June 2009

Software Solutions for Hard Times

Spending money on scale, routing, and vehicle software can save money by reducing errors and increasing productivity.

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Between municipalities facing budget crunches and the pressure of increased competition, the trash industry can’t afford to have anything—time, fuel, or manpower—going to waste. More accurate scales ensure that every ounce is accounted for; integrated software feeds that information directly to the billing department. Other software makes the most of time, manpower, and resources by plotting the most efficient collection routes. The refuse business is more than “picking up”; it’s increasingly becoming as high-tech as many American businesses.

Streamlined Billing
In Minneapolis, MN, Commercial Container LLC uses Cardinal Scale products. “Our operation is a transfer station for C&D trucks,” says Operations Manager Jeff Whelen. “We don’t do curbside collection.” Commercial Container owns one truck scale, located in a pit, which weighs the incoming refuse.

“The scale is automated; we don’t need an attendant, which helps keep labor costs down. Drivers get out of their trucks and use the scale’s keypad interface to punch in their code, note what size container they’re carrying—because all their trucks are rolloffs—and where the refuse came from. The scale machine then prints out a receipt ticket for them.

“The information from the scale is then transmitted back to our office,” Whelen goes on. “The software system with the scale transfers that to our accounting/billing package. I can do my reporting from this system, and this is also how we bill customers.”

As there’s only one scale, the empty weight of each sized container for each customer has previously been entered into Commercial Container's database.

“We had to calculate how that goes into the computer system,” Whelen says. “We had to adjust for the regular empty size of each truck, since we only weigh once. Having this information already in the system eliminates the need for an outbound scale; also, as the drivers need to input less information each time, it speeds up the trucks, so there's no waiting in line.”

Commercial Container has been using its Cardinal scale for about two years. “Before then, we didn’t have scales and didn’t take loads from other people; when we expanded, we put in this scale system. Cardinal had the best set for us at the time. I like their design better. We’ve had no problems with it, no more than anyone else. Since the scale is out in the elements, you have clean the scale—remove ice, mud, et cetera—and calibrate it back to zero once in a while. Other haulers in the area, they’ve had trouble with other brands’ load cells; I think I like Cardinal’s load cells better, as we haven’t had any problems with them. I’m not complaining.”

Hurry Up and Weight
Costs can be easier to track if one knows one’s own weight, without having to wait to see what’s registered at the landfill. Some companies, such as Aspen Waste, have installed scales on their trucks, so a running total of weight can be noted.

“We have Packer Bodies front loader garbage trucks, with body-mounted scales,” says Aspen's Operations Manager Bruce Nesbitt. “They’re called ‘load cells.’ Six of them are installed on each truck, where the body mounts to the chassis.” Aspen, which does residential and commercial and collection, owns scales manufactured by Cumberland, MD’s SI Technologies/Vishay.

“We don't bill customers by weight,” Nesbitt explains. “When we price an account, we do so on assumed weight. If the actual waste weighs more than that, we’re in trouble; if less, we need to work on the estimate. We weigh every single container we dump every day. As we don’t own a landfill, we can check what they weigh us, to see how accurate each individual truck scale is.” Another advantage to truck-loaded scales is that of obeying road load limits. “As we always know what the trucks weigh, the scales help us from going overweight.”

Onboard scales also allow Nesbitt to monitor costs. “We learned early on—when you’re watching your costs, it’s easy to see that disposal of waste is what can hurt our profits. Are our loads being weighed accurately? We try the landfill’s scales, and make sure they’re giving the same readings as our onboard scales.”

He explains the average “day in the life” of a truck scale: “The truck starts out at ‘zero.’ We’ll pick up your trash and weigh it, to know if you’re staying within your cost estimate. The scale zeros out again before we go to the next house, and so on. The scale program also keeps a running total of all the trash in the truck. When truck is fully emptied at the landfill, the scale is zeroed again.”

Since the truck scale “knows” how much each home’s trash weighs, is that data transmitted to the main office, for billing purposes? “There are packages which interface these scales to PCs in the office, but we don’t do it that way; we manually input the data,” he says.

