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[feline groovy]

Things Your Garbage Collector Wants You to Know

Ever wanted to know what a day in the life of a garbage collector is like? Here's your chance.

ReadersDigest.com  11/7/17 

We make a decent living

We make a better living than you might think, especially for a job that doesn’t usually require a high school diploma. The average annual salary for a garbage-truck driver is almost $38,000, according to the U.S. Department of Labor, but we can make significantly more. In Chicago and other nearby cities, drivers pull in an average of $51,500 a year. 
Plus we have great job security: 
This is one role that can’t be outsourced overseas!  

The work’s not easy

Those assigned to a traditional rear-loading truck lift an average of 13,000 pounds per day. The Bureau of Labor Statistics rates garbage collecting as the fifth-most-dangerous job 
in America, behind roofers, airplane pilots, fishermen, and loggers.  

Our biggest danger?

Getting hit by passenger cars when we’re stopped. At least nine states have laws requiring drivers to go slower than the posted speed limit when driving by a stopped garbage truck. It might make you rethink what you throw out. 

You can help us stay safe

You can also make our lives safer by wrapping your broken glass 
in newspaper first, to spare us bloody hands. And think twice before throwing out any chemicals. We’ve witnessed entire trucks go up in flames after chance chemical reactions 
in the back, often thanks to a farmer who dumped toxic pesticides.

Yes, there are garbage women

They make up only a tiny percentage of our ranks. We think that’s probably because there just aren’t many women excited about the smell, the maggots, and the other not-so-pleasant aspects of the job. 

Your trash can be our treasure

If someone is moving out of a nice neighborhood, we watch carefully as we dump. We’ll even grab a bag and rip it open to peek at what’s inside. You never know when you’re going to find a Gucci purse, an old-fashioned watch, or a fur coat.

We get unexpected bonuses

Some of us have even found 
cash in the trash. Earlier this year, a garbage collector in Augusta, Georgia, pulled $8,500 out of a can! (He returned it to the can’s owner.)

Yes, we do judge you by your can

Clean trash can? You’re probably a neat and clean person. We look at restaurants the same way. If their garbage is a disgusting mess, what do you think their kitchen looks like? 

Squirrels are the worst

We’ve clashed with rats, raccoons, and other critters, but squirrels have become the real monsters of the garbage. A squirrel can bite right through the plastic of your bin; then, when we lift the lid, it flies out of there like a bat out of Hades. 

Think about where you park on pickup day

Our biggest pet peeve: people who park in front of their containers. If we’re driving a one-person truck with an automated arm, we have to get out and move your bin, so your pickup takes twice as long. 

We’re being timed

Every route is budgeted a certain number of hours for completion; if we come in over that, our bosses question us to make sure we’re not just angling for overtime. There are also cameras and GPS in some of the trucks so we can be monitored at all times. 

We can help if you forget to put the trash out

We know sometimes it can be tough to get your cans out early. If you miss the pickup, give us a call and we may be able to swing back and get it. Some towns have a “complaint truck” that does a late run to grab anything that’s left. 

We always appreciate a nice drink

Please, we would love a drink of water on a 100-degree day. 
If it’s freezing outside, offer coffee. It’s a simple gesture, but it’ll rocket you onto our list of favorite customers. 

We are always watching for homeless people

Sometimes, when my truck lifts up a dumpster, I’ll hear yelling and banging—and a homeless person will pop up out of there. When it’s cold or wet outside, they see the bins as a nice warm place to get out of the rain. 

 

Don’t blame us if you find trash splayed across your lawn

That usually means that your roll cart was facing the wrong way. Our automated arm can still pick it up, but when we dump your garbage into the truck, some of it stacks on the underside of the open lid. Then, when we put the can down, the lid is like a catapult and it shoots trash everywhere. (Look for arrows on your cart showing which side should face the street.) 

