Make sure you're set up for success

It all starts with getting the right terms in place with your incumbent hauler to set you up for a successful transition. If your prevailing contracts haven’t properly contemplated end-of-term considerations, you’re already in trouble.

When Fine Tune negotiates agreements on behalf of our clients, we’re mindful not only of the short-term cost savings objectives but also of the long-term considerations like positioning for maneuverability on the back end of the deal.

We inject language that helps insulate our clients from back-end liabilities and promotes good behavior in the event of a transition at the end of the deal. Essentially, we arrived at an effective language that helps dictate that good behavior.

Scheduling is also critical

Obviously, it makes sense to avoid transitions in holiday weeks. Friday should be avoided, too, when the customer could be left in a pinch if the outgoing hauler removes their container before the new hauler has brought in their equipment and they're left with no service through the weekend.

Unfortunately, we’ll frequently see outgoing haulers deliberately make life difficult on their soon-to-be former customers. So--a word of caution--don’t expect any favors as you plan your transition.

Even after you have the right terms in place, and you take care with scheduling, communication and coordination are as critical as anything.

When a Fine Tune client is transitioning to a new hauler, we communicate with and coordinate all of the movements of both the outgoing and incoming vendors so that there is no lapse in service, including making sure that we’ve built-in contingency plans to have the new hauler install early should the outgoing hauler decide to pull service ahead of schedule.

Bottom line, transitions are stressful events even when they go well.

It’s important to manage all of the details with dedication and vigilance to make sure things don’t get off the rails.