I think I want to be a garbage man

[Mixolydian]

i had the misfortune to work as a garbage man for a year and a half. it's shit. it's such a bad job that destroys you so hard you wouldn't believe it.

try being outside the first week of january, foot deep in the snow, and all your tool are made of steel.
try working during leaf season, shoveling one ton of leaves each day.

and the rest of the time is just constant and relentless exposure to germs that will skin you alive.

Considering I already work a shitty manual labor job, I don't think it would be that big of an adjustment for me.

Around here it's mostly automated, but they do still have to manually load things (especially large items) that don't fit into the trash can

 

[John Connor]

This thread reminds me of the movie Men At Work.

 

[brianmanahan]

I wanna be a cowboy. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s05jcrJw0as

i beat you to it

 

[John Connor]

LMAO! You even said I wanna be a cowboy! I just skimmed through the thread. HAHAHA

 

[brianmanahan]

LMAO! You even said I wanna be a cowboy! I just skimmed through the thread. HAHAHA

the position for my cowgirl still has yet to be filled :whiste:

 

[iroast]

I think they get paid well because of health hazards:

* Environmental (Snow, rain, hail, cold, etc)
* Smell
* Germs
* Getting poked/stabbed by protruding objects.
* Discomfort/pain from lifting objects

 

[Renob]

i would rather have an indoor or office job

no stink, no physical labor, no getting battered by the elements

Sissy!

 

[Sonikku]

What are they paid? Like 30k a year?

 

[brianmanahan]

Sissy!

eh, i have seen too many of my relatives have physical problems - lots of pain, hearing problems, etc - from working in such conditions.

(plus i am a sissy)

 

[CPA]

I work for a large waste collection company, well, really, we consider ourselves an Environmental Services company. But in any case, the company is large enough that many of you would recognize the name, whether in US or Canada.

Comment on a few posts in this thread:

- Not all "garbagemen" are union.
- There is a huge difference in pay between a driver and a "helper" (the guy who does the manual loading. Drivers get paid much more and depending on where they live, make a much better wage than most people think. Drivers with a clean record and willing to work from 3am until their routes are done are hard to find.
- The sideloaders are actually less efficient than trucks using manual labor, but cost less over the life of the truck. Given the choice, a hauling site would prefer the truck that requires manual labor.

let me know if you have any other questions and I'll do my best to answer them. No, I won't confirm which company I work for.

 

[John Connor]

LOL! Waist management?

 

[SAWYER]

I work for a large waste collection company, well, really, we consider ourselves an Environmental Services company. But in any case, the company is large enough that many of you would recognize the name, whether in US or Canada.

Comment on a few posts in this thread:

- Not all "garbagemen" are union.
- There is a huge difference in pay between a driver and a "helper" (the guy who does the manual loading. Drivers get paid much more and depending on where they live, make a much better wage than most people think. Drivers with a clean record and willing to work from 3am until their routes are done are hard to find.
- The sideloaders are actually less efficient than trucks using manual labor, but cost less over the life of the truck. Given the choice, a hauling site would prefer the truck that requires manual labor.

let me know if you have any other questions and I'll do my best to answer them. No, I won't confirm which company I work for.

How often do people get crushed in the trucks?

 

[thestrangebrew1]

Didn't someone post a "The most dangerous jobs" thread that had garbage men at no. 2 or something like that? Our guys have the truck with the arm and are actually pretty good and professional. Our bins are usually left in the exact spot we put them, never any residual garbage left on the curb except on the occasional windy day. Beats my last service that did it manually. There was shit everywhere half the time.

 

[OverVolt]

You know...

the smell.

 

[CPA]

How often do people get crushed in the trucks?

There are some deaths every year.

 

[CPA]

LOL! Waist management?

I don't work in the diet industry.

 

[Imp]

I work for a large waste collection company, well, really, we consider ourselves an Environmental Services company. But in any case, the company is large enough that many of you would recognize the name, whether in US or Canada.

...

let me know if you have any other questions and I'll do my best to answer them. No, I won't confirm which company I work for.

There's only two or so big companies that seem to have the market cornered in North America minus Mexico.

Question... how the hell do they sort between the 7-ish types of recyclable plastic if there's no label?

 

[CPA]

There's only two or so big companies that seem to have the market cornered in North America minus Mexico.

Question... how the hell do they sort between the 7-ish types of recyclable plastic if there's no label?

Believe it or not: People

That said, there are screens, scanners, magnets and other methods to help with the non-plastic. Those sorting lines are not cheap either.

 

[Mixolydian]

I work for a large waste collection company, well, really, we consider ourselves an Environmental Services company. But in any case, the company is large enough that many of you would recognize the name, whether in US or Canada.

Comment on a few posts in this thread:

- Not all "garbagemen" are union.
- There is a huge difference in pay between a driver and a "helper" (the guy who does the manual loading. Drivers get paid much more and depending on where they live, make a much better wage than most people think. Drivers with a clean record and willing to work from 3am until their routes are done are hard to find.
- The sideloaders are actually less efficient than trucks using manual labor, but cost less over the life of the truck. Given the choice, a hauling site would prefer the truck that requires manual labor.

let me know if you have any other questions and I'll do my best to answer them. No, I won't confirm which company I work for.

Very interesting, thanks for the info. One thing I've noticed in recent years is that the traditional rear-loading garbage trucks have pretty much disappeared in my area, with the exception of a few specialized routes. Pretty much all the major waste haulers use front and side loaders. Honestly I'd want to drive a rear-loader.

 

[Homerboy]

I don't work in the diet industry.

LOL!

 

[marincounty]

I've known two guys who were garbagemen. One guy has a bad back and had to quit, and the other guy lost a leg when the can fell off the truck and he was hit by a car while retrieving the can.
Ugly.

 

[Rakehellion]

We're all garbage, man.

 

[Printer Bandit]

We're all garbage, man.

that is such an insightful play on words. i think i'm going to cry.

 

[MongGrel]

My trash guys use a truck that lifts the can except if you do not have your trash can sitting where they don't have to get out of the truck they will not pick it up. I did that once and the left a note saying they wouldn't pick it up next time

Same here, even the recycle one.

 

[ninaholic37]

- There is a huge difference in pay between a driver and a "helper" (the guy who does the manual loading. Drivers get paid much more and depending on where they live, make a much better wage than most people think. Drivers with a clean record and willing to work from 3am until their routes are done are hard to find.

Wow, I thought they would split the duties 50/50. I suppose this way might work better, then one lifter can't say "You suck, I lift faster than you" or "Hey, it's my turn now" or whatever and the Alpha Male garbage man battle ensues. :awe: