A hauler contract decides what your price does in year two. Most billing disputes trace back to a clause that was missing, vague or never read: a rate that can rise without a cap, a fuel charge with no stated method, a renewal that happens by itself. This guide walks through the clauses worth checking before you sign, and the ones worth adding at renewal.
The clauses
Read each one against what you were told on the sales call. If a clause is missing, ask for it in writing. If it is vague, ask what a specific example would look like.
| Clause | What to look for | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Term and renewal | The length of the initial term, and whether it renews automatically | An automatic renewal can lock you in again without a decision |
| Rate changes | How often rates can change, by how much, and with what notice | A rate with no cap is a rate that can move whenever the hauler chooses |
| Fuel and other surcharges | The method written out, and the published price it follows if it changes | Without a method you cannot check the line, only pay it |
| Service standards | Pickup windows, how a missed pickup is reported and how fast it is fixed | These turn a promise into something you can enforce |
| Performance remedies | Credits or penalties when standards are missed, and a way to review performance | A standard with no consequence is a suggestion |
| Weights and tickets | Whether weights come from a scale ticket, and whether you can get the ticket | Weight charges are only as reliable as the weight record |
| Contamination and prohibited material | What counts, what it costs and how you are told | Surprises here usually arrive as a charge on the invoice |
| Reporting | What is reported by site, how often and in what form | You can only manage what shows up in a report |
| Compliance | Who is responsible for local recycling and disposal rules | Mandatory recycling rules differ by city and state |
| Termination and audit | Termination for convenience and for missed service, notice period, and the right to audit charges | Your exit and your proof are the two things you need in a dispute |
We hold one agreement with you and local providers do the work at each site. Tell us your sites and the services and we will go through the terms with you.
What public contracts include
EPA's Transforming Waste Tool publishes full contracts and clause examples from local governments. The clause examples cover incentives and penalties for performance, liquidated damages, performance reviews and contract extension options, requirements to follow mandatory recycling rules, limits on contamination, and reporting that includes tonnage records and monthly reports.1 These are public-sector contracts, so your private contract will not look the same, but the list is a useful prompt for what to ask for. Each government has its own contracting process, so use the examples as a starting point, not as a form to copy.
On fuel, EIA publishes a weekly diesel price that shippers and truckers often use in their formulas, and it states that it does not calculate or regulate surcharges. Each company sets its own method.2 That is why the method belongs in your contract.
Before you sign
These take less than an hour and they are where most of the value is.
Put the contract next to the proposal or quote. Mark every price, service level and promise that is not written in the contract.
Rate cap, fuel method, audit right, reporting and a way out for missed service. Ask for each in writing.
Have counsel read the termination, indemnity and renewal terms. This page is a checklist, not legal advice.
Keep the signed contract with the audit worksheet so each invoice can be checked against it.
Common questions
The term and renewal, how rates can change, the fuel or surcharge method, service standards and remedies, how weights are recorded, rules on contamination, reporting, who handles compliance, and termination and audit rights.
Be careful. An automatic renewal can lock you in for another term without a decision. Ask for a clear notice date before the renewal and a way to opt out.
Ask for a stated cap on increases, a limit on how often rates can change and written notice before any change. Then check each invoice against the contract.
Only if the contract allows it. Ask for termination for missed service with a defined notice and cure period, not just termination for convenience.
For anything more than a small single site, have counsel review the termination, indemnity, insurance and renewal terms. We offer a checklist here, not legal advice.
We hold one agreement with you and manage the providers at each site. Call sales at (888) 588-2607 to talk it through.
Local providers do the work; we hold the contract, own the problems, and send one bill. If a pickup gets missed, we contact the hauler the same business day.