Low wages or normal?

I think I would drive an ice cream truck before driving a Waste management route for 20 bucks an hour.

They can’t afford good mechanics either…..apparently ….

 

Whether it's low pay or not is for you to decide. If that job does what you need for it to do, and suits your needs(pays the bills, satisfies home time, good benefits etc) go for it. It said on there that benefits packages vary by location. The pay may as well.

 

Well, one thing for absolute sure, you'll have a job until the end of time. The "container" one is pretty simple, very little physical work, those trucks that bring the trash units over the top, and residential, I'd imagine is the get out and load the back, a far worse job. I'd say that pay is definitely on the low side, and should be DOUBLE that, no wonder they are looking for drivers. Then UNLOADING at landfills, equally disgusting. They were paying that 25 years ago, and am flabbergasted that's all they are offering. Heck, Walmart is paying that to stock soup cans. I'd keep looking.

 

The main reason they pay low is because they work you 60-70 hours per week with OT after 40. In their eyes it’s like they are doing the driver a favor by giving them all the hours they could possibly want.

 

Not sure of what the starting wage in my area is but they top out at around $38/hour. So that low starting wage in your area may see a big pay boost after year 2 or 3. Republic services and the other couple of residential trash hauling companies pay really good to.

Believe @Grumppy has experience with WM.

 

Those guys have to clear at least a few thousand in Christmas tips. We get two collections a week, recycling and regular, and give each two-man crew $50. I assume my neighbors are giving about the same.

 

I did class B roll offs from transfer stations to landfills for about 3 months nearly a decade ago for 12.50/hr I think. 40 hours a week.

Only way I'd do that job again was for 50/hr and double time for OT. Wasn't hard work but god was it disgusting. And you smell like sewage 24/7. Only way to get rid of the smell was to burn all your belongings, shave your head and body, douse yourself in ether, and lastly move.

Be prepared to get covered in garbage juice when you net the compactor port if you do roll offs from compactors.

 

that’s crazy low up here in the Toronto area roll off is $28-34 a hr . pays better compared to the majority of local tractor trailer jobs that are $22-27 a hr . the big problem is everyone want 1-2 years roll off and it’s tough getting in