diesel mechanic

truck driver

local driver

diesel technician

customer service representative

Republic-Services

When I interviewed with the company in December 2010, I was certainly sold a great bill of goods:  good benefits, work-life balance, ability to telecommute, and the hours were only tough during closing.  Once I got there, however, things changed within a week. I immediately picked up on a "vibe" of mistrust and fear.  I quickly learned that the Staff Accountant position at Allied Waste - at least as it pertains to the Seatle area - has most of the accounting duties placed squarely on its shoulders:  Most of the closing, all SOX testing, all account reconciliations (a very complex and overly-detailed process), inventory, and (at least at the time) all the accounts payable for the divisions. I frankly am still not sure what the division Controller actually did.  This is in addition to the budgeting process which is, at best, cumbersome and ultimately not worth the inordinate amount of time put into it, because you ended up being given a certain bottom line number and you were expected to work to that number, rather than reality.  This made for long days, fear of reprisal if you made even the smallest error, and constant worry about not getting things done on time and the repurcussions that would follow.  The Controller at the time had been with the company for many years, 5 years at that division, and was the most inconsistent, beligerant and angry manager I've ever worked for.  Because she had been there a while she felt she was absolutely untouchable.  She could be nice one day, and in a complete rage the next, and treated me and everyone in other departments with complete disrespect, as if yelling at people is what you needed to do to get what you wanted. I said something to her about it around month 3 of my tenure, and although she said she would try to be better, the same issues would occur within a week.  I complained to her supervisor, who listened and understood, and ultimately a decision was made to fire her.  Unfortunately for me, it was 10 days after I left, and after 8 months of me bringing things to management's attention.  The Collections Supervisor they hired was equally difficult to work for.  I estimate that I worked close to 250 hours of uncompensated overtime during that period, and because it's considered a "professionsal" position in Washington state, there is no overtime, at least according to Allied.  I would have a potential claim of over $7,000 in additional compensation because I can make a case that it really wasn't a profession position in the purest sense of the law, but did not pursue it because ultimately I just wanted the company out of my life.  This is all on top of the fact that you work in an open-office environment, and there's no effort by anyone to try and be quiet or respectful of other people's space, even when you ask for some peace and quiet.  In addition, Allied Waste/Republic services seems to think that when things are not going right, someone needs to get fired.  While I was there, both the Maintenance Supervisor and General Manager were fired for "incompetence" (I didn;t see any issues, and worked with them very closely).  Since I've left, in addition to the Controller, the Operations Supervisor was also fired.  All the division needed was for everyone to be put on the same page, and given the chance to succeed.  But everyone, from accounting management to operations management at the corporate level, cares about one thing: the bottom line. The division will never make money unless the company starts hiring folks that are nice people as well as passionate about what they do and are willing to work with other departments.  If you are interested in pursuing an accounting career, do not do it here.  You will be disappointed.  Oh, and one other thing:  when I made the decision to leave, HR never once contacted me, even though they knew the reasons I was leaving.  NOT ONCE.

What is the best part of working at the company?
I have never worked for a company that could really care less about their customers. In the department that I am in, when a problem arises with a customer, they just take it very lightly. Even if there is proof that it was our fault, we have an opportunity to correct it and they are very passive. “Send it to this department” type attitude. But we are expected to have customer zeal for every customer when we are limited on resources to help. Imagine paying a company $500+ for a service they provide just to find out you can’t have it when you expected it, signed and paid for all because of an error on our part as a company. Then, having to explain to a customer “WE goofed” but you won’t be able to get it until THIS day now. That to me is not how a company should be run especially if we scream customer zeal. Republic Services is a multi-million dollar company that is very essential however, their system is so unorganized and the way we are trained is actually not setting us up for success it’s setting us up for frustration and stress. People in my department are constantly dropping like flies because they don’t like the operation which could be easily fixed. Not just myself but dozens of my co-workers have complained and given suggestions of how we should implement the processes. They change everything else except the main issue. My home situation is very unique otherwise i’d been and left months ago. It’s very taxing mentally to go into a job and work for a company that we are in a customer first position and have to make choices we can’t guarantee. The field I heard is different, in some areas the drivers have fun and it’s super laid back and they get to build a good relationship with their customers they service. In our department we could mess that up for them, because everything has to go thru us first. That how crazy their system is. I don’t like the results we give customer. Some people may take the position and think “Oh well that’s not my problem I just do what i’m told and that’s their business” and look at this review as not a big deal. But if you love what you do and have a customer focus to help, then this is NOT the job for you. 

