Using a Trip Ticket

Whether your foodservice business has a large or small grease trap, keeping it clean is a city and state requirement. A clean grease trap helps prevent sewer back-ups, costly repairs, and closures. Transporters with a current sludge license from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) are the only ones that can legally pump and transport grease trap waste.

Waste Tracking

Grease trap waste is tracked by a multi-part manifest called a trip ticket. Trip tickets document the amount of waste and where it came from, who transported it, and where the waste was disposed of.

Procedure

Trip tickets must be kept on-site for 5 years and be readily available in the event of an inspection. A trip ticket is started when the transporter pumps out the grease trap. First, the generator and transporter information is completed and a copy is given to the generator. 

Next, the waste is taken to the disposal site. The disposal site representative will complete their section of the trip ticket and keep their copy. The transporter will also get a copy and will then return a final copy, called a completed trip ticket, to the generator. The generator now has two copies of the trip ticket. 

The first copy shows what waste left their site and the completed trip ticket shows where and how it was disposed of. If your facility sends trip tickets to a different location, such as a corporate office, be sure to make copies to keep on-site first.

In-Ground Grease Traps

In-ground grease traps should be cleaned and serviced every 90 days, or more often if needed to retain grease waste and keep it out of the city's sewer system. Under-sink traps need to be cleaned every 30 days or when the grease layer reaches 2 inches thick. The transporters track the journey of liquid waste from your facility to an authorized disposal site using a trip ticket, in accordance with City Ordinance. Here's how the process works:

• When a liquid waste transporter comes to your business to clean your grease trap, you'll receive a copy of a multi-copy, five-part trip ticket form that identifies your business as the generator and the hauler as the transporter, and notes how many gallons are being transported.
• After pumping out your grease trap, the hauler will transport the waste to the disposal site, note on the form that the trip is complete, and provide a copy to the receiving facility.
• The waste hauler will provide a copy of the final trip ticket to your business.

You'll need to keep a copy of the trip ticket on-site at your business as proof of service, but before you file it away, be sure to check that all areas of the form are correct and complete.