Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

How long batteries last for depends on many factors. Factors such as battery size, temperature, load, surface friction, caster or wheel resistance, slope, speed, constant speed or repeated acceleration and de-acceleration, motor energy consumption, etc. Generally, you want to follow the battery manufacturer recommendations on draw-down or consumption of available full Ah capacity before recharging to get the stated life out of the battery. Some battery types have different recommended maximum draw-down before recharging. Standard AGM has recommendations that you don’t use more than 50% to 70% of available full Ah capacity before recharging, on average. However, you should discharge 70% to 80% of the battery’s available capacity upon first use and on occasion throughout the life of the battery. With Lithium-ion you can draw down up to 95% before recharging. However, with Lithium-ion, it is recommended that you ‘opportunity’ charge any time you have a chance to keep the batteries topped up so they last longer. Wet cell batteries, as in our Motive batteries, allows you to draw down to 80% before recharging. We also offer Thin Plate Pure Lead (TPPL) AGM batteries and lead-carbon AGM batteries that allow partial and fast charging, longer cycle life, higher voltage draw rates, and discharge to 20% remaining.

Always store the V-move tow tractor or tug with fully charged batteries if you will not be using the machine for a long time. Charge the batteries at least once every two months. Our battery chargers have an automatic mode that goes into trickle charging when the batteries are fully charged without damaging the batteries. That way the batteries can remain connected to the charger long term without any problem.

Our load mover tugs can last between about 4 hours to about 11 hours of continuous use on one charge, depending on all the factors stated in this answer. If you want to run the load movers for longer, we offer opportunity chargers that work with most of our batteries that allow you to partially charge the batteries on breaks or down time to keep the batteries topped up.

Currently, our selection of batteries ranges from 24 Volt 26 Ah to 48 Volt 521 Ah (20hr rate). The larger optional capacity batteries, motive batteries, and Lithium-ion phosphate offer higher voltage and higher sustained voltage which are best for our tugs and will last longer. Most likely our tug that lasts the longest on a single charge would be the XXL with 420 Ah Lithium-ion.

If you provide us with all the details for your particular use, we can estimate the time our tugs will operate on a full-charged battery and recommend options you have if you need it to last longer.

For further reading about run time, you can find lots of information on the https://batteryuniversity.com/ Battery University website.

The link between the tug and the cart or dumpster bin being towed is one of the most important components to consider when towing a dumpster bin or cart with a V-Move electric tug. We often see examples of unsafe connections between the load-moving tug and the item being moved that is on wheels. We also see the link between the tug and the load not being matched to either the weight being moved or the capabilities of the tug.

Here is an example and the reason why this tow setup is unsafe:

The tow tab or link on the dumpster bin is shown above. This example does not use a solid connection from the waste bin to the tug and therefore the bin can coil back and forth and cause damage to the tug and exert a lot of force either pulling back or pushing against the tug. The metal loop is also not strong enough and is the weak link that will break.

The Good tow line and hitch Setup:

Ideally, when you consider a connection between the tug and the cart, you should start by having swivel casters on the cart or dumpster bin at the end closest to the tug where the tow connection is. The tow bar should be close to flat and at the height of the wheel axles or close to it. The tow bar linked to the cart or dumpster bin being towed should be allowed to pivot up or down from a fixed position attached to the bin so when you go up or down and over speed bumps or changes in floor heights, the tug or the item being towed isn’t forced into the air and off the ground. The tow bar attached to the cart or dumpster should not be allowed to pivot left or right as you want the tug to either push or pull the cart or dumpster left or right (unless of course if you have wheels controlled by a steerable tow arm attached to the cart). The materials used for the tow link should be stronger than required to ensure you are operating safely and never have a failure in one of the components. V-Move battery-powered load mover or tugger example of an excellent tow line having a tow bar flat with the item being towed and pulling at the axle height.