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
The extreme lack of follow thru for our customers. The miscommunication between departments. The new information or changes that comes out but we don’t get it until the paperwork we submit is rejected. Dealing with the flow of the system. 

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
The work environment and culture is good. You develop relationships with your co-workers and it is sometimes a fun environment. This is my opinion, I believe they try to implement fun things or offer certain incentives from time to time because they are trying to distract us from leaving and reduce the high turn over rate. The rate in my department alone is very very high. 

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
I am stressed from the time I clock in with customer complaints and changes. Also with fear of doing our paperwork incorrectly and having to fix it and telling our customer sorry I messed up so you won’t be able to get your dumpster you paid $500+ for until next day or next week because of the weekend. Until I clock out.

I worked as a Front Load Driver for Republic Services for several years. The job is physically demanding, and I expected hard work when I accepted the position. What made the job difficult was not just the physical labor, but the constant stress created by communication issues, staffing shortages, equipment problems, and a lack of support when challenges arose. In my experience, drivers were expected to keep routes moving regardless of traffic, weather, equipment failures, landfill delays, staffing shortages, or other circumstances outside of our control. Expectations remained high even when conditions made it difficult to complete routes safely and efficiently. This often created unnecessary stress and frustration for employees trying to do their jobs correctly. One of the biggest issues during my time with the company was communication. Information often changed with little notice, departments did not always appear to be on the same page, and employees were expected to adapt quickly without being given the tools or support necessary to succeed. When concerns were raised regarding workload, equipment, routing, staffing, or operational problems, I frequently felt those concerns were not taken seriously or addressed in a meaningful way.I also experienced ongoing equipment-related challenges that made an already demanding job more difficult. Mechanical issues, breakdowns, repairs, and delays regularly impacted daily operations, yet drivers were still expected to meet the same performance expectations. This created additional pressure and contributed to an increasingly stressful work environment.The employees working in the field are some of the hardest-working people I have ever met. Many drivers, mechanics, dispatchers, and support staff genuinely care about doing a good job and providing quality service to customers. Unfortunately, I often felt that management’s primary focus was productivity and route completion rather than addressing the concerns and challenges employees faced on a daily basis. Over time, this left many employees feeling unsupported, unheard, and undervalued. After years with the company, the combination of long hours, physical demands, communication problems, equipment issues, staffing challenges, lack of support, and constant pressure led to significant burnout. While the company offers decent pay, benefits, and job stability, my overall experience was negative. I believe substantial improvements are needed in communication, employee support, staffing, equipment reliability, operational planning, and leadership responsiveness.

My six-month tenure as a Technician at Republic Services was unfortunately a significant disappointment. While a relatively short period, the daily realities made it feel much longer due to excessive unproductive time.

A major issue was the significant amount of downtime. Regularly arriving at 8:00 AM, I often found myself waiting until after 2:00 PM for trucks to return, leaving the majority of my morning unproductive. This constant standing and waiting was not only tedious but also felt like a poor use of my time and the company's resources, especially considering the competitive pay for essentially standing around.

On the positive side, the Preventative Maintenance (PM) program itself appeared to be comprehensive and well-structured. However, the effectiveness of this program was severely undermined by the constant pressure to rush through these detailed inspections. This haste likely compromised the quality of the work, and worryingly, there seemed to be a lack of follow-up on write-ups. Repairs appeared to be reactive, only addressed when a breakdown occurred, rather than proactively preventing issues.

The condition of the trucks was also a significant concern. It was evident that years of inadequate maintenance had left the fleet in a less than acceptable state, making our jobs as technicians more challenging.

Furthermore, communication at my level was virtually nonexistent. My attempts to discuss concerns or suggestions were consistently met with indifference. One manager repeatedly promised to talk "next time," another advised me to "wait my turn," while a third seemed to actively avoid communication with me, despite interacting effectively with other technicians. This lack of open dialogue and feeling unheard was incredibly frustrating.

Looking back, I find myself questioning what I could have done differently to improve this situation. However, the prevailing environment seemed resistant to input from new technicians.

In conclusion, if you are a technician who values being actively engaged in your work and are passionate about maintaining equipment to a high standard, and if you dislike prolonged periods of unproductive standing, then Republic Services (at least at this location during my time) may not be the right fit for you. If, however, you are comfortable with spending a significant portion of your day waiting and are not overly concerned with the overall condition and proactive maintenance of the fleet, then this might be an environment you find acceptable. Everything else, in terms of the basic job functions when work was available, was adequate.

