Some businesses are built to be sold. Ted’s Trash Service was built to be passed down.
Founded in Kansas City in 1959, Ted’s has grown from a single residential route into a full-service waste-hauling operation, and it’s still family-owned, family-run, and still growing. Third-generation owner Dusty Ferrell credits a lot of that staying power to the people behind the operation. But he’ll also tell you that none of it works if the trucks don’t run. That’s where the right waste management equipment and the right equipment partner make all the difference.
Three Generations, One Name on the Door
Ted Ferrell didn’t start with a business plan. He started with a trash route in Independence and a night shift at the Fairfax plant to keep the lights on. His wife worked the route alongside him. Over time, the company grew enough that he could leave the plant behind and focus on what they’d built together.
“My grandpa would work the trash route during the day, and then he’d work at the Fairfax plant at night,” Dusty said. “Eventually they grew the trash company enough to where he didn’t have to work two jobs.”
Dusty’s father came next, throwing trash at 12 years old and working his way through every corner of the operation. By the time Dusty took over, three generations of Farrells had poured their lives into the company and the standards it represented.
Every Facet of Waste, Covered & Equipped for All of It
Ted’s doesn’t specialize. Curbside residential, commercial dumpsters, house cleanouts, construction debris. If it needs to be hauled, Ted’s handles it.
“We cover all facets of trash,” Dusty said. “Cleanouts from houses to big construction projects – we do it all.”
That range of work demands a fleet built to match it. Custom Truck One Source carries new and used commercial waste equipment across 40+ locations in North America, giving operators like Ted’s the flexibility to spec the right truck for the right job, whether they’re adding to the fleet or replacing aging units.
For the daily residential routes where speed and efficiency determine how many stops a crew can hit, the Loadmaster Legacy rear loader is purpose-built for that grind. It runs at a mid-compaction 800–900 lb-per-yard rate, with a 3-cubic-yard hopper and a 19-second regenerating cycle time that keeps the truck moving and the route on schedule. The body runs lighter without cutting corners – 3/16″ T-1 hopper sides and floor deliver the long-term abrasion resistance that a family operation needs when they can’t afford to replace equipment every few years.
For cleanout and construction work, Ted’s needs on-demand roll-off capability. The 2025 Freightliner M2106 with a Galbreath U5-OR-174 hoist handles containers up to 22 feet with a 60,000 lb lifting capacity, powered by a Cummins L9 350 HP engine and an Allison automatic transmission. Air disc brakes, a Pioneer tarping system, and LED work lighting round out a truck that’s DOT-ready and built to deploy immediately, exactly what you need when a construction cleanout can’t wait.
Word of Mouth Is the Only Ad They’ve Ever Run
In 65 years, Ted’s hasn’t needed much marketing. Their reputation does the work.
“We’ve grown this business on word of mouth,” Dusty said. “Our motto here has been, if we don’t provide excellent service, we don’t deserve your business.”
That standard runs through everything, from how drivers handle a route to how the office responds when something goes wrong. It’s the kind of culture that only works when everyone in the building believes it.
Big Enough to Grow, Small Enough to Stay Personal
Dusty has thought a lot about the tension between scaling a business and keeping what makes it work.
“I think when you get too big for your britches, you lose a lot of that personal connection with your customers,” he said. “You lose a lot of that personal connection with your employees. Being able to grow and keep that tight-knit community within the family business has helped it tremendously.”
It’s a philosophy that resonates across trades. The businesses that last, the ones that get passed to a second and third generation, are usually the ones that never let growth become an excuse to stop caring. As Dusty puts it: “When you don’t have that personal level with your customers, they’re going to find it somewhere.”
Downtime Isn’t an Option & Neither Is a Parts Shortage
In waste hauling, every missed route is a broken promise. Routes don’t reschedule, customers don’t forget, and a truck sitting in the shop is revenue that isn’t coming in. For Dusty, keeping the fleet moving isn’t just a maintenance priority; it’s the whole game.
“Time is money, so it’s very important to have these trucks up on the road, day in and day out,” he said. “Really, you can’t have downtime, and if you do have downtime, you’ve got to have backup trucks.”
