What Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors do:
- Dump refuse or recyclable materials at disposal sites.
- Refuel trucks or add other fluids, such as oil or brake fluid.
- Communicate with dispatchers concerning delays, unsafe sites, accidents, equipment breakdowns, or other maintenance problems.
- Inspect trucks prior to beginning routes to ensure safe operating condition.
- Operate equipment that compresses collected refuse.
- Fill out defective equipment reports.
- Check road or weather conditions to determine how routes will be affected.
- Clean trucks or compactor bodies after routes have been completed.
- Drive trucks, following established routes, through residential streets or alleys or through business or industrial areas.
- Dismount garbage trucks to collect garbage and remount trucks to ride to the next collection point.
- Operate automated or semi-automated hoisting devices that raise refuse bins and dump contents into openings in truck bodies.
- Make special pickups of recyclable materials, such as food scraps, used oil, discarded computers, or other electronic items.
- Tag garbage or recycling containers to inform customers of problems, such as excess garbage or inclusion of items that are not permitted.
- Organize schedules for refuse collection.
- Sort items set out for recycling and throw materials into designated truck compartments.
- Provide quotes for refuse collection contracts.
What work activities are most important?
| Importance | Activities |
|---|---|
  |
Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment - Running, maneuvering, navigating, or driving vehicles or mechanized equipment, such as forklifts, passenger vehicles, aircraft, or watercraft. |
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Performing General Physical Activities - Performing physical activities that require considerable use of your arms and legs and moving your whole body, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping, and handling materials. |
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Handling and Moving Objects - Using hands and arms in handling, installing, positioning, and moving materials, and manipulating things. |
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Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials - Inspecting equipment, structures, or materials to identify the cause of errors or other problems or defects. |
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Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates - Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person. |
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Getting Information - Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources. |
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Controlling Machines and Processes - Using either control mechanisms or direct physical activity to operate machines or processes (not including computers or vehicles). |
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Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings - Monitoring and reviewing information from materials, events, or the environment, to detect or assess problems. |
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Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards - Using relevant information and individual judgment to determine whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards. |
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Repairing and Maintaining Mechanical Equipment - Servicing, repairing, adjusting, and testing machines, devices, moving parts, and equipment that operate primarily on the basis of mechanical (not electronic) principles. |
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Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships - Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time. |
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Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events - Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events. |
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Making Decisions and Solving Problems - Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems. |