Keep in mind this review is from someone who was working via the employment of a temp agency, which I do not recall the name of. This job was also worked a significant time ago, and due to the temp agency, I was provided with no benefits whatsoever.

The job itself was extremely fast-paced, requiring at least 30 picks a minute to be done on the job when able, with mandatory safety equipment provided by the agency such as gloves, glasses, reflective vest, sleeves, and helmet. However, at times it can be stressful, especially if you are trying to avoid a needle stick from the common needle or another hazard when your gloves ware away, which by the end of the week is a frequent occurrence as the provided gloves degrade to the point that the protective rubber matting is torn away to reveal either the fabric under it or entirely to an unguarded hand. These gloves were replaced every Monday, but you still had to worry about this when Friday came (Or Saturday, if you had to work then) 

I frequently heard reports of understaffing in the job, and I can confirm that this is true, as the temp agency was guilty of being very picky about who they picked and often let all of the would-be newcomers go, despite protests from the other workers about the lack of staffing and the high population of open spaces in the sorting areas, especially that of the main conveyor belt. In fact, come to think of it... I was among 5 who were selected to be studied and trained to work, and I was the only one given a job... and more often then not, the entire wave of potential new workers was turned away. This understaffing issue also frequently led to us being forced to work on Saturdays, despite normally having off that day. (What determined if we worked or not that day was how much material we had and if it was threatening to spill out of the warehouse. 

Ultimately, I decided to leave the job due to my college work being entirely blocked off by the issue of time in work. I have heard there were plans to build up from there with additional sorting belts, and it's been so long since I was there. So I do not know how much things have changed.

I accepted a supervisor position with this company thinking they offered nights and weekends off. When I interviewed with them I stressed this point and was told they firmly believed in a good quality of life mix. I started on MLK day; which is a holiday for the drivers. The management team reported for work on MLK day. On my first day I asked an existing supervisor how many hours a day he averaged. He told me he averaged 15 hours a day. It turns out he was telling the truth. We had to work the Saturday after MLK day and ended up putting in 70+ hours the first week. I noticed that all management above my level took the Saturday off. The supervisors were the only group forced to put in a 6 day week. The next week the 15+ hour days continued. When I got home I had time to eat and go to bed. This left you with an average of 5 to 6 hours of sleep a night. The hourly group had very low morale and even went on strike while I was there. The strike forced the supervisors into a 7 day work week without any days off for 12 days and a total of 180 hours. The operation was in complete chaos and upper management hammered me and another new supervisor without mercy . Both of us ended up resigning in less than two weeks. My experience with this company was nothing short of a disaster. When you divided your salary by hours worked, you realized you were making less than the hourly group. After I was in place I also realized there were no paid holidays off. When a holiday fell on a week day you worked on the following Saturday. There was no work / family balance for the frontline supervisor. You went to work, ate and tried to get some sleep. The supervisors with tenure looked like Zombies and seemed completely burned out. I am a very experienced leader and I have managed numerous operations. I can tell you I have never seen anything like this. When I attempted to discuss this with upper management it fell on deaf ears. My partner and I had a lot to offer this operation and they ignored us. They want good little foot soldiers who are willing to sacrifice their life for the company.

A typical day for a residential driver starts at 6 am, on the road by 6:45,  at the route at 7 or 7:15.

What I leaned:
Your customers may live in modest houses, or mansions, and many will fail to follow the simple instructions of putting out the container.

 The Republic online FAQ says:

"Yes, typically all trash must be bagged and placed inside your approved garbage receptacle or provided wheeled cart."  Good luck with that, and expect to be sent back to pick up anything that falls out of the cart.

The Republic FAQ says nothing about placement of the cart, and the container has no instructions either. 

Since the container is manipulated by a robotic arm viewed in the rearview mirror, I consider failing to specify and enforce  rules of placement an omission placing a uneeded burden upon the driver.

The city of Indianapolis containers have instructions, one being "five feet from any other objects"  If the container is too close, Indy DPW will ignore it, but Republic will radio the driver and tell them to go back and pick it up.  Your entire route (700 to 1200 containers) will most likely fail the "five foot" rule.

The shop is notorious for "problem not found" comments when a truck problem is written up. I was told by two employees that "the shop manager doesn't like you" six months after speaking to him once. 

Management:
Management is in turmoil,  2016 has seen an operations manager replaced,  supervisors shuffled around,  the general manager replaced, and the shop manager  take a sudden retirement..

