Question:
I’m finally going to the “Big Show.” I’ve never been to the Pumper & Cleaner Expo and I’m wondering what I should be looking for. I have been in portable toilets for a little over a year now.
Nick Gillespie
Spokane, Wash.
Answer:
It will be worth your while. This will be the first year the show is in Louisville and it will be bigger than ever. Everyone who supplies parts, chemicals, pumps, trucks, financing, business and computer systems will be there. Every aspect of the pumping business is covered.
In my early days in the business, I was skeptical that a trade show would really do me and my business any good. The cost of getting there, the hotel and the miscellaneous expenses caused me to hesitate. But I was wrong. The return was much greater than the investment. And I think the Pumper & Cleaner Expo offers something worthwhile to anyone in the industry.
First off, there are the educational programs. These programs are advertised in PRO™. If you have the time and want to learn more about specific subjects, check out the program.
Kicking the tires
As for the exhibits, everyone in the industry is there. Since you mentioned you are in the portable sanitation business, you will find service trucks from all over the country, polished up and ready for your inspection. Obviously, manufacturers are there to put their very best products and ideas on display. As you look at the various types of trucks from the many manufacturers, you will get a lot of ideas on how you might want your next truck to be built. Or you might find improvements that can be made to the trucks currently in your fleet.
Maybe you want to talk to a manufacturer about an idea you’d like to incorporate in a truck. Those discussions will tell you if it is possible and, even more importantly, how willing some manufacturers are to implement your design concepts. Maybe they can tell you whether they think your idea has merit.
Meeting with others in your industry is a plus. Everyone has problems, and sometimes you can find solutions to those nagging problems just by talking to each other or talking to the people who build the trucks or supply the parts. You can also gauge how well vendors you’re interested in know the ins and outs of what you do.
I enjoy looking at various layouts of trucks and comparing how each one might work. And don’t be afraid to ask why and where manufacturers include specific components on their trucks. There should be a pretty good reason why the truck is laid out as it is.
Time is money
How ergonomic is the design of the hose trays? How much climbing has to be done on the truck to keep it properly maintained? How much walking around the truck has to be done to get the job started and finished? As you know, a well-designed truck can greatly improve your bottom line.
The truck that suits you is the one that lets you do a thorough and quality job in the least amount of time. Each restroom contractor has his or her own way of doing things, and that’s why there are so many different designs of vacuum trucks. The question is, What suits you? The business is founded on the concept that time is money. And since it is your money and your time, figure out what will do the best job for you.
At the show, talk to people and develop new ideas that will help your business run more efficiently. Take your camera and shoot photos of trucks and equipment to review when you return home.
