Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/540088
2 0 1 5 V 2 | B U L L D O G | 1 3 Equipment matters Fennell says equipment reliability is equally critical to the company's success, and that's why they have depended on Mack Trucks for more than two decades. Almost all of the 60-truck fl eet is comprised of Mack ® trucks, and the Carolina Waste maintenance depart- ment works hard to keep their trucks on the road and looking great. "We were certainly pleased in the past with Mack," Fennell says. "We thought they were very dependable, and they have a wonderful service center here in the Charleston area. We felt like they were the best truck in the waste-related industry. We need equipment that can get in and out of landfi lls even in bad weather and Mack trucks fi t the bill." Carolina Waste has embraced advances in technology, fi nding it valuable for both safety and customer service. The fl eet's trucks are now equipped with a brake retarder system to help maintain a steady speed when traveling downhill, and every truck is outfi tted with a tablet-driven route management system, allowing the driver to not only record service calls but to also photograph any issues, such as overloaded containers or vehicles blocking pickup. Drivers can send the data back to the offi ce before they even complete their route and the photos provide support for issues that might have previously been open to dispute. Drivers perform daily pre-trip and post-trip inspections, reporting any issues so they can be dealt with imme- diately. Fennell says his mainte- nance workers have adjusted to the higher-level technology with the newer Macks and anticipates they will continue performing most of their own maintenance in-house. Fennell relies on Bill Peek, his sales representative at Hughes Motors, Inc., in Charleston to keep him abreast of new tech- nologies and Mack models that may further improve his bottom line. It's a long-term relationship built upon experience and mutual respect. "We've been with Hughes Motors since the beginning," Fennell says. "It's a great partner- ship," Peek says it makes him proud to drive past Carolina Waste at the end of the day and see row after row of shiny Mack trucks, knowing he facilitated their purchase and that they are serving the company well. "They truly are a top-notch operation," Peek says. "I challenge you to fi nd another refuse company that does such a good job on maintenance. From the oldest to the new- est truck, you can hardly tell them apart." Future growth The biggest challenges for Carolina Waste have been not with their equipment or labor but with the rising costs of healthcare and insurance. As a result, Fennell is always look- ing for ways to curb the escalating costs, whether that means increasing training or adding new features to the equipment. Though he is happy with the specifi cations of his current fl eet, he is always looking for bet- ter crash avoidance systems, improved fuel mileage, improved driver visibility and enhanced data collection. Though he doesn't anticipate expanding geographically, he does hope Carolina Waste continues to grow over the next decade. For now, they are going to stick to their success- ful formula — great people, dependable equipment and superior customer service. "We're very familiar with this marketplace," Fennell says. "We've grown up in this market- place all our lives, and we know the people and know the area. I would hope to say in 10 years that we could double our size." "If a client asks us to recycle an item, we don't ever tell them no. We fi nd a way to make it happen." Scott Fennell, president and cofounder of Carolina Waste & Recycling LLC Trash and recyclable materials are sorted and processed at Carolina Processing & Recycling. Carolina Waste employees empty trash in the Shadowmoss subdivision.