What You'll Do

  • Inspect trucks prior to beginning routes to ensure safe operating condition.
  • Refuel trucks or add other fluids, such as oil or brake fluid.
  • Fill out defective equipment reports.
  • Drive trucks, following established routes, through residential streets or alleys or through business or industrial areas.
  • Operate equipment that compresses collected refuse.
  • Operate automated or semi-automated hoisting devices that raise refuse bins and dump contents into openings in truck bodies.
  • Dismount garbage trucks to collect garbage and remount trucks to ride to the next collection point.
  • Communicate with dispatchers concerning delays, unsafe sites, accidents, equipment breakdowns, or other maintenance problems.
  • Check road or weather conditions to determine how routes will be affected.
  • Tag garbage or recycling containers to inform customers of problems, such as excess garbage or inclusion of items that are not permitted.

Essential Skills

Operations Monitoring 3.0/5
Operation and Control 3.0/5
Active Listening 2.88/5
Speaking 2.88/5
Critical Thinking 2.75/5
Equipment Maintenance 2.75/5
Reading Comprehension 2.62/5
Coordination 2.62/5
Writing 2.5/5
Monitoring 2.5/5
Social Perceptiveness 2.5/5
Troubleshooting 2.5/5

Career Fit Overview

Use this summary to understand the kind of profile this role rewards. It helps you judge whether this career looks like a stronger match than your current role, a nearby move worth exploring, or a broader path to compare more seriously.

Top passions

  • Maker: Building and fixing energizes you. You like tangible results and practical tools.
  • Organizer: Bringing order to data and processes satisfies you.
  • Analyst: Investigating problems and finding patterns keeps you engaged.

Common styles

Dependability, Cautiousness, Attention to Detail, Stress Tolerance, Integrity

Want a personal read on fit? Take the free assessment and compare this career to your current role, nearby alternatives, and broader stronger-fit options.

Key Abilities

This career demands strong capabilities in the following areas:

Multilimb Coordination 3.38/5
Arm-Hand Steadiness 3.25/5
Static Strength 3.25/5
Manual Dexterity 3.12/5
Reaction Time 3.12/5
Trunk Strength 3.12/5
Oral Comprehension 3.0/5
Extent Flexibility 3.0/5

Technologies & Tools

AMCS Platform Computerized maintenance management system CMMS Dossier software Fleet management software Global positioning system GPS software Mileage logging software Payroll software Routeware software Squeegee WAM software

Work Environment & Strengths

Common Strengths for This Career

  • Dependability (High importance: 4.48/5)
  • Cautiousness (High importance: 3.96/5)
  • Attention to Detail (High importance: 3.71/5)
  • Stress Tolerance (High importance: 3.68/5)
  • Integrity (High importance: 3.64/5)

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How to Become One

Some previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience may be helpful but is usually not required. Training is often provided on the job.

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Also Known As

This career is known by many different job titles across industries. Here are all the variations:

Collector Disposal Man Disposal Worker Dumpman Front Load Trash Truck Driver Front Loader Residential Driver Garbage Collection Sanitation Engineer Garbage Collector Garbage Man Garbage Person Garbage Pick Up Man Garbage Pick Up Worker Garbage Worker Junkman Limb Driver Recyclable Materials Collector Recycle Driver Recycle Worker Recycler Recycling Attendant Recycling Collections Driver Recycling Specialist Refuse Collector Refuse Driver Residential Recycle Driver Roll Off Container Truck Driver Roll Off Driver Roll Off Truck Driver Rubbish Collector Sanitation Engineer Sanitation Laborer Sanitation Truck Driver Sanitation Worker Scrap Metal Collector Solid Waste Collection Worker Solid Waste Collector Solid Waste Driver Solid Waste Laborer Swamper Thrower Trash Collection Sanitation Engineer Trash Collector Trash Man Truck Driver Waste Collector Waste Man

Career Fit FAQs

Is this career a good fit for me

This page shows the role itself. To see personal fit, use the assessment to compare your interests, motivations, and strengths against this career and against the role you are in now.

Can this help if I want to stay in my field

Yes. Many people use career pages like this to compare nearby roles in the same field and see whether they need a full switch or a better-fit version of the work they already know.

What should I compare first

Start with the daily tasks, the preparation level, and the work-style signals on this page. Then use the assessment to see whether this role looks like a stronger fit than your current role or just a different title.