When you purchase a dumpster towing connection setup with your dumpster mover from Xerowaste, we custom manufacture your dumpster bin tow tabs and tow bar components with a rating well in excess of the load being towed. We use high-quality components made in Europe, the USA or Canada. For example, we use Grade 9 highly corrosion-resistant bolts and bolt hardware made in the USA for use where tow tabs are bolted to the bins. We know how corrosive the environment is in the waste bins. We do strongly recommend tow tabs be welded to the bins for the highest strength and corrosion resistance. We manufacturer waste bin towing tabs and tow bars in Canada and also lean on our 55-year plus material handling equipment manufacturer of the tugs, Verhagen Leiden, to manufacture specialized tow connection setups that you require.

The price of our premium quality bin tug or dumpster mover varies depending on the model of the V-Move tug and the options that are chosen. Some of our load movers are configured as base load movers and you can select additional options, such as the V-move S, V-move 650, and the V-move 1200. Other models of load movers are assembled with counterweight and configured with other features to move the specific load you need moved. For those load movers, we don’t have a base price we publish and we can provide a quote of a model specific to your needs.
What we recommend you do next after obtaining a price, is determine the payback you can obtain from the purchase of a V-Move bin tug or dumpster mover to justify the purchase.

Payback for a V-Move tug is calculated as the potential savings annually divided into the capital cost of a bin tug or dumpster mover to give a value in years. Anything less than four years is an acceptable payback. One part of savings is calculated as the value of preventable injuries, reduced lost workdays, and reduced injury costs by moving bins with a device such as a dumpster mover, load mover, or bin tug. If you are comparing the cost between alternate brands of tugs, then factor in the savings of going up to 3.7 mph with the V-move tug to get the job done faster – which saves labor. Also, if you are considering an AC motor V-move tug, then factor in the additional savings of not having to replace motor brushes and motors down the road, as you would with DC motor tugs.

In some cases, moving heavy loads by hand has resulted in death, but most often in injuries. See our article on moving waste bins: Xerowaste article about moving dumpster bins safely.

If you subcontract the movement of your waste bins, then by bringing that in-house with a V-Move tug, in certain cases, it allows you to save a substantial amount annually. We have Xerowaste customers that have saved up to a net Canadian $15,000 annually from subcontracted costs alone, just by bringing it in-house with a Xerowaste V-Move tug. As well, if you subcontract the movement of semi-trailers, by using a V-move semi-trailer mover you will save up to tens of thousands a year in operating costs and save on capital costs.

There are many other factors to consider when calculating the payback cost of purchasing a V-Move tug to move heavy loads versus pushing and pulling by hand. Contact us and we can provide you a spreadsheet specific to your situation to calculate the rough and simple payback for a V-Move dumpster load mover

A tugger is an electric load mover or powerful mechanical aid that moves a heavy load. A tugger pushes or pulls one or more tugger carts on wheels, such as a group of nursery carts, in a train-like fashion called a tugger train. A tugger can be either a walk-along load mover like a V-move S electric industrial tugger or a sit-down or stand-up ride-on tugger like the V-move 650 tow tractor or V-move 1200 tow tractor.

A battery-powered electric walk-along load mover is a powerful mechanical aid to move heavy items. The mover can lift one end and carry the item or push and/or pull heavy items that are on two or more casters or wheels. The load mover allows physical distancing and reduced labor count since only one person is needed to move a load. The load mover also prevents injuries and lost workdays associated with one or more individuals attempting to move a heavy object with human physical force only.

Xerowaste carries a variety of load movers such as walk-along load movers, burden carriers, and both stand up ride-on and sit-down ride-on tow tractor vehicles.

To evaluate the purchase of a V-Move tug, you look at payback or ROI.

First, calculate the cost of a fully loaded per mile or per hour rate to operate a locomotive or semi-tractor truck to move the loads versus the cost to operate a V-Move tug. You should add the capital cost of your routed locomotive or semi-tractor as a depreciation rate per hour or mile to your operating cost as well since it consumes from the life of your asset. The V-Move asset will be an added cost of capital and is evaluated in the payback calculation and not added to the cost of operating a V-Move tug. The difference in costs per year between the two alternatives divided into the added capital cost of a V-Move tug results in your simple payback value in years. Anything less than four years is reasonable.

