"Most people see a pile of trash. We saw a gold mine." That line sticks because it's not motivational fluff, it's literal. Fred Tomlin and Sherrod Hunter walked away from corporate jobs, started with a beat-up truck, and turned apartment trash and move-out junk into a system that now hits about $1 million a month with roughly 60% profit margins.
What makes their story useful is how practical it is. They didn't win because they had a perfect plan. They won because they learned fast, pivoted hard, and built trust with property managers who control repeat work. If you're collecting business ideas that don't require a fancy degree or a huge loan, this one is worth a close look.
From Yellow Pages sales to spotting "trash math" in apartments
Before hauling anything, Fred and Sherrod were selling Yellow Pages ads. That job gave them a front-row seat to something most people never see, how much money small business owners can make when they control their own customer flow.
One moment hit especially hard. Sherrod talked about helping a plumbing company advertise across several books. When it came time to sign, the owner brought in his son to handle internet advertising, and that part of the deal was double the amount. It wasn't just a bigger invoice, it was a live example of legacy, a family business evolving right in front of him. He wanted that, too.
Then came the apartment "light bulb" that started everything.
Sherrod lived in a luxury apartment and used to haul his own trash, sometimes in a cream-colored Cadillac. One day he got home and found a trash can at his doorstep with a note: leave it out between 6:00 and 8:00, Sunday through Thursday, and someone will take it to the compactor. He thought it was brilliant, because it solved a real annoyance for hundreds of residents.
The next part was the money moment. When he renewed his lease, the complex wanted to charge $30 extra per month for the service. Sherrod multiplied that by roughly 400 residents and realized this wasn't a cute amenity, it was serious revenue for a simple, repeatable task.
That's the seed: solve an everyday problem at scale, then build a system around it.
How they left corporate without jumping blind
Building a runway (and not pretending it's easy)
Fred and Sherrod didn't quit on day one. Fred saved about a year of expenses so he could breathe before taking the leap. Even then, they held onto their 9-to-5 jobs while they tested the business.
Sherrod's path got messy, fast. When his wife got pregnant, their plan shifted. To keep income steady, he went back to waiting tables at a restaurant he worked at before corporate. There were stretches where he'd run junk jobs, come home, change clothes, then head straight into a restaurant shift. After his daughter was born, he kept pushing until he just couldn't keep doing both.
That part matters because a lot of people sell the "quit and figure it out" story. This wasn't that. This was more like, "we want freedom more than a paycheck, but we still have rent."
The first 30 to 90 days, chaos with a borrowed truck
The early days weren't glamorous. Sherrod remembers literally following behind a borrowed pickup truck full of trash, trying to figure out where to dump it. They also kept running into a classic junk removal problem: customers would describe a "small load" on the phone, then the job on site would be way bigger. That mismatch creates conflict, refunds, and bad reviews if you don't handle it right.
They also noticed something funny. People paid them to remove things that weren't really trash. Some items could be donated, scrapped, or sold. So even early on, they saw "waste" as a sorting game, not just a dump run.
That pricing pain pushed them toward their first big tech decision: they wanted photos and videos before arriving, so quotes weren't built on wishful descriptions.
The first business model flopped, then the pivot changed everything
Why valet trash didn't work at first
Their original plan focused on valet trash. They failed, and they say it plainly. The big issue was relationships and credibility. Apartment complexes are multi-million dollar assets. Property managers don't want "two nice guys in a truck" handling a service that affects resident satisfaction and property cleanliness.
For about six months, they got stuck in what they called "mutual mystification." They were likable, they were working hard, and nobody told them directly what was wrong. The numbers did, though. Lots of stops, not many contracts.
A property manager finally gave them the truth: get your insurance, gather testimonials, build real credentials. In other words, act like a real vendor, not a side hustle.
The pivot: junk removal became the "bread and butter"
Here's where the story turns. Fred already had a borrowed truck lined up for a valet trash contract that never closed. So they asked a simple question: what if we put the truck to work anyway?
Fred built a junk removal page, handed Sherrod the phone, and Sherrod started taking calls. That's the birth of their junk removal operation.
