According to people in this career, the main tasks are...
| Task | Importance |
|---|---|
| Inspect trucks prior to beginning routes to ensure safe operating condition. | 90% |
| Drive trucks, following established routes, through residential streets or alleys or through business or industrial areas. | 86% |
| Refuel trucks or add other fluids, such as oil or brake fluid. | 86% |
| Dump refuse or recyclable materials at disposal sites. | 86% |
| Fill out defective equipment reports. | 85% |
| Operate automated or semi-automated hoisting devices that raise refuse bins and dump contents into openings in truck bodies. | 81% |
| Dismount garbage trucks to collect garbage and remount trucks to ride to the next collection point. | 79% |
| Operate equipment that compresses collected refuse. | 79% |
| Communicate with dispatchers concerning delays, unsafe sites, accidents, equipment breakdowns, or other maintenance problems. | 79% |
| Check road or weather conditions to determine how routes will be affected. | 76% |
| Tag garbage or recycling containers to inform customers of problems, such as excess garbage or inclusion of items that are not permitted. | 75% |
| Provide quotes for refuse collection contracts. | 73% |
| Clean trucks or compactor bodies after routes have been completed. | 72% |
| Sort items set out for recycling and throw materials into designated truck compartments. | 70% |
| Make special pickups of recyclable materials, such as food scraps, used oil, discarded computers, or other electronic items. | 67% |
| Organize schedules for refuse collection. | 65% |