When you calculate your annual cost to operate the locomotive or semi-truck, consider the cost of your professional driver with benefits, repair costs, fuel costs, insurance, and allocated overhead costs (such as required daily vehicle inspections) to name a few. Then there are the savings to calculate from emissions and your lower overall carbon footprint of using a V-Move walk-along tug versus a locomotive or semi-truck or even versus an electric semi-truck or electric railcar mover.

Generally, Xerowaste customers will see less than a year or two payback when using a V-Move tug versus using a locomotive or semi-tractor truck. Contact us and we can provide you a spreadsheet to use to calculate the rough payback.

Very hot temperatures will affect both the life of most battery types used in your V-move tug and cause the voltage level to drop off much quicker. We offer and recommend optional batteries with wider operating temperature ranges and higher capacity when you are in very hot or cold climates. With optional batteries we offer, our tugs can operate in the temperature range of -40°F (-40°C) to 160°F (71°C).

If you are in a very hot climate, you should have the highest heat range tolerant battery we offer, don’t park your tug outside in the sun, and charge in the evening or overnight when it is cooler. You may also want to request a lower amperage charger from us in high heat so the batteries don’t warm up as much when charging.

If you are in a very cold climate, you should have the lowest heat range tolerant battery we offer, park your tug indoors and charge in the warmest area. Also, opt for a larger battery capacity as studies have shown that you can lose up to 60% of your capacity due to extremely cold temperatures. If you opt for Lithium-ion batteries, we offer cold-weather charging and operating-tolerant LI batteries with heaters. However, Lithium-ion is not as tolerant to cold climates like other battery chemistries and for cold climates where you will see -20c or -4f or less we recommend AGM, lead-carbon, or flooded batteries. There are lots of references to heat and batteries for some more detailed reading at The Battery University.

Every vehicle needs regular preventative maintenance, and our V-move tugs and tow tractors are no exception. The V-move tugs and tow tractors are designed to keep maintenance to a minimum. Our walk-along tugs have very few moving parts and are lighter than a comparable powered sit-down version of a tug. This results in much less wear and tear and less maintenance required, saving you money. There are no chain drives in V-move tugs as they use direct drive motors with highly efficient electromagnetic braking to reduce maintenance, increase reliability, and increase safety. The drive motors in the V-move can recharge the batteries when slowing down to help minimize your environmental impact. Our V-move XL+ and larger tugs, as well as our tow tractors, use maintenance-free AC motors. See this article to learn more about AC and DC motors: HERE. The batteries and the tires are the only rear wear parts in most of our walk-along tugs.

Seated or the stand-up ride-on version of our tugs, on the other hand, do have more wear parts such as mechanical brakes and may have an additional tire. They are heavier, travel faster, and travel over longer distances, resulting in more wear and tear on components like brakes, tires, and batteries.”

It is important to follow the recommended maintenance schedule outlined in the owner’s manual and perform regular safety inspections to maximize the life of your investment and minimize any potential for safety issues. Throughout Canada, we offer annual or bi-annual safety inspections and preventative maintenance by a trained technician. In some provinces or states, it may be mandatory to have safety inspections done at least annually – especially for ride-on tugs.

The rolling resistance of a railcar or cart with steel wheels on steel rails is much less than by using a cart with rubber, steel, or hard plastic wheels on normal surfaces like concrete, asphalt, or sand. The V-Move tug can pull a lot more weight when the items are on rails when properly configured, versus pulling on normal surfaces such as concrete. We rate all our tugs on our site and in our brochures for the lower limits of pulling a load on casters or wheels on a solid surface and not on rails. Take for example our V-move XL+ tug. The XL+ can pull a load on casters or wheels on a regular surface up to a load limit of 7.5 MT or 16,535 lb. However, the XL+ tug can easily move a load on rails up to 10 MT or 22,046 lb, which demonstrates how much less resistance there is when pulling a load on rails.

See our example video of a V-Move XXL pulling both an electric locomotive mover and a railcar at the same time:

If you have a factory and want to use a less-powered and more affordable V-Move tug to move a heavy load, then it may benefit you by installing and placing your load to move on rails instead of pulling a cart on casters across a concrete floor.

