Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors

Typical tasks

From O*NET 31.0. Core tasks first. Few of these tasks have a benchmark today.

• Inspect trucks prior to beginning routes to ensure safe operating condition.
• Drive trucks, following established routes, through residential streets or alleys or through business or industrial areas.
• Refuel trucks or add other fluids, such as oil or brake fluid.
• Dump refuse or recyclable materials at disposal sites.
• Fill out defective equipment reports.
• 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.
• Operate equipment that compresses collected refuse.
• 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.
• Clean trucks or compactor bodies after routes have been completed.
• Tag garbage or recycling containers to inform customers of problems, such as excess garbage or inclusion of items that are not permitted.