[mark_roberts]

I'm still weighing up the purchase of a truckmount over the next few months and have been looking at my jobs over the past four weeks for access.

26 jobs could have been done with the truckmount either parked on street or driveway.
11 jobs could only be done with the portable due to not being able to park near the house or on the same side of the street.
10 jobs done with the texatherm system

Question is how do truckmount users get around this problem of parking.  Do you turn jobs down or come back later?

From these figures I would find it hard to justify the expence of a truckmount when half the time I need the portable.

thanks
Mark

[Nigel_W]

Hi Mark,

This truck mount user carries 2 portables and a spotting machine on his van. That way there is no job I can't do. Most truck mount users I have talked to say they turn away jobs they can't do with the truck. In London I can't afford to do that as the traffic wardens have now made many more jobs inaccessible with a truck.

Nigel

[Phil Marlor]

Mark,

In over 2 years I have not been able to reach about 4 jobs. Which I passed on to Russell.

Why do you think you cant do all this work with a TM?

The only thing I would use a portable for is a suite.
Most of my customers have drives, perhaps its very posh around here

Your going to do it one day Mark, just a matter of WHEN!!

Phil

[Glynn]

I have turned down 1 job in 3 years. bearing in mind we do over 1500 jobs a year
It is not a problem (around here anyway)
I park on yellows - once in Preston city centre I parked up, hoses etc connected. Traffic warden came along, had a look, asked me what I was doing. I explained what it was all about and he said " OK obviously you HAVE to  park here, carry on theres nothing we can do about it.
I sold ALL portable machines as I found I wasn't using them at all, in fact the last exel did just 2 hrs in 15 months (1 job) I decided that it would deteriorate if not used so it went.

If your serious about a TM then buy one, its no good keep asking others opinions, they will allways be the same, its your choice.
Or what you could do with is a week with a busy TM operaor so you can see for yourself just what its all about, just one or two jobs is no good, its a few or more busy days you need to see.
Also with an on board fresh water tanks - set up time is less than half the time of a portable, I can arrive on site (typical semi) start the machine, solution line in and be hydroforcing WITHIN 2 mins, then hydroforce back in van - vac hoses in and cleaning . Its soooo organised its impressive.

Regards

Glynn

[SMP]

What - no pre-vac - you bad lad!!!

Steve

[mark_roberts]

Nigel

Why two portables?

[Dave_Lee]

Mark,
Before I went TM, I too (Im sure everyone does) had doubts about reaching jobs, parking, when its raining, (doors open) van security. I asked one TM user how he went on. He told me, he too had, had the same doubts, but had never had any of them materialise once he got his TM. I can entirely back this up. Just build into your quoting, questions relating to parking and reach if necesary, theres usually a way round things. Like Glynn, Ive never had aproblem in our area, even when double parking in Preston city centre one Sunday.
Go get one!
Dave.

[Len Gribble]

Mark

Your question how do tm’s get round parking my reply by asking the customer the right questions re parking there is no way I would tamp a porty ¼ mile or man handle it up 5 flights of stairs for say £50.

I have a job tomorrow Kent bus stop and two yellow lines checked with the parking office ok after 09.30an as long as I have hoses from van to building that ok it’s a porty job.

Having a big van can cause neg vib’s with local wardens not that I have one but a nice yellow flashing light helps, if I could post some pictures of some of the stunts I have pulled

By your post you have already made you mind up

Len  

[adl]

I can only see this from a diferent angle to everyone on here, i have never owned a portable, having only started cc ing in 2003 i bought a TM i like glyn and dave never have a problem i have only had one job that couldnt be done daytime with TM and that was due to it being a bank with a small flood near the vault

[Dave Parry]

Mark, Had same concerns as you, before I bought my T/M.
Since Feb only used Ninja twice. both curtain jobs. 150 jobs with T/M. No access problems been unable to solve.
Also lot easier carrying hoses up stairs than ninja.

[Londoner]

I still think  that access is a huge problem in London whether for a TM or just a van and portable.
The closer you go in towards the centre the worse it gets. And its no good trying to sweet talk the wardens because it doesn't work.
You used to be able to work on a Sunday but even that is no longer possible.
I have never seen a TM working in central London

[Dynafoam]

We see here how situations vary.

I no longer have a TM because there were too many of my jobs where it was totally impractical to use one and since it was mounted in a trailer (no room on the transit) I was concerned about its' security whilst not with me.

On the other hand there are others in my area who opperate TMs.

The decision whether or not to buy one must depend on you market.

John.

[Len Gribble]

Vince

It’s not just London it’s also suburbia example Gravesend Kent bus stop then double yellow doing a restaurant contacted local parking office re double lines advised by them no go before 0930 or after 1230 also if the wardens see pipes going into premieres they leave you alone they are not all jobs worth, I often double park in London though not central, pipe to building plus a yellow light flashing it works wonders with the powers to be, but if one does a customer who has permit holders only get the ticket of them.

I’m in the process of drying a carpet after a flood in my local high street t/lights d/yellow but enough room to park 50/50 pavement/road I have contacted my local parking dept no problem if done between times. Granted these are commercial work, domestic is something else you need to check parking being tm or port.

Care should be taken re parking you have the local then the traffic wardens two different rules, then who knows them!

Len

[Dynafoam]

Len,

Double yellow lines are one thing, but I have a number of domestic customers where there is no road within 500 feet of the house and because of parking problems I often have to park further away than that  

John.

[Shaun_Ashmore]

It's not a leprocy colony is it?

Had to ask

Shaun

[Dynafoam]

The locals call it "Alcatras"

[Fintan_Coll]

Interesting reading ,how some cleaners have problems trying to operate in the middle of London. I by contrast did some work recently on Tory Island nine miles off the coast. Had to load all my equipment on to a small ferry boat, off load when we got to the Island and wheel my portable up the pier and on to the first customers house. Certainly no parking problems here, the van was parked on the mainland nine miles away. A truckmount would not have been much use to me. Two different worlds surely .

[Doug Holloway]

Fintan,

Your post explains where all the conservative voters have gone.

I bet the capitals called Thatchers town

Cheers,

Doug

[Dennis]

Going slightly off topic, this thread reminds me of the time an oil company enquired if we would interested in cleaning some carpets on an oil rig off the Norfolk coast!

They wanted a survival course taken in case we were there longer than 1 day, the portable and all the gear would go out on a supply ship in a container and we would take a helicopter! I thought it was a wind up at first but declined, I'm too lazy for all that performance. I'll never be competion for Simon Gerrard!

You can imagine, oh no I've left the citrus gel in the van!

[nick.solution]

Hi Guys

I have flown my portable out to the Scilly Isles three years running to clean some hotels before the season starts, even had to load it myself the baggage handlers said it was to heavy to lift, would have been too expensive and to time consuming to take a truck mount even if I had one, also they tend to drop things like fire engine and cars off the ferry on the Scillies.

Best regards Nick