Mobile Oil Change Business – Staying Within the Environmental Rules

Mobile oil change businesses must follow environmental rules just as any other company would. The rules are fairly simple, you can’t let the used motor oil or the new oil, fluids, or grease spill onto the pavement. If you do you must wipe it up completely. If any of that stuff ever gets into a storm drain you will have hell to pay if you are caught. This is why these automotive oil and lube service companies use oil evacuation systems, drop pads, and specially measured hose dispensers. Okay so let’s talk about this in greater detail.

Not long ago, I was talking to someone who wanted to start an oil change business, this one would be a fixed site business and we got to talking about the EPA rules and considerations. The used motor oil must be carted away and disposed of properly. There are companies that do this and they can be found in the phone book. Also the jobbers who sell the oil often have their own service of removing waste oil. Some of this waste oil is re-refined at the refinery, some is used in giant diesel ship motors, there are some companies still using it to pave roads, and in some states it is allowable to use some of this used oil for heating. After all, in the wintertime some of these oil change shops get very cold.

It may be feasible for a mobile oil change company to sell their used reclaimed oil to an automotive shop to use for their heating element. If not, a mobile automotive oil and lube business can dump their waste tank often at an oil supplier that has the capacity and used oil tanks to take it. They will in turn sell it, give it, or pay to have it taken away. There will be a cost for this for the mobile operator, and therefore they must consider this in their price point to their customers.

This is perhaps the best way to stay within the guidelines when dealing with this disposal of used oil. The mobile operators should be very careful not to mix hydraulic fluids, and other fluids in with the waste oil, because then it is difficult to re-refine, and no one really wants it. Therefore it will cost even more to get rid of, therefore it makes sense to have multiple waste tanks inside the van, truck, or trailer used to do these mobile service operations.

It is my hope that you will please consider all this and think on it, if you have additional questions or comments I hope that you will shoot me an e-mail so I can use those questions or future articles on this topic.