What are you guys getting around the country to haul transfer loads of trash?

Heck, clueless, uninformed is about 70% of the population

 

I worked for Pritchett Trucking in Florida for a little over 3 years pulling transfer trash (tractor trailer) from Tallahassee to Campbelton Florida, 90 miles one way 3 loads per day and it paid a flat rate of 50$ per load. They offered a revenue bonus though, so any time I grossed over 750 a week they would add on an extra 50 which I was able to achieve every week. Are you tipping your loads or walking them off? All we did was go to the landfill back on a tipper and 5 minutes later we were unloaded, but of course I had to wait in line in the mornings. If you're running a live bottom it will take longer to unload but maybe you can unload multiple trucks at a time without having to wait in line.

 

That's about the standard down this way, a lot of our county landfills are to capacity so it's pretty common here to truck out the trash. Down further south there's a lot of O/O's doing it, but up my way it's mostly ran by large companies with quite a few trucks. It can be nasty work though, personally you won't get too dirty but the smell can be horrendous especially in the warm months.

 

It's really not that bad, I hauled trash and human waste for Pritchett, the human waste was much worse and to me it still wasn't bad. I enjoyed the job a lot, some of the things that can make a difference would be whether or not you live load or drop and hook, we were drop and hook for the most part until the slow season which was summer when all the students were out of school which at that point we usually only dropped and hooked our second loads and had to live load our 3rd loads. We had all electric tarps which was nice, hopefully you do too because it can a real pain in the butt to roll out and roll up a tarp. I would think in the winter time you might have a tough time getting your 3 loads but in all it sounds like a good job.

Best thing you can do though is try to figure out how to get yourself in the front of the line in the morning, for me that meant leaving Tallahassee by 12:30 am and sleeping at the landfill until they opened, but being first in line can make a huge difference in how smoothly your day will go.

 

When I was hauling trash for MBI in SLC, My route paid $100 per trip, 2 trips per day if there was enough trash and I could make it to the landfill before it closed. I ran 2 180 round trip trips. We had a shorter run that ran 3 90 mile rounds trips that paid $75 per trip. All the jobs were bid on. I was there almost 6 years, with no raises and still couldn't count on a full check running m-f. The trash can be bad and so can the stupid birds that hang out at the landfill, but to be honest, you get used to both. Just keep strong, pleasant smelling air freshener in the cab. Wear some light coverall when your at work so you don't take the funk home with you.

Trash is a fickle commodity like any other freight. Winter can be really harsh and with the economy the way it is, people aren't buying as much, Manufacturers are producing as much, everybody isn't throwing as much away. There are also heavy politics involved! Everybody wants their hand in the pie and the under bidding has gotten to the point where I can't understand how alot of our local companies make any money. One of our competitors got bought out and their drivers took a $2 an hour pay cut and have their bennies removed. Most of the guys quit, but they still had plenty of bodies to fill the trucks because there is always someone willing to work for that lower wage. I will never understand it.

 

I can't help much on rates but I can say I agree with TrashTrucker... Try to be as early as you can to the landfill... When I was OTR I used to deliver materials to landfills on flatbed and I would just drive to the landfills and sleep (mostly because I wasn't a truck stop junkie not because of the lines)... I would usually be the only truck there when I would arrive at these landfills by the time I would wake up in the morning there would be 100's of trucks waiting to get int.. Lucky for me tho I wasn't hauling trash so I didn't have to wait in the lines since I was hauling materials to the companies... But ya waking up to 100's of trucks when you were the only one there the night before was crazy...

Now I am in the waste hauling business.. Although I don't haul the garbage (it's contracted out)... I do haul yardwaste, foodwaste and recycling.... Foodwaste actually smells worst then garbage because there is all kinds of organic stuff in it (it's actually called Organics since it involves more then food).. Yardwaste also smells bad over time, especially when it decomposes... From working out of a transfer station (current) to when I was OTR going to landfills I don't find garbage to be that bad.... Our contractor hauls our garbage because we do not go further then 160km (100miles).... The landfill they go to is owned by my company/government in a different city that is about 170km (105miles) away and they do 2 trips a day.. Live loads and walking floor trailers (loading times usually 30mins or so thru a hopper/compactor).... The contractor is formed by both company drivers and O/O...

If you want any particulars about live bottom trailers let me know and I will try to help... Oh ya BTW in Winter walking floors can sometimes be a pain in the butt... Sometimes the loads freeze and the floor won't walk the material off... The floors tend to be slow when starting up until the hydraulics get warmed up (unless you have a oil tank warmer) so don't rev the truck up right away when you start to walk the load in winter... You might blow a line or brake the floor itself.... I am not saying these issues happen all of the time but they are things to look out for... I have had loads not move in winter, so I keep floor on idle for a while and pray that the load eventually moves then once it starts to move I pump the throttle speed up...

I think the money in waste hauling is pretty good... I mean I am not a O/O so I don't know numbers, but the O/O hauling our garbage seem happy with what they do.. The company drivers are unionized so they are making good money as well... It's a job not many want because its waste but really if you can handle the smells and dirty aspect of the job then I think it's a good gig.. You don't get as dirty as other might think either, just smelly more then anything... In-fact I come home cleaner then an office worker on most days.....