone who lives in an urban area with different types of services:
1. Are liners normal in your area? I've never seen them used before where I live in the NW. We typically just throw it all in the bin.
2. Do you plan on expanding to more than just garbage? My local hauler gives us 4 bins for garbage, recycling, glass, and compost/yard waste.
Thanks for watching!
They aren't standard unless you are doing it manually.
Not at this time. There wouldn't be a big enough market to justify it.
I love the orange! I think it’s unique and fun (and probably will make good brand recognition for your company, at least where I live, no one has orange trash cans.) Good call Brad’s wife 👏
Haha, I agree!
It doesn’t seem to matter what you are doing, I either get a good laugh or learn something new. This was both. To bad more people don’t have you work ethic or business sense!
Thank you for the kind words!
Paying about $70/cart all in isn't bad given it's a smaller order with a special color and hot stamp. IIRC the cost per cart in larger orders such as 10,000 for a city contract or something is around $40-$60 depending on the size/model/manufacturer. Toter is a good brand too.
I thought it was very reasonable.
love the color for all the reasons mentioned.
Thank you!
New subscriber! Great Video, thank you!
I think the liners are really smart. Forget about what people say. I carried the brute trash cans on my back full of debris for years to dump on the road for the county to pick up or dump in a trailer/truck bed. It’s way easier and quicker and less on my body jugs to buy the bigger more expensive brute trash can with wheels to wheel to the trailer/road. People are like you being weak blah blah. We are here to make money. Be profitable and get in and out while doing a good job and taking care of our health. Who cares what people say.again, I think the liners are a great idea. And jugs like lawn care. You’ll learn as you go what’s best for you and your company. I think you’re gonna take over with that business model. I see you as the Mike Andes of trash pick up lol people will se professionalism the brand and say I want that orange trash can pick up service lol you’ll do great man. 🙏💯💪 I’m looking forward to seeing the journey. Thanks for sharing. Makes me think when I want to start a second business.
Thanks for watching and commenting!
Toter is the best choice as they still stack with wheels on. not all others will
Didn't know that, thanks!
If you want your logo to be durable and long lasting you should request polyfuse labeling. Its a bit of a upcharge but much more durable then other labeling methods.
I got them hot stamp. I don't foresee any issues but time will tell.
Honestly, this looks pretty dang fun. There’s all kinds of add-ons you could potentially offer as well. Though, keeping it simple is also smart. You are going to have to figure out a way to get trash in your trailer without having to throw it in by hand. I think those liners will be good most of the time, but I could see heavy loads ripping the liners getting really annoying. There has to be a way to get some sort of lift installed on that trailer
Hoping to have one installed in the next week or so!
Love the orange
Thank you!
As a cdl driver, we do what they call a pre-trip inspection. All of my guys on mow routs and landscaping trailer I enforce the to do a pre-trip inspection of the vehicle and the equipment.
Just so we catch hazards before we hit that road and put innocent bystanders at risk.
Very good policy!
are you going to buy an ASL or MSL truck?
Under CDL ASL is the long term goal.
Love the bright orange color, very unique! Hot stamp logo with the truck is neat looking as well! Never seen a company line every bin with a trash bag before - is that just a courtesy you provide, or a goal to keep them clean? Or just for first delivery? Good luck with continuing the company, came here from your comment on HunterDawg89's video of the under-CDL truck
Never mind, just watched your on route video - the bags make sense now given your preliminary method of collection haha.
Thanks for watching and commenting! At this point we have bought a truck (no video on it yet, only ran it one week) and the liners are history! :D
Perfect color cans!! 👌🏼
Thank you!
Definitely need to carry treats for distribution to your biggest fans on your route. 🐶🐶🐶
LOL good idea!
One thing that might make you reconsider the orange is that the cans will fade really quickly. The orange has lots of red in it and unfortunately red is a color that fades fast due to the UV in the sun. In a couple years it will be really noticeable when you place a new can next to an old one. They will also become more brittle with the fade. In a few years you will start to need replacing them unless you are not going to care how they look, but based on your attention to detail, I think you will face a dilemma on what to do, replace 3 year old cans because of fading with now more expensive cans or live with the faded color and subsequent loss of perceived care you have.
Hmmm, good point! Only time will tell. I saw another comment stating they would fade to pink which would kind of stink as far as the color scheme BUT would still work for grabbing attention. Thanks for the feedback, much appreciated!
Woa, why are the trash cans so extremely large? Also, is it common for people to have liner in their trash can?
96 gallons, they are the big ones. No, liners aren't common.
I’m assuming the strobes come on when the doors open or are you just driving around with them on ???
They are always on. An attempt to get people driving from our rear to pull attention to us.
@@CopperCreekCuts if they are always on you are the reason no one respects yellow lights in construction zones. You aren’t cool because you always have lights on for fun like you think you are.
Could you please tell me what kind of strobe light bar and backrack you have/where did you get it from? Great luck to you on new adventures.