“There’s nothing I can think of to add to this product; it’s a slick system. We’ve been using it for 20 years. I did tests on other systems, and preferred SI’s.”

What does Nesbitt see at the next industry challenges? “This industry is competitive; knowing your costs is key. Without these scales, we would be missing oversight on the biggest part of our costs. Do I see automation coming? I don’t think so. Lots of automation has already been implemented on the residential side. However, companies are coming out with new things all the time—things we couldn’t have dreamed of 20 years ago.”

Photo: Cardinal Scale Cardinal Scale’s low-profile EPR vehicle scale makes use of modules specially fabricated for minimizing height and maximizing strength.

Following the Right Route
In a TV commercial, comic Jonathan Winters once quipped: “We men in garbage are always at your disposal.” Funny—but not quite true these days, what with rising costs and shrinking municipal budgets. Knowing where, and how much, trash there is—as well as making the most of your fuel budget—can really help one’s bottom line.

For all those reasons, the city of Denton, TX uses Paradigm Software’s CompuRoute software. “We collect all the residential and commercial trash within the city limits, own our own landfill, and we also collect trash for some in Denton County,” reports Field Support Administrator Liza Good. “Our service is fee-based; we offer three different-sized trash carts, and households are billed on their cart size. We also provide a curbside recycling service.”

Although CompuRoute features a “best possible way” routing module, Denton doesn’t use that module. “The module has different components, such as inventory, and dispatching—in which we can note special requests or on-call tasks. We’re not currently using the routing module, as our drivers have nine different established routes in a quadrant. The program does maintain route sheets and route reports, collecting data such as how many households each route contains, and how many dumpsters exist on the route.

“The inventory module allows us to keep up with trucks, it holds each unit’s tare weight, et cetera. It also keeps track of our open-top compactors, carts for trash, and recycling. You see, households ‘rent’ the trash containers from us, so we know exactly how much trash that customer is giving us, and we can bill them accordingly.” Do some customers “borrow” a neighbor's container? “We watch what we collect. If you repeatedly used two large containers, that would draw a flag. We also don't allow folks to use two small or two medium containers; that’s definitely a red flag. There are serial numbers on the containers, which helps us know they’re at the right address—which also helped immensely during fall 2008’s floods.”

If someone does try to cheat the system, does a report go right to the office? “At the moment, no—there’s no communication between the office and truck, except for radio. No software.” However, during “large trash times,” such as the floods, the rules are eased a bit. “If you need other items collected outside the cart, a certain amount is collected for free, if you’re a longtime customer,” Good says.

A well-trained populace also helps Denton streamline its operation. “We use the dispatching module of the software, too, but it’s not truly on demand. Let’s say you have extra trash that won’t all fit in the cart, because you had a party. We have trained citizens; they know they have to call in advance, to let us know they'll have more trash. With this information in hand, crew leaders in the office prepare paperwork, noting these additions before routes get started for the day. This same call-ahead procedure works for home chemical or yard waste collection.”

Knowing how much and what kind of trash awaits them allows Denton to send the best vehicle: right-hand side-loaders; a rear loader, for collecting large items; or a claw- or brush-truck for gathering yardwaste. In addition, “special needs” trucks might not need to follow the entire route; hypothetically, if only a few homes per route require a yardwaste pickup, that same truck might be able to work an entire day by covering several routes.

The software allows the city of Denton to generate quantity reports. “Yardwaste goes into a composting facility; the city sells that end product, although that’s operated by different city department. We collect yardwaste, record how much brush, et cetera, was picked up, and that goes into a report. When we do recycling, we also report on how much metal was diverted from the wastestream.”

Being efficient also allows Denton’s crews to work a four-day week. “We collect Monday through Thursday—four 10-hour days. Fridays can also be utilized, as a holiday catch-up day.”

As Denton also owns the landfill, it uses Paradigm’s WeighStation for its scales. “Commercial haulers also use our landfill. In fact, it’s open to anyone to anyone who pays tipping fees,” Good says. “At the moment, we operate two inbound scales; one is for general public, the other is unattended, for our collection crews. We opened the new scale house in February 2009; we have one outbound scale.”

