For GroundStone Onsite Waste Water Services of West Kelowna, British Columbia, a promise to serve any septic system in the province means being ready for anything after a drive of as many as 15 hours. The company’s typical work sites include anything from rough terrain to inaccessible small spaces. Maintaining mobile, versatile and customized equipment is key to meeting clients’ needs and keeping vehicles operating far from home.
“Our 2021 Yanmar ViO55 midi-excavator is our workhorse,” says GroundStone owner Luis Goncalves. “It’s a great all-around machine that allows us to get into most sites. It has a good reach and power and can be transported easily on our flat deck. Our 2024 ViO100 is a great machine for medium to large projects that require a longer reach.”
The company’s 2022 SANY SY26U mini-excavator is small and easy to transport for use in excavating soil test pits and smaller backyard work.
A 1997 Kubota track carrier/dumper and a 2024 Yanmar C3OR-3TV carrier/dumper excel at transporting materials across challenging terrain that’s off-limits to dump trucks.
The company also stocks LINKIT electric conveyors from INTERQUIP to move soil and aggregate on inaccessible job sites.
“The lengths and angles can be adjusted, and we easily carry them on any flat deck,” Goncalves says. “On one project, we used these conveyors to decommission a septic tank covered by a deck. Instead of hauling sand down a steep slope with a wheelbarrow, we used the conveyors in succession so that the sand dropped directly into the empty tank. We saved hours using the conveyors.”
A 2020 24-foot tri-axle Southland flat deck is used to haul equipment, but offers even greater functionality. Goncalves fully customized the trailer to allow for more storage.
“We added a head rack with two additional storage boxes welded to the front face,” he says. “We also welded long metal boxes between the head rack and the axles on each side to allow for additional storage of chains and binders. Finally, we welded 1-inch tube slots around the trailer to allow for U-shaped metal pipe inserts to hold long lengths of pipe over the sides of the trailer. They don’t interfere with equipment we transport, while maintaining the required width for provincial roads.”
GroundStone’s 2022 Ford 550 is a 4X4 used to haul the flat deck and track through snow, mud and loose gravel. Goncalves orders the trucks with few accessories, so there’s less that can go wrong on the road, far from home base. The trucks are also leased and changed out on a regular schedule.
“It’s something I learned doing septic work for a mining company,” he says. “They lease their vehicles and replace them every three to four years to keep them reliable. At the time, I was carrying an older model that started to break down, and suddenly, everything made sense. I now lease and exchange my trucks every three years and I have never had a single day of downtime. Even if it costs a little more over the long run, you can’t put a price on peace of mind.”
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