Yes, the V-Move walk-along tugs and tow tractors are very safe when used and maintained correctly. Your insurance company or Workers Compensation state or provincial organization may even give you a discount due to the lower risk vs other alternatives. We spec the load movers for your specific task, so you have the correct amount of counterweight to gain traction to safely move and stop a load. It is important to adhere to the recommendations for weights moved and slope limitations and test before regular use.

Depending on the model and options chosen, some of the safety features are regenerative braking, additional hydraulic-assisted braking, dual-drive motors, lockable driveline when parked, locking differential for added traction, confirm movement check on more powerful tugs, positive throttle so when you let off the throttle it will stop, an emergency stop button, auto pinch stop button, auto-stop with power loss, an auto slowdown in corners, flashing LED light, loud vehicle horn, radio-frequency protected electronics, safety-oriented operator manual, optional on-site training by a Xerowaste operating engineer, warnings when remaining battery capacity is low, wheel guards, explosion proofing and keyed ignition. You also can’t operate the tug or tow tractor when it is charging to protect the tug and the user. Our tow tractors have additional standard or optional safety features such as a dead-man switch, limited speed operation, and crash guards.

Inappropriate use, damage to the tug, and catastrophic part failures can circumnavigate safety features. Just like a car or truck, a failure of the brakes, blown tire, transmission failure, or safety mechanism failure can result in an added element of risk. It is important to know your surroundings, operate at a safe speed, and act prudently when operating any tug or tow tractor vehicle.

Emergency stop switch on tug handle to prevent tug from moving when a person is between the tug and a solid object.

V-Move XL with wheel guards

If you follow the manufacturers’ recommendations for maintenance and you take care of your V-move load mover or tug, you can expect it to last for many years and even decades in some cases. The original first group of customers of the V-Move XL tug still have their tugs in operation after 30+ years. Again, with the V-move products, it all depends on how you care for your tug and how often you use it that determines how long it will last.

• iPhone has a built-in app called Measure. Switch to the Level selection and it will show degrees.

• Android phones need to have an app downloaded such as Clinometer + bubble level. Unit Mode of Degrees and Percent are the most popular settings – set in the Setting section. Use the arrow button near the measurement reading to change the side where zero degrees is shown when level.

For both applications: Make sure it is zero when placed level. Then place the phone either flat facing up or on its thin side on the driveway and hold it perpendicular to the driveway. Take the measurement in a few different areas to get the steepest measurement. The reading will be either in degrees for the angle or percent of grade. If you have been asked to determine the value, note if it is in degrees or percent and report this value to Xerowaste Solutions so we can determine the correct V-move load mover model and also ensure your V-Move load mover is configured correctly for the slope.

Check out our line-up of V-move dumpster movers and load movers, which are highly capable and high quality with a 30+ year track record:

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V-Move L - Move up to 4,409 lb

V-Move XL - Move up to 11,023 lb

V-Move XL+ - Move up to 14,330 lb

V-Move XXL - Move up to 44,093 lb

V-Move 4XL - Move up to 88,184 lb

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On some of our smaller and mid-sized tugs, we provide optional off-road aggressive traction tire tread so you can use them to move trailers in mud, sand, on gravel, and on grassy surfaces. By adding weight to the tug, the tug gains more traction on less than ideal surfaces. Most V-move models also work well on slopes in snow with the correct tires. Chains, studs, or SnowSocks can be used with some tires and tug wheels for added traction in snow and on ice. We always recommend you safely test first when on slippery slopes and clear the path first.
Check out our list of some of the stock and optional tires: V-Move Tires and Wheels

V-Move XL moving boat & trailer on beach

A lawn tractor, farm tractor, ATV, or UTV is not a purpose-built load mover to move open top dumpster bins or heavy compactor receiving bins at a business or multi-unit residential building. Commercial businesses and condos or apartment buildings often have steep driveway grades and a sit-down lawn tractor, farm tractor, ATV, or UTV are not designed to safely operate on steep slopes.
One of our customers at a large property management firm switched out of their lawn tractor to use the V-move at one of their sites due to safety concerns, the environmental impact, noise, and to reduce operating costs.