The unattended scale runs electronically. “We have RF tags on our collection vehicles, so the scale knows which truck has arrived, and it knows the truck’s tare weight. On a keyboard, drivers type in what route they’re from and what material they’re bringing. The software contacts the home office, so we can make reports from this data.

“We have a few established commercial collection customers that get billed at the end of the month. When they enter, the company and its truck are identified. When passing through the outbound scale, they get a ticket receipt, which they can check against their accounts. The software that collects this information is great for historical data, which we’ve gathered since we first put in the software one year after the landfill opened in 2003.”

Photo: Air-Weigh In-cab dials allow the driver to monitor the vehicle’s weight, thereby avoiding load-limit citations on the road.

Once the trash is in its “final resting place,” Denton uses other software to manage the landfill. “Our Case system software utilizes GPS on the compactor units and tells us elevations as the piles go up,” Good concludes. “It calculates how much trash is in every cell. We also indicate which grid the load went into; the Paradigm software does that. Then we have surveyors go in and measure the landfill, to file our air space reports.”

Paradigm President Phil Weglein sees the opportunities for increased efficiency, reduction in errors and lost revenues, and overall cost containment. “Standardizing business rules and having a software package that can implement them allow for the fewest key strokes to complete a transaction. Utilizing software which can apply business rules at the point of sale during data input will greatly reduce the number of records which need to be changed before billing. Some of our customers have seen the number of input errors reduced by over 80% a month resulting reduced billing staff and billing errors. Our software can also be configured so that any single workstation can run any lane, so a weigh master on a slow lane can process transactions on busy lanes to help speed traffic flow.”

“Our primary customer base ranges from small to large in the public and private sectors,” adds Paradigm Vice President Jackie Barlow II. “Our system is very scalable and modular, which allows us to customize the system to fit our customer’s business requirements. We do not feel a customer is too small or too large for our solution—from the single lane site to the statewide 20-plus site installation.”

Where’s the Truck?
An on-board GPS system allows an employer to know if his fleet is following the right route; but, according to FleetBoss Global Positioning Solutions Inc., its GPS-based system can do much more.

“One thing companies think about GPS: ‘Where’s my guy, and what’s he doing?’ They think of it as a glorified babysitting tool,” says FleetBoss Vice President Daniel Lee. “Yes, that’s one element of the technology, accountability—but its best use is productivity purposes. Our products can offer real savings to your bottom line.”

He explains: “For example, are you getting the most from your payroll? Your crew clocks in, but is there work being done? Are they loafing around the office before taking off? FleetBoss allows you to compare time cards to when trucks leave the office—the ‘hours worked’ starts when the trucks leave!”

Whether residential or commercial, FleetBoss can clock the routes, to make sure there are no “side trips” or unauthorized uses. “It will uncover phantom routing, while also eliminating double lifting. If a customer says his trash wasn’t picked up, you can now prove you were there. Not only will you have a GPS reading of his site, and a timestamp of when your truck was there, but FleetBoss also notes when the PTO was in use.”

Where residential routes seem fairly straightforward, logical—commercial routes can develop haphazardly: “I sometimes see ‘spaghetti’ going on,” Lee says. “Once you have an overview, you can make changes. Is it better to have someone else pick up a certain load when they’re in that area? Would moving in another direction or taking a different street route eliminate backtracking? For one customer, I noticed one of his trucks would drive 40 miles to do a route, which was actually 8 miles shorter, requiring one hour less. I mapped out a better route, saving him labor costs, gas, and wear and tear on the vehicle.”

With rising fuel costs, idling is an expensive proposition. “Idling to keep the motor going isn’t necessary for today’s diesels,” Lee says. “Back in the 1970s, there were arguments to keep the truck running. Today, vehicles and engines are obviously built better and onboard computers assist with vehicle efficiencies. You can shut down and start up the trucks with much less difficulty; and less idling means fuel savings that will do the environment and your budget some good. Is the truck idling in traffic? A GPS system allows the driver to find a route around the tie-up.”

