Anyone driving dustcarts at the moment

Hi all as the title says is anyone driving dustcarts at the moment? As those of you that have read my previous posts I am struggling finding class 2 work at the moment as I am a new pass.

I have been for an induction before xmas as a driver for dustcarts. I was told that as the driver I am responsible for the loaders and making sure they do their job. I was given 2 examples that made me think twice.

  1. a loader was seen by one of the managers walking across a dual carriageway with a bin. The loader was sacked for doing it and the driver was sacked for allowing it.

  2. if a loader so much as cuts his finger and complains its the driver that is hauled up in front of the beak not the company because the driver should of made sure he was following the regulations.

the second one seems kind of petty but what if it was a more serious injury. The last straw was when we were having a smoke break they were all stood there bragging about how much coke they had shoved up their noses and dope they had smoked the night before and what drugs they were planning on doing over the weekend.

I am quiet as a church mouse and don’t like saying boo to casper as I have mild Asperger’s and as the ink was still wet on my pass certificate coupled with the great drama the guy leading the induction made out of the fact the lorries were rear wheel steer I decided to give it a miss there and then.

So to come round in a circle as I desperately want a job im wondering if I was too hasty and should give it a bash.

Any advice gratefully received
Coop

I totally understand your concerns. Some of them are well founded, others less so. I say this as someone who has given it a go. In my case it didn’t work out and I left completely of my own accord, with the full option of staying on if I wanted to.

You have to understand that the crews you get and their behaviour are a complete lottery. There will be guys that have been doing it for years and they will know the areas inside out. Some of the loaders have knowledge better than most taxi drivers and they will watch you back and make sure you don’t hit a thing. Then you have the guys that will be wanting to roll a joint almost as soon as you leave the depot and be wanting to stop at McDonalds before you have even lifted one bin. Then there is the issue of the loaders wanting to jump early as they don’t want to go to the tip.

Drivers are being termed more as team leaders now, so they do officially take responsibility. Realistically though, if you want to get the run done in the first few weeks, you have to pander to the loaders’ way of doing things, as they know the run and you don’t. There is also two of them and one of you, so there is a bit of give and take with keeping the crew happy.

You would find that in order to get the work done, loaders do not follow official procedure. For example, they are not supposed to tip two bins at the same time. Councils are fully aware of what goes on and turn a blind eye. If crews do ‘work to rule’, all the bins don’t get collected, simple as that. Following the abolition of ‘job and finish’ where I was working, the inevitable effect was that the crews were in no particular hurry and would take full breaks, sometimes including driving all the way across town to have lunch at the depot, just to drive all the way back again after.

As regards rear wheel steer, the only thing you need to watch out for really is the fact that your back end will swing out more than you are used to. The other side of the coin is that you will get round corners a vehicle that size has no business getting round.

Personally, given the climate at this time of year, I would give it a go purely from the perspective of keeping the money coming in and gaining experience.

As a way of getting experience and confidence of moving a large vehicle in tight areas, there’s almost no better way.
However, the issues you’ve mentioned about the crew are, sadly, fairly common. I did commercial waste collections through an agency for a few weeks. I was sent out with one other person. He kept going on about smoking pot at the weekend, getting drunk and high when he wasn’t working, but to be fair, he didn’t show any signs of being intoxicated at work.
Then after about 3 weeks, we were being sent out in a 3.5 tonne box van to pick up a few dumpsters. He said he would drive as he knew the drops, no problem I said, crack on. During his drive, he not only admitted he had no driving licence at all, but also rolled and smoked a spliff.
When we got back to the yard, I was supposed to take the bin wagon out to do a second run, instead I got straight in my car and went home, phoning the agency on my way to tell them I wouldn’t be going back. I explained what had happened, and they understood my position.
The agency spoke to the company involved and gave them a choice, fire the other lad, or find a different agency to supply drivers. It was a family company, and the lad was a member of the family, so they refused to fire him.

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Reading the above two posts, it sounds like a potential nightmare.

As an observation: (maybe naive)
If the driver is designated as some sort of team leader, with responsibilities for over-seeing the loaders, then surely he must be some powers over them? How can he be held responsible for them, unless he has the right to discipline or fire them?

Franglais:
Reading the above two posts, it sounds like a potential nightmare.

As an observation: (maybe naive)
If the driver is designated as some sort of team leader, with responsibilities for over-seeing the loaders, then surely he must be some powers over them? How can he be held responsible for them, unless he has the right to discipline or fire them?

Also…

With all that extra responsibility then a considerable increase in wages right?

yourhavingalarf:

Franglais:
Reading the above two posts, it sounds like a potential nightmare.

As an observation: (maybe naive)
If the driver is designated as some sort of team leader, with responsibilities for over-seeing the loaders, then surely he must be some powers over them? How can he be held responsible for them, unless he has the right to discipline or fire them?

Also…

With all that extra responsibility then a considerable increase in wages right?

Nice to see I`m not the only naïf here.

I believe it was average class 2 work sort of wage (11/12 quid per hour) no idea what the rate for the loader was. You did have authority over the loaders as in they were supposed to listen to you and if they didn’t you called up the depot and someone came out to deal with them.

