The Weighing Of Your Dumpster

As you may or may not already know, every dumpster comes with a specified weight limit. No matter if you are using a permanent dumpster or a temporary dumpster, your container should have a specific weight limit. Going over your dumpsters weight limit could incur a numerous amount of extra fees and unwanted charges.

While every waste removal company has a different method for weighing the waste debris, most are very similar in the way that they weigh the truck. Usually, dumpsters are delivered to worksites on a semi-truck or a garbage like truck and these trucks are weighed with the dumpster before they reach the site for placement. They will be weighed again after collecting your full dumpster and the weight will be subtracted from the original weight of the truck.

Another common method for weighing your waste is to empty the contents of your container onto a large scale and weigh it that way. Both options for weighing of the dumpster are usually done at the landfill closest to the area of pickup. Your trash hauler will bill you for any overweight charges once the landfill makes them aware of the weight of your trash. This turnaround from the landfill to the hauler can take up to 2 months. 

Sometimes dumpsters full of trash are taken to transfer stations outside of your town before they are taken to landfills. The transfer stations will weigh your dumpster by using one of the above techniques and then separating your trash. The waste is separated into recyclable materials and non-recyclable materials. The non-recyclables are then taken to a landfill and the recyclables are taken to recycling centers where they can be made into something useful.

The truck scales at the transfer stations and landfills are calibrated regularly and certified by the department of Weights and Measures according to legal regulations determined by the state. If you do not agree with the weight of your dumpster, you can almost always request a weight ticket. Obtaining the weight ticket can take about 2 weeks because the hauler must contact the transfer station or landfill and then the hauler will contact you.

If you are unsure about the weight of the items you are tossing into the container, most of the time your dumpster rental company should be able to help you out with this. There are many different tools that can also help you determine the weight of your waste debris, just do a quick google search for it and you will be sure to find the weight.

For more information regarding how to keep your dumpster within the weight limit, check out our previous blog post here. If you do not feel like reading another blog, the main points to keep in mind are to keep all items inside the walls of the dumpster. Most dumpsters cannot be collected and they will be determined overweight if there are items sticking out of the top or hanging off the sides of the dumpster. Thank you for taking the time to read our blog and feel free to contact us with any questions or comments.