Insightz

Ask Angela: What if we need a delivery after business hours?

Hi, Angela, we had a situation where we needed a portable toilet delivered after hours and it ended up costing more than we expected. Why did that happen, and what can we do about it in the future?

Hi, there. Thanks for asking this question. It doesn’t happen a lot, but we know sometimes people need deliveries outside of business hours and we do our best to find vendors who accommodate those requests. Here’s the low-down on after-hours pricing.

The primary reason it’s more expensive is because it creates an overtime situation for drivers and other employees. When you place a rental, a dispatcher creates a delivery route. Delivery routes are planned one or two days in advance, so any time you have a last-minute or after-hours request, they have to either re-route everything or pull a driver from another job to create a special route. Or there may not be an available driver, and they may have to bring in a subcontractor or someone from another location. Most vendors will do everything they can to get the item delivered, but the bottom line is it will probably require overtime and an increased fee. We typically see an increase of around $150 for after-hours delivery, but that can vary.

Another reason is there may not be an available unit after hours. They may have already booked all the units and they were delivered during business hours, so the vendor has to find one somewhere else and bring it in. This increases the fuel cost and delivery expense.

If price is a consideration, try to schedule deliveries during business hours, even if it means the unit is there early. If there’s no way to accept delivery during business hours, we’re glad to work with you to find what you need. Give us a call and we’ll help you find a solution. Keep in mind after-hour deliveries will cost a little extra.