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About Sewer-Cleaning Tank Trucks

Sewer-rodding trucks are built for clearing away clogs in sewer lines, and septic tank trucks are designed primarily to clean out the contents of a septic tank; many trucks are outfitted with all the gear needed to do both jobs. Most of these trucks were originally cab and chassis trucks that have been outfitted with mounted rodders or septic pump systems and tanks, which means tank sizes and features will vary. The GVWR (gross vehicle weight rating) of tank trucks will also vary, from around 26,000 to 33,000 pounds (11,800 to 15,000 kilograms), which puts them in the heavy-duty category, although some severe-duty models can have GVWRs as high as 66,000 lbs (30,000 kg) or more.

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Peterbilt 357 Sewer-Cleaning Tank Truck

Characteristics

The main tank of a septic tank truck will typically have a capacity of 1,000 to 5,500 gallons (3,785 to 20,800 liters) or more. The tanks are most commonly made out of stainless steel, aluminum, or carbon steel. Stainless-steel tanks may be more expensive, but can stand up to more types of materials, whereas carbon steel tanks are less expensive, but are more susceptible to corrosion and rust, which can be a problem when working with waste and water. Sewer rodder trucks often have tanks on the lower end of the capacity spectrum because, rather than hauling away a septic tank’s contents, they arrive with water inside for the water jet rodder head to use in flushing debris through pipes. Vehicles with mounted mechanical sewer rodders, on the other hand, don’t require the use of water to clear blockages.

Operation

Unlike some other styles of tank trucks, sewer rodder and septic tank trucks require the operator to leave the cab to access separate controls on the exterior of the truck body. For septic truck operators, this could be as simple as connecting a hose to a septic tank and turning on the vacuum pump. For sewer rodder truck operators, this means handling all of the rodding system controls to navigate the rod through pipes and other passageways, although there are newer models with hands-free operation that can automate the entire rodding process.

Sewer Rodder Tank Trucks

Sewer rodder trucks, which are sometimes referred to as “jetters,” use a cable, or drain rod, with a rodding head, or cutter, at the end to break through clogs and either pull them out or flush them through the system with water. It’s similar to what plumbers use to clear blockages in toilets and sinks in houses, but on a much larger scale. Some rodder trucks also have built-in vacuum systems to suck sludge and other materials out of sewer systems to prevent future clogs. Rodder trucks are commonly used in storm sewer lines to clear away leaves, animals, and more and in house sewers to deal with toilet paper, food, grease, and other blockages.

There are many different rodding heads to choose from, including spiral cutters for buzzing through tree roots and other solid debris and drop-head augers that resemble a spring that can handle the twists and turns of complex pipe systems. Jetter nozzles are used in situations where it’s necessary to flush out debris or clear buildups in pipe walls with water. Some trucks also allow operators to connect a camera with a light source to the end of a drain rod to see the inside of a sewer or drain pipe to determine the best rodding head to use.

Septic Tank Trucks

Septic tank trucks are essentially vacuum trucks that are used specifically for cleaning out septic tanks, sewer pump stations, portable toilets, and more. They use suction hoses and vacuum systems to pump feces, sludge, and wastewater out of underground reservoirs into a tank on the truck for transport. Once collected, the tank contents are typically taken to a wastewater treatment facility where the water may be processed and used for other applications, such as crop irrigation or fertilization, for example.

Find Sewer-Cleaning Tank Trucks

You’ll find a number of used sewer-cleaning tank trucks for sale at TruckPaper.com from manufacturers like Freightliner, International, Kenworth, Mack, Peterbilt, and Sterling.