Most of the time, if you’ve thrown something away, it’s gone

But one time we had a woman who called us, freaking out, because her child with special needs had thrown out a grocery bag that had his medication, her checkbook and some money. She wanted to know if there was any way to retrieve the bag. Well, the truck had already picked up the trash from about 1,000 homes on that route. How were we going to find the one bag? But we decided to try. We had the truck dump in a special area, recruited some guys, spread everything out and started searching. It took an hour and half, but we actually found it.

 

Bag it! I repeat, bag it!

Your bin will last longer and smell better, and you’ll make your garbage collector a happy man. And speaking of bags, we always know when you buy the cheap ones. They bust apart as soon as we lift them. Your garbage isn't the only thing making your kitchen smell.  

Know what's not allowed

Remember, in most towns these things are not allowed in the trash: gallons of paint, fluorescent light bulbs, motor oil and cast-off electronics (televisions, computers). Unfortunately, it’s tough for us to catch if you bag them up. So we appeal to your conscience by reminding you that those items contain toxic substances that contaminate groundwater. Instead, take them to a hazardous materials facility that will dispose of them safely.

 

Most of us genuinely like what we do

We like being out and about and physically active instead of stuck in an office. We like taking care of people, and serving the public. And hey, we’ve have great job security: this is one job that can’t be outsourced overseas!

We accept tips

You give a tip to your mailman and newspaper carrier… why not the trash collector? Official policies on tips vary, but most of us will accept them. Some folks tape an envelope to their bins. Or you can leave a note that says “Ring the bell. We have a tip for you.’”

 

Sometimes things do mix in the truck, and we see bubbling or steam from a chemical reaction

On occasion, our trucks actually catch on fire. It’s typically because a farmer dumped in some kind of highly toxic pesticide. When a fire starts, we have to drive around trying to find to a safe spot to dump. You don’t want to be the one who loses a $250,000 garbage truck.

We're not all streamlined

Many of today’s garbage-collecting machines are efficient, high-tech affairs with GPS, air-conditioning and a mechanical arm to pick up your wheeled cart. But you will still find traditional, rear-loader trucks with men hanging off the back in most big cities, because we haven’t figured out how to streamline our service in those areas.

 

Does it smell bad?

You better believe it. Especially on a hot day when the trash is filled with maggots and rodents. You wear gloves, try not to breathe too deep and get it done as fast as you can.

 

In some states, we’re not allowed to pick up your old mattress

Because they’re bulky and hard to crush, they fill up landfills quick.  Find a mattress recycler at mattressrecyclingcouncil.org.

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Appreciation claps all around!  8)

[CAcableGirl2]

@feline groovy  That was very interesting.  I never thought about the direction of the cans but the lid could catch the trash and spread it all over my yard if not the in correct position.  

I saw a recent episode of "American Pickers" and there was a man who retired from the trash company and he had an entire warehouse of items of value that people had thrown out. 

My sister used to bake cookies around the holidays and take them out to the trash drivers as they drove through her neighborhood.  

[Caligurll]

Thanks, @feline groovy, that was really interesting!  

[Laura14]

My brother in law worked briefly for a commercial disposal company.  They made six figures easy.  

I also knew someone who used to put out a couple cases of beer during the holiday as the tip.  I'm sure they appreciated that!

And I have stopped using my recycle bin and just buy blue trash bags.  So much easier and I don't have to hunt down the bin on windy days.  

[NickNack]

That was interesting!  Thanks for posting that.

[StylishLady]

DH tells me it was his first real job. He says he got $1.35 an hour and all you could eat.

[GCR18]

I agree with everything listed.  My garbage hauler though won't pull the can out if he can't get to it with his truck.  He skips you and keeps on going.

[jaxs mom]

I dated one when I was in high school. He was in shape. 

[SeaMaiden]

Thank God for those people who chose to be Garbage Collectors! What would we do without them? When they threaten to go on strike for a raise I always say give it to them and raise my bill....it is worth it. They deserve it!

[CANDLEQUEEN]

Thank you so much for posting!!!!!! It was very interesting....It is also a job I couldn't do!!!