Even better, the apartment focus still paid off. They'd been targeting large complexes (150 to 300 units). They noticed that roughly 10% to 15% of units moved out each month. Move-outs create bulk trash: mattresses, couches, broken furniture, abandoned stuff left in hallways and by dumpsters. That steady turnover became predictable demand.
Tampa also mattered. They called it the "niche waste capital," with big competitors nearby. Instead of running from that, they took it as proof the market was real. They just needed differences that actually mattered to buyers: speed, proof, reporting, and reliability.
If you like seeing other real-world paths in this same category, this related story is worth a read: How one entrepreneur built a thriving junk removal business from scratch.
Starting with almost nothing (and a $4,500 truck)
They say they started with basically nothing, and they don't recommend it. Eventually they bought a truck together for about $4,500. It was meant for hauling grapefruits. They turned it into a junk truck, and that was enough to begin.
The payback was quick. They made the money back in a couple of weeks, and the truck paid for itself in about a month after profit.
That's one of the reasons this sits high on the list of "simple" business ideas: low barrier to entry, clear demand, and you can improve margins by improving operations, not by praying for virality.
The system that protects margins: bigger trucks, tighter packing, better proof
"Bigger trucks, better pricing" is not just a slogan
Their profit logic starts with the truck itself. They trademarked the phrase "Bigger trucks, better pricing" because more capacity lets you do two things at once:
You charge customers a fair price for the space used, and you still have room to add more stops and more revenue per run.
They gave a concrete comparison using a well-known competitor. That competitor's truck size is about 12.77 cubic yards. Their truck is about 18.67 cubic yards. A "full load" price example they shared was about $750 versus about $729, but the key point is this: the competitor's full load is only about 68% of their truck.
So if a customer buys what looks like a full load elsewhere, that same volume might only fill about three-quarters of their truck. They can price it around $575, give the customer a better deal, and still have space to add revenue on top.
Training: packing the truck like Tetris
They built a training area (they called it a custom-built corral) where franchisees have to prove they can pack the truck efficiently. The goal is to fit bulk material like you'd pack a moving truck, tight and smart.
It sounds small, but it changes everything. Better packing means fewer dump runs, lower disposal costs, and more money per trip.
CARE: convenience, affordability, reliability, environmental responsibility
They built a simple internal standard called CARE:
- Convenience and customer service: make junk removal easy to buy and schedule.
- Affordability: packing efficiency plus bigger trucks helps pricing.
- Reliability: show up, document the job, and keep promises.
- Environmental responsibility: donate, resell, scrap metal, recycle when possible.
Inside their "care center" they also use an AI agent named Carrie. They originally expected to need a 10-person call center, but AI changed what the team looks like.
That's a quiet theme here: they treat operations like a product. Tech and process are part of the offer, not an afterthought.
The Junk Shot app and "trashparency" reporting (the trust builders)
Why the app exists
The app started from a real pain. Sherrod used to answer the phone and run jobs. Customers wanted a price before he arrived, but their descriptions were often wrong, sometimes on purpose. That bait-and-switch kills trust on both sides.
So they built a system where customers can send photos and videos ahead of time. That helps with accurate pricing and with planning, like whether to send one truck or two.
They started building it around 2013, got scrappy, and worked with developers overseas in the Philippines. Early development cost about $3,000 to $5,000. They said the app paid back within months, and its long-term value is far bigger.
They also filed for a patent in 2015, and it was awarded in 2019 after years of tightening and back-and-forth.
Loyalty rewards for recycling
Their app includes a loyalty program. The example they gave was recycling a couch and earning rewards from brands like Starbucks or Amazon, plus other retailers. The point isn't the coffee. It's that customers feel like they're getting something back for doing the right thing, and they remember the brand.
If you're curious about franchise ownership options tied to this system, they share it here: Junk Shot app franchise information.
"Trashparency" with the Junk Shot 360 report
They document everything. Teams take before photos, after photos, proof of the property sign, and timestamps. That reduces disputes because the work is visible.
They also price by volume and charge fairly. In one example, a customer said they had a full load. The truck looked closer to 85%, so they documented it and charged 85% of the full-load price. Customers love that, and it keeps room in the truck for another job.
That's a win-win style of business. Honest pricing builds repeat work, and repeat work is where the real stability comes from.
The numbers: revenue, margins, seasonality, and why it holds up in rough times
They break junk removal down into three main cost buckets: labor, disposal, and gas. When those stay under control, margins stay high.
