If you are clearing a barn, renovating in the Blackmore Vale or stripping out a property in Shaftesbury or Gillingham, it is worth knowing how waste collection actually works this far north — because for these two towns we do two different things, and being straight about which is which will save you time.
Roll-on roll-off containers we run ourselves. SP7 and SP8 are on our own delivery round, so a RoRo comes on a Waste Group lorry with our driver.
Skips we broker. Shaftesbury and Gillingham sit outside our direct skip-delivery zones, so a skip here is fulfilled by an established, fully licensed local partner that we book and manage on your behalf.
Tell us your postcode and what you are clearing → — or call 01305 819819. We will tell you which route is cheaper for your job before you commit to either.
Why we are telling you this at all
Plenty of waste companies quote a national price for a town they have never driven to and sort the logistics out afterwards. That is how you end up with a delivery window that slips twice and nobody able to tell you why.
We would rather be clear. Where we run our own wheels, you get our schedule and our driver. Where we broker, you get a partner we have vetted, a price we have agreed, and one point of contact — us — for the whole job including the paperwork.
RoRo containers: our own lorries, our own schedule
Roll-on roll-off containers come in 16, 20, 30 and 40 yard sizes, and for SP7 and SP8 they are on our own round.
RoRo is not priced like a skip. Instead of a flat rate it is transport plus tonnage: a delivery and collection charge for your postcode, then a rate per tonne of what you actually put in it. That structure is why it works out cheaper than multiple skips on any job with real volume — you pay the haulage once rather than five times.
It suits the jobs North Dorset actually generates:
- Farm and barn clearances where forty years of a yard comes out at once
- Full property strip-outs and estate clearances
- Demolition and hardcore, where weight matters more than volume
- Any site with the hardstanding and turning room for an artic — which most farmyards have and most town-centre drives do not
More detail on RoRo hire in Shaftesbury and RoRo hire in Gillingham, or the full RoRo container range.
Skips: brokered, and priced for your job
For a single-skip job — a bathroom strip-out, a garden clearance, a kitchen refurb — a skip is usually still the right answer, and we will arrange one.
Because these are partner-fulfilled rather than on our own round, the price depends on the partner, the size and where exactly you are in SP7 or SP8, so we quote it per job rather than publishing a zone rate that might not apply to your address. Ask and you get a real number for your postcode, not a range.
What does not change when we broker: the container arrives when we said it would, the waste goes to a permitted facility, and you get a Waste Transfer Note for it. We carry the Upper Tier Waste Carrier registration (CBDU113405) and we do not hand you off to the partner to chase.
See also our area pages for skip hire in Shaftesbury and skip hire in Gillingham.
Which one is cheaper for your job?
The honest rule of thumb: up to about two skips’ worth, a skip usually wins. Beyond that, RoRo almost always does.
The crossover comes because a skip charges you the full haulage every single time one is swapped, whereas a RoRo charges haulage once and then only for what you fill it with. On a barn clearance that runs to four or five skips, the difference is not marginal.
Weight is the other thing people get wrong. Soil, rubble, concrete and hardcore reach a weight limit long before a container looks full. If the job is heavy rather than bulky, tell us — it changes the recommendation completely, and occasionally it means a grab lorry rather than either option.
If there is asbestos, stop before anything is loaded
Cement-sheet roofing on barns, garages, stables and outbuildings is common right across the Blackmore Vale, and it cannot go in any skip or RoRo, brokered or otherwise.
Asbestos needs licensed collection and disposal under a hazardous waste consignment note. We hold Environmental Permit EPR/EB3308GT and handle it as a separate service — see asbestos disposal in Shaftesbury and asbestos disposal in Gillingham. If you are not sure what you are looking at, send a photo before you touch it.
Frequently asked questions
Do you deliver skips to Shaftesbury and Gillingham yourselves?
No — skips to SP7 and SP8 are arranged through a vetted, fully licensed local partner. RoRo containers are different: those run on our own lorries. Either way you book with us and we manage the job end to end.
Does a brokered skip cost more?
Not necessarily. It depends on the partner and your exact location, which is why we quote per job rather than publishing a flat rate for the area. On larger jobs a RoRo on our own wheels often comes out cheaper than repeat skips regardless.
How is a RoRo priced?
Transport plus tonnage — a delivery and collection charge, then a rate per tonne of what you load. There is a minimum tonnage per load. Tell us the postcode and roughly what is going in and we will give you the figure.
Do I need a permit?
Only if the container goes on a public road. Most Shaftesbury and Gillingham jobs sit on a drive, a yard or private ground, so no permit is needed. If it does have to go on the highway, Dorset Council issues the permit and we will arrange it — mention it when you book, because it adds a few days.
Can a RoRo get down a farm track?
Often, but it needs firm ground and room to turn — a RoRo lorry is considerably bigger than a skip lorry. Describe the access when you book and we will tell you honestly whether it will work, or send a smaller option instead. A wasted journey helps nobody.
What can’t go in?
Asbestos, wet paint, liquids and chemicals, clinical waste, gas bottles and anything explosive. Plasterboard has to be kept separate by law. Tyres, mattresses, fridges and electricals can usually be taken but must be declared, as they carry a surcharge.
Get a price for Shaftesbury or Gillingham
Tell us the postcode, what you are clearing and roughly how much of it there is. We will tell you whether a skip or a RoRo is the better call, and what it costs — including which part we run ourselves.