Ten reasons why using a lawn tractor to move waste bins is a bad Idea:

1. Lawn tractors, UTV’s, and ATV’s are not designed to tow heavy weights.
   The lawn tractor is not structurally engineered to safely move waste bins as they usually have a towing limit of 300 to 600 lb and that is on a flat surface. The most expensive model of a UTV or utility tractor has a limit of around 2,000 lb and that is on a flat surface. A 3-yard waste bin will weigh up to 1,400 lb and a compacted 3-yard bin can weigh up to 2,800 lb. Only the industrial farm tractors will have the needed towing limit and they are very large, expensive, noisy at over 96 db, and need counter weights added to the front to prevent flipping upside down.
2. Lawn tractors can flip upside down on driveway ramps.
   There have been reports of lawn tractors flipping upside down when pulling waste bins on steep slopes. In the lawn-cutting industry, lawn tractors flipping upside down on steep slopes are more common and sometimes kill people.
3. Lawn tractors do not have good winter tires available.
   The only tires available for lawn tractors are turf tread and tractor tread. Tractor tread is not a good tread for concrete and asphalt on slopes. Turf tread is only a 3-season tread and not good for winter traction.
4. Ride-on tractors are considered vehicles and not licensed for use on public roads.
   A UTV can have a top speed up to about 45 MPH. Compared to licensed vehicles on the road, the ride-on tractors have no comparable occupant protection or vehicle safety design. Lawn tractors, UTV, and ATV’s are designed to only be used on private property in controlled situations. They are not licensed for public road use to move waste bins for servicing by their waste management hauler. That can become a huge legal liability if your staff were to be in an accident with a pedestrian or another vehicle.
5. Lawn tractors that run on fossil fuel are not environmentally green.
   Lawn tractors, ATV’s, and UTV’s running on diesel or gas have an effect on our environment and people – especially the older models that have no emission equipment. The exhaust fumes affects the driver, other drivers and their occupants, and pedestrians in enclosed areas like a parking garage.
6. Lawn tractors that run on fossil fuel require you to transport and store fuel on site.
   Lawn tractors, ATV’s, and UTV’s running on diesel or gas require you to go purchase, transport, and store flammable fuels on site. Work safe (WCB) safety rules are often not followed and spills on the ground are not reported, which can lead to environmental liability over time.
7. Most states and provinces require you to safety-certify an off-road vehicle at least annually.
   Most state and provincial safety regulations require that a third-party safety-certifies the off-road ‘vehicle’ at least yearly. In BC, WCB BC requires a forklift and other ridden equipment (such as a lawn tractor used in a business) to be safety-inspected yearly.
8. Ride-on vehicles have higher maintenance costs than walk-along load movers.
   Lawn tractors have a high maintenance cost for brakes, tires, engine maintenance, fuel, and downtime.
9. Ride-on vehicles have a large footprint.
   Lawn tractors, ATV’s, and UTV’s take up a big footprint for storage. With the high building capital cost per sq ft, it would be more beneficial to have a smaller unit and use that space to add a revenue generating recycling stream in your waste room.
10. Lawn tractors, farm tractors, ATV’s, and UTV’s are noisy.
    Lawn tractors and farm tractors are very noisy and operate in the range of 86 to 96 dBA. In a parking garage, the loud noise can have a detrimental affect to your employees and residents hearing over time. The loud noise from the tractor can also restrict the use of the tractor to certain daylight hours due to noise restrictions.

There is a better solution for moving waste and recycling dumpster bins:
The V-move battery-powered waste bin load mover is engineered to allow your employee to safely move any-sized waste or recycling bin from the waste room to the service location. The v-move walk-along dumpster movers come with optional winter tires and are battery-powered for quiet operation and don’t emit pollution like a fossil-fueled ride-on tractor. The V-move dumpster bin movers are engineered for the purpose of load moving and to do it safely.
The V-move dumpster load movers are built high-quality to minimize down time and minimize operating costs.

Properly configured heavy containers can be safely moved with the correct V-Move tug.