Here's the franchise revenue snapshot they shared, with gross profit averages:
| Franchise scenario | Revenue | Average gross profit |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1, one territory | $331,000 | 52% |
| Year 1, multiple territories | $436,000 | 54% |
| Year 2 ramp-up | $600,000 to $700,000 | 61% |
| $1.1M franchise example | $1,100,000 | 61% |
The seasonality piece is useful, too. Valet trash contracts are steady month-to-month because they're contractual. Junk removal has a bell curve: slower in January, rising into late summer and fall, then cooling in winter.
They also talked about COVID. They were considered essential, and demand rose because people stayed home and finally dealt with clutter, cleanouts, and DIY demo projects.
For a broader look at how junk removal can behave during recessions, this perspective is helpful: junk removal and recession effects. (It's not their story, but it matches the same demand drivers they described.)
Getting customers: cold pitching, referrals, and what $500 should go toward
How they pitch apartments (without sounding clueless)
Their cold pitch isn't fancy. They start by asking about problems the property already has:
When someone moves out, do they ever leave furniture behind? If it happens, what do you do right now?
Once they understand the current solution, they explain their advantages using CARE: convenience, affordability, reliability, environmental responsibility. It's simple and specific, not a sales speech.
Close rates aren't magical. They tell franchisees to build at least 10 qualified leads to get one close, around a 10% ratio. Strong relationship builders can hit 20% to 30%.
Leads: mostly referrals, then digital ads
They said most new leads come from digital advertising (pay-per-click, social, SEO), but the bigger long-term driver is repeat business and referrals. Their estimate: about 70% referrals and 30% digital once relationships are established.
If you only have $500 for marketing
Their advice surprised me a bit because it wasn't "buy ads." They push networking first, especially joining an apartment association, a chamber of commerce, or BNI style groups. Door hangers and yard signs can work, but those take time and you may not see quick payoff.
One external guide that lays out valet trash business basics (from another operator) is here: how to start a valet trash business. It's useful if you want to compare how different companies think about the same model.
What they learned the hard way: a $10,000 mistake and a partnership that lasts
Early on, they tried to be all things to all people. A client asked if they could do pressure washing alongside valet trash. They said yes, even though it wasn't really part of the core service, and they didn't charge extra. Then a worker broke a water line and flooded an apartment unit.
The damage cost about $10,000.
That mistake forced a new rule: keep the main thing the main thing. If they add a service later, they'll do it professionally, priced correctly, and with the right setup.
On the partnership side, they've lasted because they respect what the other brings. Fred was impressed by Sherrod's dedication to family and faith. Sherrod respected Fred's community ties and leadership, plus the fact that Fred was also a top sales performer. When conflict shows up, they treat it like iron sharpening iron. Real honesty, real accountability, no weird ego stuff.
My personal takeaways (what I'm actually walking away with)
I've heard a lot of "start a service business" stories, but this one hit different because it felt… grounded. Not perfect, not polished, just repeatable. The biggest lesson for me is that the "dirty" part of a business can be the whole advantage. Most people avoid it, so demand stacks up quietly until someone builds a clean, reliable system around it.
The second thing I'm taking with me is how much trust matters in boring industries. A property manager isn't buying your hustle. They're buying your proof: insurance, documentation, reporting, and the confidence that you'll show up next Tuesday, too. That "trashparency" idea sounds silly at first, but it's exactly the kind of detail that keeps reviews high and disputes low.
Lastly, I liked the honest talk about time. This isn't a cute side hustle forever. You can start while working, sure, but at some point you're either committed, or you're stuck half-in, half-out. I've done the half-in thing before, and yeah, it drains you.
Conclusion: why this is one of the most practical business ideas right now
Fred and Sherrod didn't build a huge trash business with secret tricks. They built it with a simple offer, repeat customers (especially apartments), and tight operations that protect margin. Bigger trucks, accurate quoting, documented work, and long-term contracts did most of the heavy lifting.
If you're searching for business ideas that can survive downturns, this model is worth studying because the demand doesn't depend on trends. People still move, renovate, downsize, and clear out spaces. The stuff has to go somewhere, and customers will pay for fast, fair, and reliable service.