Speed Tech Lights and Spyder Industries
Be careful with the lids, they begin to crack when There is pressure near the lid hinges. As for the wheels, what I do is take the axel and stand it up on concrete and attach and hammer the pal nut on one side (the name for the metal caps) and then slide the axel through one wheel and then put in the holes of the can. Then take the second wheel, attach it on the axel and then using a knee pad or with a gloved hand press against the cap on the other side and hammer it in. There is a dilemma… if you smack these caps in too hard, good luck getting them off for repairs. They are hard to come off. The lids are easy repair, requires a torx bit. Very neat that you are getting organized here. You should have ordered some variety with your toters, maybe like have bought 35 64 gallon ones for a downsized service for customers who have problems wheeling out a big can or don’t make as much trash. You’re a starter so, cut you some slack. I hope you took down the serial numbers on those things.. people unfortunately will steal these for whatever purpose they want. Writing the serial number does help to keep track of what can belongs to what property. Good job though, I’m just providing some recommendations. Oh and sorry about the long ass comment 😂
Thank you for the kind words and tips/tricks. I appreciate them!
i like the orange.....but you would be surprised about getting your number from the can....i moved into the country 5 years ago and got a number from my neighbors can bc only 2 companies are in the area for trash i guess.
Very nice! Thanks for the feedback!
Very informative video, like the company orange color, have you considered down the road wrapping your truck in the same orange color, matching truck and trailer would be a great visual. 😎👍🏼👍🏼
I have, but I use the same truck for Copper Creek Cuts AND Baker County Trash Pickup, so trying to keep it as brand agnostic as possible. Maybe in the future if the trash company deserves a dedicated truck?
i use to build cans for the city those same toter cans building those 8 hours a day is rough
I bet they are!
I think you are doing great brand management.
I know orange and black is your brand. But I would have done the number and logo in white so it was more visible.
I was worried about contrast issues with white on orange.
I think that if your wife, or maybe your kids, take an empty liner and put it in the tote after you have taken out the full liner that may save some time? Just a thought. I can hear the wheels turning in your head all the up here in Illinois!
Haha, too funny! Might be something worth trying!
How does this work?
Is there more then one company that collects the trash?
Doesn't do that the city or state?
Check out the playlist, there is a video near the start that answers all these questions.
In Texas we would like to start one but how you go about to get them customers and set up routes
Marketing! Will do a separate video on it one day soon.
I pay $14/week to have my two cans picked up. I had to supply my own cans otherwise I have to pay a rental fee for the toters. I hope you’re charging people a rental fee and you’re not including that on your $8/week pick up price. Charge a few $ bucks a week rental and that’ll include replacing the can if it breaks or servicing them etc. peace of mind for home owner.
Matching pricing in the local market. I can't do what is common in your market or I wouldn't be able to compete.
Thanks for sharing!
Thanks for watching!
Is it $8 each week per can or $8 per month?
$8 per week ($8 per pickup is another phrase I think I use sometimes).
@@CopperCreekCuts thanks. I really enjoy your content and can’t wait to continue watching this journey. I’m going to look into trying the dumpster pickup business in my area.
What milestones will you need to reach until you obtain a grabber truck?
It all depends on placing X00 cans. I don't know what number that is yet, I don't have enough data.
Do you collect recycling and garbage or is it all just whatever is in the can? Maybe when your business is big enough if it’s worth it you could separate recycling using the lime green cans. Thanks for the video!
No recycling. No money in it and would have to create a second day/route for it (plus buy more cans).
@@CopperCreekCuts Down the line I bet you could figure out a system that works for it if you offer it at an extra charge. Around here we have a company that just puts a recycle sticker on the same cans vs getting a different color. Maybe you could use clear liners for recycle and just throw them in your pick-up bed on your regular trash route. It would save you trash tonnage as well. Just a thought
I live in the suburbs of a large city. If I had a service like yours where you manually lift all the garbage into the truck I would be very conscious on what I throw out so it’s not a huge hassle. My big name garbage collection company’s all have fancy garbage trucks for no physical labor besides the occasional large item. I threw away a bunch of pieces of old deck wood full of nails which is really heavy and would break any bag or liner. I hope you do finally get a machine to do all the heavy lifting instead of you. It must be really tiring to lift all those bags! Hope your business succeeds and you get more clients!
Thank you for the kind words. I am hoping in the next week to get our lifter arm installed (If I do you will probably see it in two or three Saturday videos from now).
@@CopperCreekCuts It’s a must if you wanna save your back! I hope to see the updates.
Do you ever plan on getting a garbage truck later on ?
Long term, but only if I can place enough cans to justify it.
hey mate, ive had the same idea for awhile now but haven't added this service yet. how much do you charge the customer? do you charge a sign up fee etc also? and is it $8 flat rate?
I have a span of pricing depending on what discounts folks qualify for. $8 per pickup is the rough cost for the cheapest plan, which is an annual paid in full.
@@CopperCreekCuts any chance you could message me more about it mate? I’m no competition for you haha I live in Australia. I’m really interested in starting this side of my business as junk removal has slowed down a lot
Embarrassment is 2nd only to pain as a way to learn a lesson. Glad no pain was involved in this one.
Well said, thank you!
Do you do mowing Yards and trash pickup
Yes, still run the lawn care business.