Self-contained compactors, such as a 6-cubic yard front-load bin, that have been professionally modified by the manufacturer, can be safely lifted on one end and moved up a slope and out to the curb for servicing by a front-load garbage truck with a V-Move walk-along tug. Compactor receiving bins as large as 6 cubic yards can also be moved out by a V-Move tug to be serviced by a front-load truck. With large and heavy compactor receiving bins, such as 6-cubic yard bins, it is best to have only one end of the bin having casters so when the bin is placed down it can not move on its own. Smaller front-loader compacted receiving bins like 2, 3, and 4-cubic yard bins can easily be moved by most of our V-Move tugs. They should have chains welded to the bin that wrap around the caster wheels on the ground to help prevent movement when left unattended or have caster wheel brakes.

Our tugs can also move roll-off containers and roll-off self-contained compactors along relatively flat surfaces when the bins are configured properly. Due to the traditional length of the roll-off bin and how close it is to the ground, you can’t take it down slopes otherwise it may ground out. However, a shorten roll-off container could be moved up and down slopes. The largest waste and recycling company in the world uses the V-Move 4XL to move roll-off bins for their customers and at their hauling facilities. See the video here:

The V-Move tug allows you to place the roll-off bin where you need it, rather than where the hauler needs it and even underground if you had a large enough and strong enough vehicle elevator.

Moving ocean shipping containers is also easy with our larger tugs when the bin is configured correctly to be moved by the V-Move tugs. A good site to obtain wheels for containers is here: https://www.gksweb.com/product/f12c-tl12c-container-dollies/ as it will have both a fixed direction set of casters and swivel set and low force required to move heavy objects.  GKS also has tow bars that connect to your seacan that work with our optional tug hitches.

The manuals are written in English and available in quality machine-translated language versions of Spanish and French.  Our load movers will have stickers on them in English/French/Spanish, depending on the destination country.

Our Xerowaste V-move limited product warranty gives you the assurance of the quality, durability, and reliability of the V-move tugs, tuggers, load movers, burden carriers, and tow tractors. This warranty is backed by Verhagen Leiden, which has been in business for over 60 years. Verhagen Leiden, the manufacturer of the load movers, has been manufacturing them for over 30+ years and the first load movers they manufactured are still being used today. The V-move 20T and 40T are the only two models that have a two-year limited manufacturer warranty from Verhagen. Download our warranty details below:

Download the Xerowaste V-move warranty document

Our Xerowaste Bin Butler trailers or carts are covered by a one-year limited manufacturer warranty covering manufacturing defects.

Download the Bin Butler cart/trailer warranty document

We only sell the V-Move tugs within North America: Canada, the Caribbean, Saint Pierre and Miquelon, Central America, Greenland, Mexico, Bermuda, United States and US Territories. Contact Verhagen Leiden should you be in another country not listed above and want to inquire about the V-Move products.

You can optionally insure your V-move tug or Xerowaste tote trailer when shipped with us with a $500 deductible. All load movers are shipped FOB shipping point.

For shipments of smaller tugs, we generally ship ground shipping LTL. If you are on an island, then we will ship a combination of ground/sea. If you are under two hours drive of Vancouver, BC and within Canada, then we deliver and train onsite for a small fee.

Shipment of our custom tote trailers is from Vancouver BC to your destination by ground/sea LTL.

Shipping time estimates are given with quotes.

We want to ensure you are fully satisfied with your new V-Move tug purchase. If for any reason you are not satisfied, please let us know so we can try to rectify the issue with you. If you would prefer to return the tug, for a refund or do an upgrade or downgrade, you must do so with the V-move XXL or smaller sized-tug and single orders (one tug) within the first 15-days of receiving the first tug from us. Return authorization must be issued by Xerowaste Solutions within the first 7 days of receiving your new V-move tug so we can receive it by the 15th day. We will provide the address you ship to. Item must be in like-new condition and returned in the original packaging, properly strapped, and insured by the customer for the full retail value. Item is not considered returned until inspected by Xerowaste and we will confirm to you by email once we receive it and it is inspected for damage and complete with all accessories and options. Shipping costs and brokerage(if applicable) are non-refundable and the responsibility of the customer. A 20% restocking fee applies if in like-new condition. No refunds on custom factory modifications and no refunds for certification costs. Refunds will be processed by cheque/check.