When All 3 Vans Broke Down. A Week in the Life of a Waste Removal Business Owner

Running a waste removal company sounds simple on paper. Collect rubbish, keep customers happy, stay on schedule and keep the wheels moving. The truth is very different. Behind every collection there is a team juggling routes, bookings, customer expectations, weather, roadworks and the constant pressure of keeping a fleet of vehicles on the road.

This week gave us the perfect example. All three of our vans broke down at the exact same time. Three. Not one. Not two. Every van in the fleet. If you know the industry you already know the impact this has.

The Moment It Happened

It started with one van losing power on the motorway. Minutes later the second van overheated. Before we could reorganise the day the third van called in with mechanical failure. It felt like a scene from a film but without the humour. Every job booked in that day instantly became a challenge.

The Real Impact on a Small Business

When vans go down so does almost everything else. Routes are cancelled or rescheduled. Customers are waiting and expecting a service. Labour hours go up, efficiency drops and the financial hit begins. Mechanics are booked, recovery trucks are sent out, and the entire team has to act fast to stop one bad day turning into a bad week.

What people often do not see is the pressure that sits behind it. The stress of calling customers to rearrange. The worry of losing bookings. The unexpected repair costs. The need to keep staff organised and motivated when the tools they need are not available. It is the side of waste removal that rarely gets spoken about and only seen by a Waste Removal Business Owner

How I Responded as a waste removal business owner

I spent the entire day reorganising the business hour by hour. Staff were shifted into customer care and admin roles. I kept communication clear and honest. We prioritised urgent collections to ensure no one was left completely stuck. We pushed through because that is what small businesses do. We problem solve. We adapt. We keep going.

By the next day two of the vans were back on the road and the third followed shortly after. The backlog was cleared, customers were updated and the fleet returned to normal. It was not the week we planned, but it is a reminder that being a business owner is never smooth sailing.

Why We Share This

We believe transparency matters. Waste removal is a demanding industry with tight deadlines and even tighter margins. Breakdowns happen. Setbacks happen. What defines a good company is how they handle the unexpected. Our team showed resilience, patience and quick thinking. And our customers showed understanding, which makes all the difference.

If anything this week highlighted the reality behind the scenes. Running a waste removal business can be chaotic, stressful and unpredictable, but we still show up every day ready to do the job.

Thank you to everyone who stuck with us during the chaos.