FleetBoss’s system can monitor “...just the ‘basics,’ such as speeding, unauthorized use, et cetera, but it can also plug into the vehicle’s computer,” according to Lee. “In essence, the truck can contact you if it's thinking of breaking down. And, as some of us know, the ‘check engine’ light goes on at the last minute; by that time, it may be too late to avoid costly repairs. By tapping into the vehicle’s computer, FleetBoss can page, text, or e-mail you, so you can react to this problem.”

Traditionally, labor has resisted vehicle monitoring, but Lee says the right approach can increase acceptance. “FleetBoss allows you to see how the vehicle’s being driven: Is there harsh breaking and jack-rabbit starts? What about speeding? One company told its drivers that speeding tickets would begin to be charged to the drivers themselves—but, staying within the speed limit would allow extra pay to be given to good drivers. ‘You mean I get a raise if I obey the speed limit?’ Drivers get onboard with that; you’re using the system to get the drivers what they want. Management gets a realistic view of what’s going on, while drivers can prove they’re doing the right thing. It's ‘character building.’”

FleetBoss offers products that are Web- or software-based, active or passive, or both. “When reviewing a GPS system, the product is not the box; it’s the data,” Lee says. “What you do with the data is how you increase productivity. Plus, FleetBoss provides a variety of aftercare services at no charge. For example, our ‘FleetBoss University’ includes courses for our customers in system training, advanced techniques of system use, and data analysis. We analyze their data and help them with increased productivity, efficiencies, and savings at no additional charge.”

A Ticket to Ride?
Sometimes scales are installed on trucks to even up the scales of justice. “We installed onboard scales because North Carolina changed the Department of Motor Vehicles. It gave the enforcement of road weight restrictions to state troopers—who can be very aggressive at stopping trucks, to write tickets for being overweight,” says Paul Koch, fleet manager for the city of Durham, NC. “For less than $4,000 apiece we installed these scales on some vehicles in our fleet, and it was worth it—some overweight tickets can cost $800.”

Durham, which runs a total fleet of 1,650 vehicles (88 of which carry solid waste), purchased its Model AW 5814 scales from Air-Weigh in Eugene, OR. “Our system has a round dial that can be read by the driver, and it’s on a swivel, because some trucks are dual-drive,” Koch says. “The scale weighs both axle weights separately and also gives us the vehicle’s total weight. They’re pretty much a self-contained unit; they’re accessed by a PIN number, so an operator can’t adjust it.” Couldn’t the city have weighed trucks at stations located alongside interstates? “Our vehicles do run on some interstates, but there are no scales near us. Plus, with trucks that carry varying loads, we can’t run out there to get weighed.”

How do the police identify an overweight truck? “The troopers have portable scales in their cars and can weigh you,” Koch says. “As a courtesy, they’ve weighed our fire trucks—but they haven’t ticketed any.”

Garbage or dump trucks in particular can quickly gain weight. “We don’t know the weight of the garbage we collect until we’ve taken it on board,” he says. “And, on rainy days, trucks can pack up—there’s more weight because there’s water in the mix; some trash can absorb a lot. With the Air-Weigh gauges and software, the drivers can see when they approach their weight limit, and they can run off to the landfill to empty. Drivers will probably go there once a day.”

Thus far, the results are good. “Six months after installation, we’ve seen a marked dropoff in tickets. In my opinion, the scales have paid for themselves. If a ticket does come in, it's on the operator—because now they do know their load weight. We’re also thinking of putting signs on our trucks—‘We’re equipped with the Air-Weigh system’—so they know we are watching our weight.”

