06 Jan • 5 min Read
2022 – what a year it was! Year in and year out, our team worked tirelessly and the past year has been no exception. As always, our dedicated team put in their all to successfully fulfil all skip bin orders to our countless customers.
But that doesn’t mean there weren’t any challenges! Just like every year, there were some interesting situations our drivers were faced with. Offering our skip bin hire across Western Sydney, we come across hundreds of properties each year – all completely different. This means each delivery potentially holds something new to experience!
With 2023 just beginning, now is a great time to recap some of the most testing situations our trucks and drivers faced over the last year. Check out some of the tricky situations below.
Tight Properties
An ongoing challenge we see each year is properties with little to no space for our trucks and tools. But the good news is that even when a property lacks space, it doesn’t mean the job can’t be done. It just means we need to get creative by analysing the surrounding area and being precise in our movements.
The perfect example is the home of a client we had in April. Wanting the bin at the rear of the property looked like a difficult task but our dedicated team made it happen. Analysing the entry points, we made the side access work by opening the gates and carefully reversing through.
With Sydney being an older city, it is common to come across older homes. And with a lot of older homes come tiny driveways! This Western Sydney home has a gated property and it was definitely a tight squeeze that left little room at the entrance. Talk about no breathing room! Luckily, we were able to slot the truck through the gates.
Limiting space and overhanging objects such as buildings and shelters can be a concern when establishing a spot for our skip bins. Tight access doesn’t always mean a slim area – it can also be short in height! Dropping off this skip in November, we made a sneaky placement under the awning with strategic movements and spatial awareness.
Boggy Grounds
Did you know that 2022 was Sydney’s wettest year on record? With crazy rainfall experienced throughout the year, it is no surprise that the weather caused a few issues for our drivers out and about. You might think it is easy to avoid getting bogged down, but this isn’t always the case.
This property in July was a big red flag! You could see the bogging warning from a mile away from the muddy grounds to the deep puddles. That’s why our drivers had to wait it out before we could collect the bin. While inconvenient, it is better than having our trucks stuck and stranded!
At other times, the ground can be deceiving – that’s generally how we find ourselves stuck in the mud. This is the perfect example – the sun was shining and little grass was in the area. Little did our driver know, the weight from the truck and the recent weather was a bad combination, leaving him stuck! While we made it out, it still caused a tricky delivery and escape!
Here is another instance of where the rain caused trouble last year. Sometimes the ground may look sturdy, but that isn’t always true. During delivery, one of our trucks found itself in need of help. Not to worry, one of our drivers and trucks came to fish out a brother in need, and we were back on the road in no time.
Tricky Driveways
Delivering skip bins across Sydney, we are no strangers to tricky driveways. It may not be a rocket ship but driving our trucks can be a mission! From trying to navigate an unsurfaced driveway in a location that isn’t too far off a forest to manoeuvring through narrow driveways full of obstacles, our team has done it all.
Uncompacted gravel can be a risk for our trucks, resulting in them getting bogged, so it needs to be handled with caution. The perfect example of an off-road adventure, here is a home we made a delivery to during June. Luckily, our driver was successful and left the property without any issues.
Another tricky driveway situation was with this customer from Leura. Just like many homes in the local area, the driveway was sloped. But this time, it was in a unique location – on the off-ramp entrance of a busy highway. Luckily, no challenge is too big for our team, with the driver forced to put the truck in the opposite direction facing traffic, to make the delivery successful.
There are two ways to look at an abundance of greenery – with admiration or hesitation. This elongated driveway filled with shady trees was cautiously approached by our driver. While it provides an excellent path to the heart of the property, these tree-line driveways can restrict our trucks, requiring external resources. Despite being a close call, this scenario wasn’t a problem for our team and we were able to slip right in.
Machinery Issues
Thanks to technology, the strict processes and tools we rely on daily provide us with a streamlined operation. But with automation comes the gamble of unavoidable issues with machinery.
We use hydraulic skip loaders to help fasten and ease the pick-up and delivery process. It’s a popular tool many skip bin hire companies in Sydney use as it is incredibly reliable and efficient. However, it is not exempted from the rare technological difficulty!
Earlier in 2022, our team was faced with a little hiccup. While out on the road, we noticed one of our trucks had a hydraulic failure. The problem? It was still loaded with skip bins!
With deliveries still needing to be made, we had to think fast as we couldn’t leave customers hanging. Our team banded together and quickly organised for another truck to come to the rescue, dragging the bins off and onto the new truck for delivery. Talk about teamwork!
What a hectic year it has been for our dedicated drivers! If you are looking for a skip bin hire with reliable and professional service, you know who to call – Matt’s Skip Bins!
You’re in safe hands with our team. No challenge is too big for us. To learn more, head to our website or give us a call on 02 4708 2927.
