Meet the truck drivers who keep our shire clean and tidy

L-R: Serge Theakston, Neil Spencer, Richard Smith, Kendell Brazendale and Ezio Polese. Absent: Jeff Nicholson, Michael Wort

Did you know?

- There are 6 main bin collection routes across the shire, although an additional 3 half runs have been added recently due to the population and service growth.

- We have a fleet of 6 waste trucks with a team of 6 full time and 5 fill-in drivers.

- One truck empties up to 1,200 bins per day. Together they collect up to 4,000 bins a day or over 1 million bins per year!

ON THE FRONTLINE:

Remember when garbage trucks would have a driver and two ‘runners’ following behind, collecting bins and hooking them up to be emptied?

Thankfully our waste trucks are much more sophisticated these days, but some of our drivers have been in the job for more than 20 years so they REALLY appreciate the creature comforts of the modern trucks.

Jeff Nicholson has been a waste truck driver with Council for 29 years. He reckons “you used to go through 10 pairs of shoes a year” as a runner for the rear loader trucks – and don’t get him started on the wet weather!

No more do waste collectors have to deal with dogs chasing them as they cling on to the back of a garbage truck. Instead, the current side loader trucks have just one driver, they are air conditioned (a real blessing!) and fitted with GPS and surveillance cameras.

Cameras inside the truck where bin contents are emptied and outside facing the kerb allow drivers to clearly see everything and to identify contamination. “For example, if there are a heap of plastic bags in a recycling bin we can record that footage and send a letter to the property owner,” explains Lloyd Isaacson, Manager Resource Recovery. While the trucks are snazzier than they’ve ever been, there’s still plenty of challenges for our drivers to contend with.

Cul-de-sacs and vehicles parked along the kerb and blocking access to bins are the most frustrating obstacles. There are plenty of narrow or difficult spots to manoeuver around, which is why all of the drivers agree that the rural bin collection route is by far the most enjoyable! The drivers start their shifts at 4.30am or 5am, depending on the route they are assigned to. The team has a roster that rotates every 4-6 months. On Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays they start the day by emptying park bins, before moving on to household collections.

Keeping to schedule is another challenge for drivers, with each truck emptying up to 1,200 bins per day. Then there’s the shire’s growing population, with one or two new properties being added to the collection routes every day. The drivers return to the waste management centre at around 12pm and finish off their busy days with an hour of truck maintenance to make sure they’re ready to roll bright and early the next morning.

If you would like a career in this area please contact our People and Culture team on 1300 864 444.