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Loading Your Roll off Dumpster

So you have a home project that calls for a roll off dumpster. You have ordered the dumpster and it is now sitting in your driveway. Now what? Will it all fit? How are you going to load the dumpster? Well, some simple tips will help you get the most out of your roll off dumpster rental.

First, no matter what you are trying to accomplish, some simple pre-planning will help ensure you get the most out of the dumpster and hopefully complete your project with little or no stress. Different kinds of containers require different strategies to maximize your debris removal for each and every container. We will address two types of dumpster use today, the construction dumpster rental and the house cleanout dumpster rental.

dumpstermessyConstruction Dumpster Rental

When cleaning up a construction project, you will encounter many different types of debris. There could be sheetrock, plywood, 2×4’s, tile, cabinets, tubs, sinks, etc. Many people load debris starting with whatever is closest to the container and keep working out away from the container regardless of what they are loading.

However, I can’t tell you how many thousands of times people have said to me, “Yeah, when I got to the end, I just didn’t have any space for “this or that”.” And usually with a little better planning, the item(s) in question could have fit easily.

First, survey your site and find materials of similar shape/size. Also, look for any large and bulky items that may be difficult to load into a partially filled dumpster. Make a plan as to exactly when and where you will put such items. Then, if you can, load the flat objects such as plywood, paneling etc. on the bottom of the container. Stack it flat so as to leave as little space as possible.

Next, find all your 2×4’s, vinyl siding, and anything that is long and straight and load them into the container with them lying in the same direction (not like a game of pick-up-stix). Now, you may find some “holes” developing in the container while you are loading. These “holes”, or pockets of air, can be filled with smaller material during the loading process such as wood cut ends, pieces of sheetrock, roofing material and so on. Continue this process until your roll off dumpster is loaded to the max!

House Cleanout Dumpster Rental

This can be a very difficult task and every cleanout is going to be different. Your best bet in this case is to survey your entire project and come up with a game plan. First, identify large bulky items that cannot be broken down in size.

Items such as sofas, oversized chairs, exercise equipment that are odd shaped may be difficult to load once other items are placed inside the dumpster. These items should be planned for in advance. You may want to load them first or at different stages of your cleanup depending upon your circumstances. Remember, our primary goal is to eliminate empty space inside your dumpster so formulate a plan with that goal in mind.

Next, identify items that are bulky but can be broken down into more manageable pieces. Use these items to fill in large spaces that are left after the bulky items are loaded. As with the construction dumpster instructions, use smaller items to fill in the holes created by your bulky items. This is an especially important task for a house cleanout. The bulky items create many large pockets of space within a container. Use small items to fill these voids throughout the loading process so you don’t lose valuable space.

You will be amazed at how much you can fill into a container following this procedure. When there are no more large items and all the voids have been filled, finish the job by loading the remaining small items into the roll off dumpster.

I hope these tips help make your roll off dumpster rental a positive and productive experience.

Be safe, be well and most of all BE HAPPY!

Dale Olander
President
D&D Disposal
(732) 341-6900