Koch will soon have 13 new trucks coming in, all of which will receive Air-Weigh devices. “Eventually, in two to three years, most of our trucks will have scales on them. When we replace a truck that already has a unit, we can recalibrate the scale and put it on a new truck. So far, the units are pretty sturdy; having them calibrated every year is probably not a bad thing to do. Air-Weigh suggests we calibrate, then keep an eye on the scale, checking its readings against the landfill scales.” Does the scale unit need to be cleaned or protected? “It mounts to the front axle, monitoring the deflection of the axle, but it’s not fragile, and there’s a box over it to protect it. Plus, 90% of our trucks’ lives are spent on hard pavement—it’s not as if they’re plowing through mud all the time.”

Keeping Tabs on Scales
In a recycling business, every ounce is money paid or earned. In Norcross, GA, Blaze Recycling not only weighs metals brought to them, but also weighs materials it ships to mills, to gauge expected income and as a check and balance on the mill’s data. Across its three locations, the firm owns six truck scales, eight floor scales, and one rail scale, all manufactured by Rice Lake Weighing Systems and sold and serviced by Kanawha Scales and Systems.

“We used other brands in the past,” says Blaze Recycling Operations Director Mike Greene. “But we changed to this brand mostly because of service. Rice Lake’s truck scales are a little bit wider than some, which is better for our applications. They were able to service us in multiple states, which is a big plus, since we have locations in Alabama and Georgia. Another scale company could not service the Alabama sites.”

Blaze recycles primarily ferrous and nonferrous metals. “In our receiving center, we have industrial accounts, and also offer rolloff service. Here in Norcross, we have one inbound and one outbound floor scale, plus 5-by-7-foot floor scales, on which we weigh items less than 10,000 pounds or nonferrous items—such as when consumers come in to recycle aluminum cans. We usually put everything in some kind of container to get a good tare weight. We need good accurate scales so we can pay those who bring in recyclables, and also so we know what we expect to be paid, because we turn around and sell that scrap metal to mills.”

Large loads of metal destined for the mills goes into rail cars—hence the need for a rail scale.

“Actually, the mill will pay us by the readings on their scales—our weighing is just a reference point. Also, we don’t want to overload rail cars; by knowing how much metal’s being placed in the car, the operator can judge ‘one more scoop and we're done.’”

The rail scale operates much the same as a truck scale, but “...instead of a platform you pull a car on, the rail is part of the scale,” Greene says. “You can weigh a 60-foot rail car. The car’s tare weight is already marked on the outside, but you weigh them anyway, as some materials might have been reworked, such as during repairs—and then you mark your own tare weight on the rail car.”

Blaze calibrates its scales each month. “I think we’re tested by the state every six months, and we have service call every quarter, to test the scales. They really don’t need a lot of maintenance, but, if we had issues, we would get service fast. Mainly, with scales, you just need to keep them clean underneath, as solenoids and other parts can get dirty, which can change the weight readings. Rice Lake makes a very good scale. And Kanawha has a real good service department, which is quick to get to you if you have an issue.”

All Tasks, One Software
Sometimes the easiest solution is “all in one box”—which is the idea behind the software from the PC Scale Tower system. “We’re the oldest company in this business, and the only Microsoft Certified Gold Partner in the industry, which means we’re more qualified than anyone else, and get more support from Microsoft, so we can give more to our customers,” explains Sales and Marketing Manager S.J. Anderson. “We can manage all waste management business functions such as routing, mapping, dispatch, billing and collections, customer service management, and scale management. Our mapping-dispatch software and our scale software solutions can be purchased as individual solutions or as one powerfully integrated product, whichever better meets our customers’ needs.”

Even such tasks as customer service can be aided by this powerful software. “Instead of the office ‘whiteboard,’ our unique calendar can keep track of crew and tasks. When answering questions for customers, office workers don't have to go through screen after screen to get the customer information they need; just a click on the color coded screen reveals the information right away. There’s also a section for notes, to help add a personal touch—such as telling the customer congratulations on the new baby—or instructions for crews, such as ‘watch for the dog,’ or ‘pick up in the alley,’” she explains.

The software’s “address validation” feature eliminates duplications, and can flag questionable information. “When you input a new customer, our software then accesses the USPS database to see if it’s a valid address. The program will also check to see if it’s a duplicate entry.” Once the address is verified, the software also allows customers to accept payments online, as well as gives customers Internet access to their own records. “Our package is comprehensive, and so powerful—we make sure our customers know how to use it,” she adds.

