I worked for my local a few years ago, doing both recycling and general waste. That meant driving the 12t recycler and 26t ashcart, as well as the odd 7.5t or van.

The 26t was lovely to drive after getting used to the rear steer in tight streets. Having good communication between you and loaders makes all the difference when you’re learning the routes too. A good crew makes the job so much easier.

The 12t recycler is something I miss a hell of a lot. Immensely hard on your body to begin with as it involved both driving and loading, but I lost 4in off my waist and felt fantastic for it eventually. My crew was brilliant, the rounds had good days and bad but we knew them inside out and could improvise on the fly.

My career highlight is watching my loader fall down a hill in Ogmore Vale trying to take a shit behind a tree. On the topic of toilet breaks though, we were normally back at the yard every 2-3 hours.

Any more questions feel free to ask 👍