Refuse Truck Driver

Personnel Board of Jefferson County; Birmingham (AL); On-site; USD 53,609,000 - 83,326,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical & Dental

Pension Plan

Paid holidays

Sick leave

Vacation leave

Job summary

The Personnel Board of Jefferson County is seeking Refuse Truck Drivers to operate a refuse truck along designated routes within the Merit System. Responsibilities include safely driving, maintaining the truck, and supervising a crew of Laborers or Refuse Collectors while ensuring daily route efficiency and accurate activity reporting.

Compensation includes competitive pay and comprehensive benefits such as medical and dental insurance, pension, paid holidays, sick and vacation leave.

Qualifications

• Class B CDL required and valid.
• Experience operating equipment requiring a Class B CDL.
• Experience following maps, GPS, or navigation instructions.
• Experience conducting pre-trip inspections on heavy duty equipment/trucks.

Responsibilities

• Operates a garbage truck and associated equipment (e.g., lifts, compressors, radios, etc.) in order to collect and remove household garbage along designated routes.
• Operates a grapple truck in order to collect and remove large, bulky trash and refuse along designated routes.
• Transports household garbage and large bulky trash to landfills in order to dump trash and debris from the trucks.
• Oversees and directs the work of crew members in order to ensure efficiency and safety of crew during the retrieval of trash and garbage.
• Maintains refuse truck operations by performing routine inspections, maintaining cleanliness, and scheduling maintenance to ensure the refuse truck operates safely and efficiently.

Skills

CDL Class B

GPS navigation

Pre-trip inspections

Job description

Job Summary

Refuse Truck Drivers within the Merit System are responsible for the efficient and safe operation of a refuse truck in order to collect household refuse along designated routes. Employees in this job class perform a variety of duties, including inspecting Refuse Trucks for necessary maintenance, operating a Refuse Truck along public roadways, overseeing the work/ensuring the safety of a crew of Laborers or Refuse Collectors, and documenting daily activities. Refuse Truck Drivers receive assigned routes from a supervisor, and are responsible for planning how to most efficiently complete the route. Work is reviewed through the completion of daily activity reports, and inspections of assigned routes by a supervisor.

Compensation & Benefits

Agencies provides competitive pay and comprehensive benefits packages to include medical and dental insurance, employer-sponsored retirement plan (pension), generous paid holidays, sick and vacation leave, and more.

Target Close Date

10/02/2026

Pay Grade

Grade 17

Type

Full time

Job Summary

Refuse Truck Drivers within the Merit System are responsible for the efficient and safe operation of a refuse truck in order to collect household refuse along designated routes. Employees in this job class perform a variety of duties, including inspecting Refuse Trucks for necessary maintenance, operating a Refuse Truck along public roadways, overseeing the work/ensuring the safety of a crew of Laborers or Refuse Collectors, and documenting daily activities. Refuse Truck Drivers receive assigned routes from a supervisor, and are responsible for planning how to most efficiently complete the route. Work is reviewed through the completion of daily activity reports, and inspections of assigned routes by a supervisor.

Compensation & Benefits

Agencies provides competitive pay and comprehensive benefits packages to include medical and dental insurance, employer-sponsored retirement plan (pension), generous paid holidays, sick and vacation leave, and more.

Applications for this position will be considered for the following Merit System employing agencies. The pay range for this job varies depending upon the Merit System employing agency.

• Bessemer: $18.35 - $28.46
• Birmingham: $18.74 - $29.08
• Fairfield: $16.99 - $26.36
• Irondale: $22.25 - $34.52

Minimum Qualifications

• Class B commercial driver's license.
• Experience operating equipment requiring a Class B CDL.
• Experience following maps, GPS, or navigation instructions.
• Experience conducting pre-trip inspections on heavy duty equipment/trucks.

Typical Job Duties

• Operates a garbage truck and associated equipment (e.g., lifts, compressors, radios, etc.) in order to collect and remove household garbage along designated routes.
• Operates a grapple truck in order to collect and remove large, bulky trash and refuse (e.g., tree limbs, construction debris, used furniture/appliances) along designated routes.
• Transports household garbage and large bulky trash to landfills in order to dump trash and debris from the trucks.
• Oversees and directs the work of crew members in order to ensure efficiency and safety of crew during the retrieval of trash and garbage.
• Maintains refuse truck operations by performing routine inspections, maintaining cleanliness, and scheduling maintenance to ensure the refuse truck operates safely and efficiently.

Physical Demands

Job involves physical exertion required for sustained periods of light physical activity such as operating a refuse truck or standing for prolonged periods of time. May involve occasional lifting of items or objects weighing up to 50 lbs.

Work Environment

Work is primarily performed at outdoor worksites such as residential neighborhoods, landfills, etc. Work involves use of heavy equipment such as refuse trucks, as well as a variety of hand tools. Job may require exposure to potentially hazardous work conditions (e.g., working in and around traffic, in and around landfills, working in and around heavy equipment). Job may also require exposure to inclement weather when working outdoors (e.g., extreme heat, cold, rain, snow, wind), as well as working around foul odors and potentially harmful waste.

Eeo Statement

The Personnel Board of Jefferson County provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment with the Personnel Board of Jefferson County, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training. Each Merit System member city/agency operates its own equal employment opportunity policies available on the individual city/agency website.

Accommodation

To request an accommodation in the application or hiring process due to your own ongoing medical condition or disability, please contact our Accommodations Coordinator at [e-mail] or phone at 205-279-3500 (select option 1) Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Central Time. The accommodation process is reserved solely for job seekers with disabilities requesting accessibility assistance or accommodation in the job application process.

Note

This job posting may close before, or be extended beyond, the listed Target Close Date based on the employment needs of the Merit System.

Disclaimer

This job posting is not meant to be an all-inclusive list of the job duties, responsibilities, or skills and abilities required for this position and may be changed at the discretion of the Personnel Board at any time.