This is probably fine if your built like jeff capes or have a strong personality neither of which I am/have. Further more its not how I would like to work I can see very quickly you would get the wrong reputation. I would much rather have a team all for one attitude regardless of role and everyone helps each other out. Also what happens when the loaders that did something out of sight of the cameras (like throw the rubbish bins around and yes it has happened) then when the gaffer gets there they both stick together and deny all knowledge. its not an environment for me I find it had dealing with stuff like that.

Hence why I’m wondering what others experiences are like
coop

im sure tailschwing should be along after a suitable time lapse to elaborate in bin driver etiquette seeing as he gets £700 per week for doing half shifts .
or possibly he wont in case you nick his job.

To be fair, when I worked with someone else, they were as responsible for the work getting done as I was, but because they knew the routes, they sort of took the lead to get through the shift quicker. Can’t say I ever had that much of an issue with how they worked

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I spent the first 4 or 5 years of my driving career on the bins and recycling wagons & I would say give it a go it’s a very good relaxed job to get experience.
I say that because you nearly always have a loader with you who knows the rounds like the back of their hand. No stress if you smash something, you go to some really tight places, both mirrors pulled in etc…

As for the negatives well yes there is a major drug problem both drivers and loaders, didn’t bother me what they did outside but I always set my stall out from the word go and told them straight they would be either returned to depot or left out in the sticks if they even attempted to spark up a fat one in my truck.
Yes I had to return several guys to depot because you get some right arse holes sometimes.

The job really can be great if you get nice runs out in to the countryside and you have a good team with you. If you’re doing it in a city it can be very hard work.

As for being a supervisor of the loaders well yes it’s expected and some can be very difficult to manage.
One of the companies I work for would send a supervisor out in a van to spy on/catch you out

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CookieMonster:
To be fair, when I worked with someone else, they were as responsible for the work getting done as I was, but because they knew the routes, they sort of took the lead to get through the shift quicker. Can’t say I ever had that much of an issue with how they worked

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I have no issue with someone taking the leading role after all I’m a newbie and haven’t a clue. Even what someone does in their own home on their own time isn’t an issue per say however coming into work under the affects of anything or consuming any altering drug/drink whilst at work is an issue to me if I am potentially the one that is up in front of the beak if there is an issue. After all its my licence that I worked hard to get and my freedom.

coop

i worked agency on belfast councils bin lorrys on and off for 3 years.
best entertainment during a days work ever.
you can wreck anything willynilly with no comeback as your treated like a council worker.
the binny that knows the route will be pointing down the street you need to turn into or pointing and holding his elbow if you need to reverse in.
your driving about with 3 or 4 of belfasts finest bottom feeders and able to basically live in jeremy kyle land for an 8 hour shift without leaving the drivers seat.
its all job and knock and if you want to hop out and lift a bine then thats fine,otherwise you dont need to as your the driver.
the jobs a doddle and good craic being surrounded by binnys annoying and squabbling with each other.
from shaking up each others bottles of coke to rolling around in the street fighting or even having chestnut/berries fights across the street,then its just a doddle.
drive the truck,( the clue is in your job description) do nothing else,and let them do whatever they want drugged up or otherwise and dont sweat it.

As someone who counts myself among the absolute elite of bulk refuse and plant haulage and 24t motorway gritter council drivers do not go for residential refuse collection bin wagon work.Those like Harry will look down on you for the rest of your days including in retirement and that’s even without differentiating the above.It really is no problem to just cold call for international work where numerous operators including 18t are enthusiastically taking on new inexperienced drivers and trust me ( him ) you’ll be out there enjoying the open road throughout Europe within a week after you’ve done a local multi drop run or two to show that they can trust you. :smiling_imp: :laughing:

Edit to add the job of ‘dustcart operative’ doesn’t usually distinguish between loader and driver it’s both.So if there’s more than enough drivers for a shift/s then you could be allocated as a loader for the day/week/month.If you’re looking for refuse work then go for at least 8 wheeler bulker work with a view to class 1 as soon as possible.

On that note we know that there is a laughable face fits pecking order in the job in which some drivers are lumbered with all the zb while others move onto the cream in no time.That applies to refuse bulkers as much as international work.Tell me about it. :unamused: :open_mouth: :wink:

I am led to believe the loaders are on carp money and also dont tend to be the brightest bunnies going?

As for the job stop being a snowflake and get on with it, experience/money you might even like it.

First time poster hear long time reader.

You do get some doughnuts working on the bins but it’s a really mixed bag at my place.

I’ve been driving them for 10 years as it suits family life but I can honestly say it a great job from my point of view. If you get a good crew you can have a right laugh and once you get used to the vehicles they are so easy to drive.
On an average week with overtime I do maybe 35 hours whilst being paid 48 13 of those at either time and a half or double time.

Yes you are in charge of the crew and making sure the round is complete but if you’re working with someone who’s doing something they shouldn’t or won’t listen to you then just get a supervisor to deal with it.

This bloke tried !!

robthedog:
This bloke tried !!

He must if tried blody hard. The Mercedes econics we have handle really well. Theres a large roundabout just of a 50mph dual carriageway that lead to our yard and most drivers take it at full pelt even loaded.

ETA
that looks like an older Mercedes econic by the door card (sad I know but you know what they look like after 10 years) the Dennis trucks we had on hire were no where near as nice to drive.

robthedog:
This bloke tried !!

[emoji1787]

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I was always told that the driver was in charge of the vehicle & the crew.
But the crew were responsible for their own safety and work ethic.
Complaints always went against the driver but the TM always wanted to hear all views before making a decision.