Summary

Performs driving and manual work in the collection, transport, and deposition of solid waste. Drives a specialized heavy truck with standard and automated loading capacity or other vehicle used in collecting garbage, refuse, and recyclables.  

Distinguishing Career Features

The Refuse Equipment Operator performs and requires competency in unskilled general labor-to-skilled work involving a specialized truck, operation of hydraulic systems designed to empty dumpsters and compact refuse, along with hand tools used for cleanup and maintenance.  Advancement to Lead Operator is based on need and requires the ability to operate the most sophisticated equipment, perform advanced troubleshooting of mechanical problems, train and lead projects.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Drives and operates specialized garbage or refuse collection trucks or other vehicles.
  Assists in loading truck when required and covers assigned area or route.

• Drives and operates the truck in assigned and/or unassigned route areas and maintains a proper schedule in picking up and hauling garbage and trash to disposal areas.  Operates vehicles from left or right hand driving positions and with left handed controls. 

• Manually positions and guides refuse carts that may not be reachable from the normal truck position.

• Safely drives and/or operates other assigned equipment.   Assesses environments for safe operating conditions, mindful of obstructions, overhead lines, overhanging branches, traffic and other unsafe conditions that may be present.

• Reports, using a mobile radio, trash appearing outside of containers, overloaded situations, and other problems impacting pickup.

• Participates in the general maintenance and servicing of vehicles and equipment.  Repairs and delivers carts to residents that subscribe to city waste collection services.

• Completes forms such as but not limited to, vehicle condition report on a daily basis.

• Contributes to continuous improvement of operations by providing input on routes, time-and-labor saving techniques and devices, work schedules, etc.

• Collect waste on an on-call basis and participates on special projects, particularly those for community-wide cleaning.

• May perform the duties and essential functions of a Public Works Specialist on an intermittent basis.
• Performs other duties as required to accomplish the objectives of the position.