THE RIG:
2008 Sterling 5500 built out by Satellite Industries
BEHIND THE WHEEL:
Wes Dooley
COMPANY:
T.L.C. Septic Services, Belgrade, Mont.
SPECS:
A 2008 Sterling Bullet four-wheel-drive truck with a 6.7-liter, 305-hp Cummins diesel engine, sending power through an 8-speed Allison automatic transmission. Satellite built out the vacuum rig with a 650-gallon waste/300-gallon freshwater steel tank tied to a Conde 6SDS PTO hydraulic-drive pump. Dooley specifically asked that the pump system be mounted above the flatbed body to avoid damage from gullies and ditches while servicing off-road accounts and snow berms in the winter. The truck could have taken a bigger tank, but Dooley preferred to go smaller because of the rough terrain and to get better fuel economy on longer service runs. The truck is outfitted with a pressure washer using a Burks DC-SS pump.
SHOWING MY COLORS:
Dooley fell in love with the flag-draped look of a nearly identical truck exhibited by Satellite at the Pumper & Cleaner Environmental Expo in February. So he ordered one after the show. “I’ve always been partial to the patriotic theme; I was trying to come up with a message like, ‘Let’s get America working again.’ This was really classy, but not over the top.’’ He went with the plain, white truck with simple blue-lettered name and phone number on the side of the tank. He’s going to add a few more graphics to the side storage boxes, offering RV cleanout services to campers around nearby Yellowstone National Park. Chrome wheels and bumpers finish off the simple look. “I’ve been out doing a service and people give me the thumbs-up because they like the patriotic graphics so well,’’ Dooley says. “Hopefully we’re getting a theme of professionalism working.’’
WORKIN'FOR A LIVIN':
Over the past 22 years, Dooley’s business has taken several diversification turns, so adding portable sanitation should be no surprise. He started doing lawn care, then bigger landscaping projects, then excavation services, including prepping for home foundations, driveways. Eventually he started installing septic systems. That led to the septic service and portable restrooms that start with this and a bigger matching rig. Dooley, 41, and his wife, Lori, bought 78 PolyPortables Inc. restrooms this year, with a first-year goal to have 100 units on construction sites and 50 units at special events. “I think if you can afford to ride out the bad economy, this is the best time to make those relationships with the contractors who are still here and are going to stay,’’ Dooley says. “When the economy starts to take off, they’re going to look at me as a good service provider and hopefully we’ll continue to grow with them.’’ Along with Lori, employee Kevin Hultman will also be working the portable sanitation side of the business.
ROLLING THE ODOMETER:
Dooley estimates the new truck will pile up 25,000 to 30,000 miles per year.
WHAT I LIKE MOST ABOUT MY TRUCK:
“What impresses me is that I bought something and it actually worked the first day. That never happens for me with a piece of equipment. It was turnkey, ready to go to work.’’
CREATURE COMFORTS:
The truck was pretty basic. In fact, Dooley deleted carpeting from the order, opting instead for easier-to-clean vinyl flooring, and went with fake leather upholstery for the same reason. “Keys and a heater, that’s what we call the option list,’’ he jokes. “Oh, it also has delayed wipers.’’ Well, the truck isn’t that stripped. It does have power windows and locks, Sirius Satellite Radio, a six-disc CD changer and cruise control. The auto transmission and engine brake make for easier driving.
WHY STERLING:
Dooley wasn’t scared off with the recent demise of the Sterling brand, once owned by Ford, then taken over by Dodge before being discontinued. He likes the beefier chassis of the heavy-duty truck with 19,500-pound GVW. “Our motto in Montana is to overbuild, overbuy and underuse,’’ he says of the truck. Dooley already runs several Dodges in his excavation business and he’s happy with their performance in the field. He also wanted the portable sanitation truck to match the Sterling septic service truck he just bought.
PAMPERING MY RIG:
Dooley’s existing business is set up for optimum vehicle maintenance in a harsh climate. His new 7,000-square-foot heated shop includes a wash bay big enough to handle semi trucks, and each of his vehicles is hand-washed at least once a week, more often if they’re working in a muddy environment. “We want to promote good service and cleanliness, and it’s hard to promote a clean restroom with a dirty truck,’’ Dooley says. The shop also includes a hoist for routine maintenance. Dooley has a mechanic come in three days a week to keep up with regular service intervals on his trucks.
MY BACKUP SERVICE VEHICLE:
“The competitor down the street,’’ Dooley jokes. This is his only portable sanitation rig at the moment, and he will consider adding another truck if he’s fielding 150 to 200 restrooms.
WHEN I'M NOT IN THE CAB:
Family time is important to the Dooleys, with sons, Wesley Jr., 10, Zac, 8, and a baby boy who they’ve just adopted after serving as his foster parent. When they get time off, the Dooleys head off-road for snowmobiling, camping and horseback riding in the Montana mountains.
