How to hire a garbage truck helper

How to hire a garbage truck helper, step by step

Here's a step-by-step garbage truck helper hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a garbage truck helper job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new garbage truck helper
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your garbage truck helper job, you should take the time to determine what type of worker your business needs. While certain jobs definitely require a full-time employee, it's sometimes better to find a garbage truck helper for hire on a part-time basis or as a contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   A garbage truck helper's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, garbage truck helpers from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   The following list breaks down different types of garbage truck helpers and their corresponding salaries.

   Type of Garbage Truck Helper	Description	Hourly rate
   Garbage Truck Helper	Hand laborers and material movers manually move freight, stock, or other materials. Others feed or remove material to and from machines, clean vehicles, pick up unwanted household goods, and pack materials for moving.	$12-18
   Trash Collector	Also known as trash collectors, garbage collectors work for a private waste management firm or the municipal government. Trash collectors collect and remove recyclable and waste materials for processing... Show more	$10-18
   Delivery Helper	A delivery helper is someone who aids a delivery driver and rides with him in the truck, and assists him in the home deliveries. Delivery helpers are responsible for checking merchandise and packages... Show more	$12-19

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • GPS
   • Property Damage
   • Hoisting
   • Customer Service
   • Delivery Truck
   • Manual Labor
   • Hand Trucks
   • Unload Furniture
   • Load Trucks
   • Routine Maintenance
   • Retail Store
   • Maintenance Checks
   • Residential Buildings
   • CDL

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Maintain route for schedule residential and commercial waste and recycle.
   • Drive bobtail- box truck, delivery van, pickup truck to pick up and deliver stock.
   • Operate automate or semi-automate hoisting devices that raise refusebins and dump contents into openings in truck bodies.
   • Deliver and pickup loads of steel and parts that are fabricated, machine, and paint or powder coat.
   • Assist driver in keeping track of time and fluids pump, using GPS to locate quickest route to job sites.
   • Recycle salvage metals, clean workplace, strip copper, and sell products on Craigslist, topsoil production and care.

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your garbage truck helper job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. A garbage truck helper can vary based on:

   • Location. For example, garbage truck helpers' average salary in tennessee is 51% less than in vermont.
   • Seniority. Entry-level garbage truck helpers 33% less than senior-level garbage truck helpers.
   • Certifications. A garbage truck helper with certifications usually earns a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for an established firm or a new start-up company can make a big difference in a garbage truck helper's salary.

   Average garbage truck helper salary

   $15.52hourly

   $32,282 yearly

   ---

   Entry-level garbage truck helper salary

   $26,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 17, 2025

4. Writing a garbage truck helper job description

   A job description for a garbage truck helper role includes a summary of the job's main responsibilities, required skills, and preferred background experience. Including a salary range can also go a long way in attracting more candidates to apply, and showing the first name of the hiring manager can also make applicants more comfortable. As an example, here's a garbage truck helper job description:

   Garbage truck helper job description example

   PeopleReady of Winter Haven, FL is now hiring Garbage Truck Helpers!
   
   Apply today and you could start as soon as tomorrow. No resume or interview required – yep, you read that right.
   
   As a PeopleReady associate you'll benefit from:
   
   * The freedom to work where you want, when you want and as often as you want.
   
   * Next-day pay* for many of our open positions.
   
   * The ability to choose long-term positions for steady work or short-term positions if you just want some extra cash.
   
   * The ability to sign up for jobs right from our mobile app, JobStack!
   
   Pay Rate:
   
   The pay rate for this job is $11 / hour
   
   What you'll be doing as a Garbage Truck Helper:
   
   * Riding on the back of garbage or recycling collection truck and collecting solid waste on a designated route
   
   * Directing driver when pulling out in traffic and backing up, and directing incoming vehicles to dumping area at solid waste disposal facilities
   
   * Knowledge of standardized work routines used for manual tasks and operation of collection vehicles in solid waste operations
   
   * Checking operating and safety conditions of vehicles, performing minor servicing, and reporting needed repairs or servicing
   
   * Assisting driver with various tasks during waste runs
   
   Available shifts:
   
   Shift Timings: 1st Shift (Day)
   
   Job requirements:
   
   * Deep knowledge of work routines and procedures in collecting solid waste materials for disposal, reuse, and recycling
   
   * Able to lift up to 50 pounds, and able to carry, reach, bend, push, pull, and climb
   
   * Flexibility to work in all weather conditions
   
   Ready to take control of the way you work?
   
   Complete our application to join the PeopleReady team today. In case you missed it, no resumes or interviews are required!
   
   \#TIER1
   
   PeopleReady is an equal opportunity employer, and we value diversity. We do not discriminate based on race, religious affiliation, color, national origin, gender, age, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran status, disability, or any other basis protected by law. We will get to know you and connect you with jobs that match your skills, experience and preferences. We work hard every single day to find jobs so each employee has opportunity and variety in their work.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right garbage truck helper for your business:

   • Consider promoting from within or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to find candidates who meet your education requirements.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your garbage truck helper job on Zippia to find and recruit garbage truck helper candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting garbage truck helpers requires you to bring your A-game to the interview process. The first interview should introduce the company and the role to the candidate as much as they present their background experience and reasons for applying for the job. During later interviews, you can go into more detail about the technical details of the job and ask behavioral questions to gauge how they'd fit into your current company culture.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match your ideal candidate profile. If you think a candidate is good enough for the next step, you can move on to the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new garbage truck helper

   Once you've selected the best garbage truck helper candidate for the job, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, this letter should include details about the benefits and perks you offer the candidate. Ensuring that your offer is competitive is essential, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and you should be open to discussion. After you reach an agreement, the final step is formalizing the agreement with a contract.

   It's equally important to follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new garbage truck helper. Human Resources should complete Employee Action Forms and ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc. They should also ensure that new employee files are created for internal recordkeeping.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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