Ted’s handles what they can in-house. For everything else, they call Custom Truck One Source, a relationship that goes back to the mid-1990s. Here’s what makes that partnership work in practice:
Parts availability
When a truck goes down, the fastest path back to the road is having the right part on hand. CTOS stocks the components that keep waste management equipment running.
40+ locations across North America
Proximity matters when you need support fast. With locations spread across the country, Ted’s has access to full-service facilities that can handle the repairs an in-house shop isn’t equipped for, without a cross-country wait.
Dedicated Service Centers
CTOS service centers are built to handle the full scope of commercial fleet needs, from routine maintenance to complex diagnostics, so operators don’t have to cobble together multiple vendors to keep a fleet healthy.
Service Expertise
Service and repair issues are among the most disruptive problems a waste fleet faces. CTOS has a dedicated service and repair shop, and Dusty will tell you exactly how much that matters.
“They’ve got an excellent driveline shop,” Dusty said. “They keep all the bad vibes out of our trucks.”
“Anything we can’t handle in-house, we definitely reach out to Custom Truck. They’ve got a shop full of technology. Whatever we can’t handle here, they can handle down there. It’s been an excellent working relationship.”
A Partnership Built Over Decades
Dusty doesn’t talk about Custom Truck One Source the way you’d talk about a vendor. He talks about them the way you’d talk about someone who’s been in your corner for 30 years, because they have been.
“We’ve dealt with John and Joe and all the Rosses, and they’ve been so great with us, making sure we’ve got all the parts for our trucks, service there when we need it,” he said. “We hope to continue that for years to come.”
That’s what a 40+ location national footprint actually means in practice: not just proximity on a map, but a team that knows your fleet, knows your operation, and picks up when you call. For a family business where every truck represents a route and every route represents a customer, that kind of support isn’t a nice-to-have. It’s what keeps the whole thing running.
Built to Last, Built to Grow
Dusty isn’t just running a trash company. He’s protecting his grandfather’s name and building toward a future Ted himself never got to see.
“It’s my grandpa’s name, so I want to keep his legacy going,” Dusty said. “He’s a legend in the trash game. Hopefully, we can keep growing and growing and growing and start seeing Ted’s Trash in other cities around the area.”
Sixty-five years in, the waste management equipment has changed. The routes have expanded. But the thing that’s driven Ted’s since Ted himself was working double shifts to keep the lights on? That part hasn’t changed at all.
Ready to keep your fleet on the road? Browse our full lineup of waste and refuse equipment, or contact a specialist today.
FAQ
What types of waste management equipment does Custom Truck One Source carry? Custom Truck One Source carries a full range of commercial waste equipment, including rear loaders, roll-off trucks, front loaders, and side loaders, available new, used, and for rent. With 40+ locations across North America, CTOS has the inventory and flexibility to match operators with the right truck for their specific operation.
What is a rear loader garbage truck used for? Rear loader garbage trucks are designed for residential and light commercial waste collection routes. They’re built for high-frequency stops, fast cycle times, and efficient compaction, making them ideal for curbside pickup operations where speed and reliability directly impact how many stops a crew can complete in a day. The Loadmaster Legacy, for example, features a 19-second regenerating cycle time and 800–900 lb-per-yard compaction.
What is a roll-off truck used for? Roll-off trucks are used to transport large open-top containers for construction debris, demolition waste, large-scale cleanouts, and commercial hauling. They’re a staple for waste operators who handle projects beyond standard curbside routes. The Galbreath U5-OR-174 hoist, for instance, handles containers up to 22 feet long with a 60,000 lb lifting capacity.
How does Custom Truck One Source support waste fleet maintenance? CTOS offers dedicated service centers, a specialized driveline shop, and broad parts availability to keep waste fleets running with minimal downtime. With locations across North America, operators have access to full-service facilities for everything from routine maintenance to complex drivetrain repairs, without waiting on out-of-market vendors.
Does Custom Truck One Source sell used waste management equipment? Yes. CTOS carries both new and pre-owned commercial waste equipment, giving operators the flexibility to build or expand a fleet at different price points. Used inventory is inspected and retail-ready and can be browsed across the full CTOS network at customtruck.com.