As the name expresses, PC Scale Tower also works with any scale. “We connect with the scale indicator,” Anderson says. “Our software provides solutions for driver-assisted terminals, as well as unattended scales—a fully automated system that uses RFID, swipe cards, or FOBS to know the route, the truck, the city it’s from, et cetera.

“We have an exclusive contract with New York city’s Department of Sanitation (DSNY) for unattended scales, for example, at Fresh Kills Landfill on Staten Island,” she continues. “Rather than having drivers push many buttons, the DSNY system provides only red and green buttons to push ‘yes’ and ‘no’ to certain questions. We have both ‘out of the box’ programs and customized software. Our clients can ask for customization at any time before, during, or after the sale.”

Anderson cites satisfied customers, including the nation’s 12th largest waste company. “We have been doing business with PC Scale Tower for eight years now and are extremely pleased with their performance and support of our multiscale, multisite operations,” says Michael McLaughlin, director of information technology for Recology in Fresno, CA. “The PC Scale Tower staff is personable and friendly yet businesslike and exceptionally technical, able to deal with a multitude of personalities and skill levels at our multisite operations.”

Ken Good, PC Scale Tower’s president, mentions some customizations his customers have needed: “We offer secure override on our software, which allows changes in trash volume limits for emergencies. For example, after Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans changed existing security settings in the software to allow more volume of trash per customer. In New York City after 9/11, the software allowed more supervision and reports—because the waste haulers were reporting evidence—not merely ‘trash.’”

He explains some of his product’s next breakthroughs. “We’re programming integration with GIS Web services from Microsoft, which is continually updated. We’re adding new requirements from credit card processors for fraud protection and PCI DSS compliance. For one of our clients, a portable toilet company, we’re working with UPS Logistics, integrating with their in-vehicle routing software/logistics units, which includes GIS and GPS information. UPS Logistics’ package also has a ‘geofence’ feature—a software alert system marking places where drivers shouldn’t be.”

Software for Hard Times
Increased competition, smaller budgets, higher fuel costs—working smart is a must for any refuse company. In Chillicothe, IL, Area Disposal Co. uses software to keep tabs on many facets of his firm’s operations. “We use i-Pak, particularly the Scale-Pak, the sales management, and the vehicle management software,” Area Disposal’s Manager of Operations Doyle Collins says. “The vehicle management tracks mileage, as well as the fuel and fluids used. It can be an inventory of things you use in the vehicle, although we don’t use that much right now.” The software Collins mentions are products of Soft-Pak Inc. An integrated software solution, i-Pak provides a comprehensive customer service package; online dispatching with route management; billing, accounts receivable, and collections; route productivity and profitability reporting; inventory tracking, sales management, and fleet maintenance; scale and landfill ticketing; and extensive management reporting. Various additional modules may be added. Scale-Pak works with MRF, transfer station, or landfill operations, allowing the use of unattended scales and “speed pass” lanes.

“i-Pak organizes my routes,” Collins explains. “It’s an all-encompassing tool; it does billing and general ledger, receivables, collections, productivity reports. It generates current and future work by using work orders. We use the same software to keep track of all our trucks—about 200 of them—whether they’re used to residential pickups, commercial or industrial collections, or transfer station vehicles.

“We also use a plug-in called Route Smart, which interfaces with i-Pak. This route optimization program suggests procedures such as ‘only right turns’—working in a spiral—to save time and fuel. Right now, our drivers get their route sheets on paper; we’re looking into onboard computers that would interface with this—maybe next year. Onboard computers would also allow us to know where the truck is at any point, for dispatching.” The reason Collins wants such oversight? “We’re looking for productivity. With Soft-Pak, you can identify what you’ve moved onto the route, so you know the revenue on the route. Let’s say a truck breaks down two streets away. If you know this situation immediately, you can move customers and revenue to the backup truck that takes over for the first truck.”

