Labor shortages are a headache for garbage collectors and local residents

“Our goal is not to leave a route for more than a day,” he said. “So if we missed you on a Monday, we’ll be there on a Tuesday.”

Red Oak also announced to its customers last weekend that prices would go up. Caitlin Tangren, who has been a customer for more than 10 years, said Red Oak missed a few pickup days in the past few months. Their prices rose about 33% from $ 30 to $ 40 this past weekend.

“My problem is that they cite labor shortages and gas costs as causing the price rise, but they are upgrading their equipment to work with fewer staff, which will save them so much money in the long run. “Said Tangren. “I can even understand a temporary price hike as they adjust, but asking customers more consistently while services have gone dramatically downhill is lagging behind for me.”

Luce said the increase was due to increased costs at the Hall County landfill, rising recycling station quotas, equipment costs and the increased cost of diesel fuel.

Another problem is they can’t overwhelm staff on a daily basis, Luce said, which means they are understaffed that day if someone gets sick or something unexpected happens. It is rare for 100% of the staff to be available on any given day, he said.

“We would like to hire four more drivers and eight more helpers for the loading area of ​​the trucks, as well as a wagon supplier,” he said.

They didn’t raise wages significantly to attract new workers, Luce said, but they did create incentives to keep existing employees. Starting salary for garbage truck workers is a little over $ 40,000 a year, he said.

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