My co-workers were truly special, to put up with all the confusion . No complaints about my co-workers.They are saints in training.

Hardest part of the job is due to Republic failing to enforce container placement compliance (residential, ASL). Either that or trying to find a restroom when you need one; take your pick.

The is little or no enjoyment incidental to this job; you are exposed to a succession of customers failing to follow simple instructions.

The AAM role is abused and unappreciated with no clear purpose and with unrealistic expectations. You’re hired to maintain and retain existing commercial accounts (your book of business), but what they don’t tell you is you’re also expected to handle billing, collections, dispatching, operations, sales, residential customers, and anything else leadership/management decide they want to pile on because the AAM role is really just a catch all. Under recent restructuring, you’re also expected to handle calls and accounts from business units that could be in a different state from you, but you’re not part of a call center or customer service center 🤨Change is constant with no rhyme or reason, and presented under the guise of “improving customer zeal”. There is no support for the AAMs to provide customer zeal. There are constant glitches with the software, the phone system has been changed for the worse, and there is little to no training, resources, or onboarding; especially not for new AAMs. In fact, you’re expected to start working with customers right away, and then months later put through sales classes and expected to certify in the sales process like it’s important all of the sudden. Very backwards. The little pay for the immense amount of work and stress level is not worth it, and the commission plan leaves much to be desired especially because it can change when and how management sees fit. The role is remote, so if you want to work from home that could be a benefit. There is plenty of work for you to stay productive all day to the point that overtime is justified, so if you’re a person who thrives on chaos and staying busy, this job will give you that. Also the insurance is affordable since Republic is such a big company. It’s sad those are the positives of the job. 

I ensure all facts included in this review are true and accurate. Best part of the job was walking to my car every night to go home. Worst part is everything below. Ultimately, I learned a great deal and bettered my skills from the great co workers here. Without them I wouldn’t be the mechanic I am today. 
I left an awesome company to work here. By taking that leap and starting my job with this company I envisioned something completely opposite from what I got. Going to work with a positive attitude and busting your bUtT gets you know where here. In bad faith, management  will put you on the back burner. They go against all company culture and values, while pinning workers w/ problems out of workers control. Like literally read the hand book they don’t  follow. Driver’s errors and negligence while operating vehicles ultimately get blamed on mechanics. Have a safety issue a driver reports weeks after the work order date becomes your problem and mechanics get reprimanded for it. 
Need a day off? Have an emergency? Just forget about it.  If you have no time off available which can’t start accumulating until your annual start date. 
I know I was drove off, I know this company looked for ways to get rid of me. When I was threatened day by day that I was going to be fired. I was walking on eggshells and was forced to put my two weeks in. But wait doing that makes them mad and they WILL fire you on the spot. Leading to unemployment denying me because according to them I “left on my own terms.” God forbid their unemployment insurance go up. 
Hats off to Republic Service and former manager. If reading you know who you are. My family and I are truly grateful for the fate you’ve given me. Never been happier where I am now. 
No seriously though. Do not take a job here. There’s other company’s that value their workers and take care of their own. Trust me.

A typical work day can range from fairly easy to wildly chaotic. If the Operations Manager decides to be very hands off, they may place someone widely perceived as exhibiting bullying behavior into a quasi-leadership role. Despite knowing how operations are supposed to be handled, you may frequently be talked down to by this person.

Do not expect management or HR to take reports of harassment seriously. Employees are often told they are “important” or that they “should feel safe at work,” but in practice, little action is taken until situations reach a breaking point. Some managers do seem to care, but they often demonstrate an inability to listen to or address legitimate concerns. If you are a parent, flexibility is limited, and there appears to be little consideration for life outside of work.

The workplace culture can be described as hostile at best, with advancement often depending on who you know rather than performance.

There are frequent meetings focused on optimizing workflow and productivity. In some cases, these are meetings about meetings, many of which could have been handled via email.

The hardest part of this job was the overall management structure. Management often lacks empathy, HR support is largely ineffective, and even when issues are escalated to higher leadership, such as regional or state-level management, poor decisions are still allowed to continue.

The most enjoyable part of this job, aside from the times I was able to help customers without corporate bureaucracy getting in the way, was the day I submitted my two weeks’ notice.

Despite these issues, I genuinely enjoyed working with my local coworkers. They cared about both the job and the customers. The Ops Supervisor for the area, while not my direct manager, was an effective leader who took the role seriously and showed genuine concern for employees.

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