Grab Hire FAQs

Grab hire is waste removal using a lorry that loads itself. A grab lorry carries a hydraulic arm with a clamshell bucket, which the operator uses to lift soil, rubble and other loose waste straight from the ground into the lorry. Nothing is left on site and there is no skip to fill by hand.

Quick Skips runs eight-wheel grab lorries that carry up to 16 tonnes in a single load. That is typically twice the capacity of a conventional builder’s skip, which holds around 8 tonnes.

Soil, clay, hardcore, concrete and brick rubble, tarmac, turf and green waste, and general building waste. We cannot take asbestos. If you have anything else that might be hazardous, tell us before you book.

It depends on what the waste is, how many tonnes there are and where you are, so every job is priced individually. Call 01202 776 666, message us on WhatsApp or request a callback with your postcode and a rough idea of the load, and we will give you a quote.

You do not need a skip licence, because nothing is left standing on the road. The lorry arrives, loads and drives away. The waste itself should be kept on your own property. If the only place for it is the pavement or the road, speak to your local council first.

Often, yes. Quick Skips takes bookings at short notice, and same-day and next-day slots are offered when the diary allows. The earlier in the day you call, the better your chances. Saturday deliveries also run until 5pm.

For large amounts of heavy waste it often works out better value, because one grab load carries about as much as two builder’s skips and there is no skip licence or hand loading to pay for. For smaller or lighter loads, a skip or a grab bag can be the cheaper choice. Quick Skips supplies all three, so we can recommend whichever suits the job.

We are based in Corfe Mullen, near Wimborne, and cover Bournemouth, Poole, Christchurch, Wimborne, Ferndown, Verwood, Wareham and Blandford Forum, along with the villages in between and the Hampshire border towns around Ringwood and New Milton. The full list is on our coverage page.

Close enough for the grab arm to reach it. In practice that usually means the lorry parks on the road beside the pile, with only a wall, fence, hedge or verge in between. Tell us the distance from the kerb to the pile when you book and we will confirm that it works.

Not always. If the waste is easy to find and to reach, and you have told us exactly where it is, the operator can often load it without you. Agree this with the office when you book.

The operator will normally keep the lorry on the road. A loaded eight-wheeler can weigh up to 32 tonnes, which is more than most driveways and footpaths are built to carry, so we avoid driving over them. Point out any manhole covers, drains or soft ground near where the lorry will stand.

Overhead cables or tree branches above the pile, parked cars in the way, waste that is too far from the road, and ground that is too soft for the stabiliser legs. Have a look before you book, and send us photos if you are unsure.

Yes, mixed building waste can be collected. Clean loads of a single material, such as soil or hardcore on its own, are simpler to recycle, so tell us what is in the pile and we will quote for the right type of waste.

Asbestos, in any form. Please also check with us before loading anything that could be hazardous, such as chemicals, fuel, gas bottles or electrical items, because these need to be handled separately.

It is taken away for sorting, and as much as possible is recycled. By its own figures, Quick Skips recycles more than 70% of the waste it processes, and recovered material goes into the recycled aggregates it produces.

Grab hire describes the vehicle and muck away describes the job. Muck away means removing excavated soil, clay and rubble from a site, and a grab lorry is the usual way of doing it. Grab lorries are also used for green waste, building waste and aggregate deliveries.

Yes. The same grab lorries deliver sand, topsoil, recycled aggregates and other materials across the area. The aggregate delivery page has the details.

Call 01202 776 666, message 07919 353 742 on WhatsApp, or fill in the callback form and we will ring you. Have your postcode ready, along with what the waste is and roughly how much of it there is.

The office is open Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm. Quick Skips also advertises Saturday deliveries until 5pm, so ask if you need a weekend slot.

Yes. Quick Skips Limited holds upper tier registration CBDU604752 with the Environment Agency as a waste carrier, broker and dealer. The registration is on the public register, where anyone can check it.

Choose a grab lorry when you have several tonnes of heavy, loose waste that is ready to go. Choose a skip when waste will build up over days or weeks, or when it is light and bulky. If you are still unsure, describe the job to us and we will suggest the better option.

Yes. Every booking is a lorry plus a trained operator, who drives, sets the lorry up and does all of the loading. You do not need a licence and you never touch the controls.

Far enough to load over a typical garden wall, fence or hedge from the roadside. The exact reach depends on where the lorry can stand, so tell us the distance from the kerb to the pile and what sits in between, and we will confirm it before you book.

It depends on the lane. An eight-wheel lorry is about 2.5 metres wide and can weigh up to 32 tonnes when loaded, so it needs a road or track that is built for lorries, with no tight bends, low branches or weight limits. If you are not sure, send photos on WhatsApp to 07919 353 742.

Muck away is the removal of excavated or broken-out material from a site: soil, subsoil, clay, hardcore, concrete, brick rubble and tarmac. Quick Skips also takes green waste and general building waste on its grab lorries.

Yes, clay-based spoil is on our list. Wet material is much heavier than dry, so a 16 tonne load of it takes up less space than you might expect. Let us know what the ground is like when you call so we can plan the right number of loads.

It helps, but it is not always essential. Clean, separated material is easier to recycle and quicker to load. If everything is mixed together, tell us what is in the pile when you ask for a quote so it is priced as the right type of waste.

Tell us where the soil has come from before you book. Soil from land with an industrial history may need to be tested and classified before any carrier can legally move it, and we will talk you through what is needed.

Quick Skips supplies sand, topsoil, recycled aggregates, road planings, slag and concrete products. Availability changes, so if you need a specific material or grade, ask the office on 01202 776 666.

Deliveries are made to suit the job, from a small load to a bulk order. One eight-wheel lorry carries up to 16 tonnes, and bigger orders are split across several loads.

Often, yes. The grab arm can lift material over a low wall, fence or hedge and place it within reach of the lorry. How close we can get depends on access, so tell us about the site when you order.

Yes. Quick Skips offers accounts for both small and large contracts, subject to a credit check. Call the office on 01202 776 666 or use the callback form and ask for an account application.

Yes. As well as one-off loads, Quick Skips works on ongoing commercial and industrial sites. Tell us the programme and the volumes you expect and the office will plan collections around it.

Tickets are completed digitally on the driver’s tablet. Quick Skips carries waste under upper tier registration CBDU604752, and if you need copies of any paperwork for your site file, the office can provide them.

Yes. Quick Skips works for residential customers as well as trade. Call 01202 776 666, message on WhatsApp or request a callback, and tell us what you need moved and where it is.

Usually not. A loaded eight-wheel lorry can weigh up to 32 tonnes, which is far more than most domestic driveways are built for, so the operator normally works from the road and reaches over with the grab arm.

In one heap on your own land, as near to the road as you can manage, with clear sky above it. Avoid piling it under phone lines or tree branches, or behind parked cars.

It might be. Grab lorries suit large, heavy loads. For smaller amounts a skip or a grab bag is often better value, and Quick Skips offers both through quickskips.co.uk. Tell us what you have and we will point you to the right option.