Area Disposal bills residential customers quarterly, in advance. “People can now pay online through our Web site—thanks to Soft-Pak’s Web-Pak module. As others use our landfills, such as other haulers and private citizens, we’re putting credit card readers on customer service representatives’ terminals. This should not only speed up lines, but it also will allow us to reduce our labor costs, because such a terminal could be nearly self-service.”

Soft-Pak’s software runs Area’s scales, too. “All the modules run together—data is usable throughout the system. We of course weigh everyone coming in and going out. For our regular customers, we can use an ‘empty weight’ program; we already know what their vehicles’ weights are. We’re looking toward an unattended scale house, which should become active in the next year. At present, customers are typing in different information about their loads, inserting a credit card, and punching buttons, much like an ATM. Right now, we have attendants at each scale. As customers’ vehicles are numbered, the scale master can key in the quick identifier for that client, as we have all their pertinent information preloaded. However, we want to get at least five good weighs on a particular truck before placing it in the automatic empty weigh program.”

The updates seen at the Chillicothe location are mirrored throughout the rest of the company. “This is an independent, family-owned company,” Collins explains, “encompassing both Peoria Disposal Co. and Area Disposal Co. The entire firm services an area covering from Henry to Decatur, IL, as well as specific markets from Missouri to Indiana. We’re ranked nationally at about the 26th largest, collecting all sorts of waste—residential, commercial, and industrial. We operate landfills and transfer stations, and we also operate laboratories where we test for leachate and metals.”

Collins muses on the most important challenges facing waste managers: “Finding good qualified drivers. We’ve changed our hiring procedures and are screening applications, along with background checks; in addition, each of our drivers has to take a fitness test; they have to be able to satisfy certain criteria. The most qualified applicants are selected based on their skills. They, of course, need a CDL license, and then they go through a training period. For a driver who’s never worked in waste, it takes them from 30 to 90 days to learn how to do the job. Depending on their experience, they may need training on certain rigs, as we operate rolloffs; rear, side, and front load trucks; semi-tractor trailers; and tankers.”

Competition and the economy also rank high. “Collecting money can be a big challenge. We have competition challenges; we have to provide the best service, but we also need to be paid for what we do. Some communities understand this, and now have ‘pay per bag’ programs. We also offer single-stream recycling, which is not always a moneymaker. When we sell some of the valuable items, such as aluminum; it helps us break even, because with some recycling items, we have to pay the recycler to take them. We’re seeing trends toward regional landfills and transfer stations, probably to keep landfills further away from residential areas. This can increase our fuel costs, but sometimes it’s worth driving farther to get a lower price for disposal and tipping fees. We’re lucky. We have our own landfills, and at two of them we capture methane, which we can sell.

“Using software helps with many of these challenges,” he adds. “Automation assists with collections and billing, because we also have to be considerate of the economy and residents’ financial challenges. For example, clients who ‘pay per bag’ receive free recycling. One great thing about Soft-Pak is that you can describe what your needs are, then they come in to make something that meets your needs.”

Times change, and so does the industry. “You tend to evolve to what the changes are; the change pushes the products, services, et cetera. A lot of times, we find we can’t do it the traditional way. We not only have to be responsive to our corporation, but also sensitive to customers. Over the years, I’ve seen more automation in collections; I’m sure insurance and workers comp costs are moving the changes. For example, there are a lot less injuries when drivers just have to push a button to collect trash, versus them getting out into traffic and lugging heavy cans.”

Collins predicts future changes. “There will probably be more automation, more ergonomics than in the past, because safety’s a big consideration,” he says. “We do require eye protection, long pants, work boots, reflective shirts, et cetera. Dust can be a problem. If required, workers are fit-tested for respirators, and hearing protection. Even where someone stands when using the truck compactor has an impact on safety. Sensors on trucks tell you there’s something behind you. In procedures, in attitude, our industry strives to project a more professional image. But the main thing is training, training, and more training. And driver retention,” he concludes.  

Author's Bio: Janis Keating is a frequent contributor to Forester Communications publications.