forklift operator

receiver

laborer

truck driver

technician

Tradebe

Having worked as an entry level chemist and then later applying for a remote position, there is a vast difference in the quality of life.   Here are the improvement points: 

1) Tradebe struggles with paying and managing plant staff and workers.  It's a sucky job that needs to be compensated 
2) You start off with a PTO of 5 days for the first year, 10 days for the second year, 12 days for the 3rd, by year 5 I have 21 days of PTO.  It needs to be 21  by year 1
3) Health care options are not that great. I have the high deductible plan at a 3200 deductible where I pay everything until I hit that number. Not ideal.  HSA included. Bonus. 
4) Working in the field is difficult and everyone's experience is vastly different depending on where you work.  Some places are better than others. Some people and managers are better than others. 
5) Working as a chemist at a 10 day far from headquarters, you feel isolated from the company.  The company really becomes your operations manager and your other co workers.  I felt distant from higher managers who were making all the decisions.  
6) They can't seem to hold on to a CEO.  
7) Pay can always be better.  If you are a chemist, your pay ends up hitting a road block by the time you are promoted to chemist III and if you get your CDL - A. 
                        i) If you are a chemist/field service you get paid over time. 
                        ii) If you are salaried and work in the field, you can get screwed over with working overtime and not getting overtime pay. 
                       iii) if you are a chemist/field service, you get screwed if you only get 40 hours.  
                       iv) if you are salaried, pay is great if you get 40 hours. 
8) "Paid" maternity leave is 6 weeks on a short term disability definition.  The pay is about 75% of what I would make if I were in the office.  Do better Tradebe.  Paid Maternity leave should be full pay for 12 weeks. 

Some of the great things of working on the job: 
1) You work with great people who are down to earth and can get the job done. 
2) Safety is number one.  There is a stop work order that is encouraged if people do not feel safe to complete a job.  I felt like that was always encouraged and promoted. 
3) Having a great boss is key.  I have a phenomenal boss who listens to my concerns and gives credit where credit is due. 
4) Working remote, I can easily take time to go to appointments in the afternoon or other life events.  I know not everyone at the company has that luxury, especially if they are in the field. 
5) I love my workload, it feels like I can get it done.  It's low stress so I don't feel like the world is coming down on me.  Mistakes are easily fixed and are not catastrophic.  If mistakes are made, they are corrected and expected not to repeat to the same level. 
6) I work 40 hours/week and have a good work life balance. If I was working at the plant or out in the field, that wouldn't be the case. 

I hope this gives a more balanced look at the company.  I know it can be difficult working in the field. But if you are able to apply for an upper level position, it is SO much better. 


I have a few things to say about this company:

The good? The people I've worked with have been some of the nicest and most helpful people I have ever met (the employees/peers, NOT management). They are super professional and hard working with compassion and understanding. The ONLY good thing I can say about management is that when you need time off or to work from home, they are flexible. HR is really great and will listen if you have an issue and offer great resources.

The bad?
"Benefits" are subpar.

Office roles were hybrid in office and out but they took that away and required everyone to be in office full time. They offer a "hybrid" schedule but it's only 3 DAYS OUT OF THE MONTH. A clear disregard for the employees in my book.

Upper management only wants results (fast!) and doesn't care about your physical or mental health in the slightest.

They had us complete an employee survey last year and very obviously didn't listen to any of the employee suggestions. Upper management only granted us one additional Floating Holiday day on top of just one day and somehow think that's an, "exciting and BIG improvement!"

Jobs are very demanding, they expect A LOT from ONE PERSON, and the workload is heavy with little recognition or an incentive for a reward. They give bonuses during the holidays but it's only ever $100 MAX. Shows their employees, "appreciation," with group lunches but - again - you only get a, "good job," high five and no actual incentive for a reward or promotion.

My BIGGEST problem with this employer is how management treats issues with team members and overall performance. You will have team meetings often but your opinions and ideas won't be heard and will be swept under the table. OR, the managers will take your ideas and claim that those ideas of yours was actually their idea (taking credit for YOUR work). Then they wonder why improvement in performance hasn't been made! When issues arise they don't take responsibility and stand up to the issue.

Work here at your OWN RISK.

Stay away from this place the pay is horriable 10 a hour to dispose of chemical waste , do you self a favor go to McDonald's and you will get payed more.  You will not be promoted well they will make you a supervisor give you another 20 cents , and that will be the extent of your raise ever. You will work over time a lot of it that is as close to a raise you will ever get. If you decide to go here just remember this place has been on the news several times from fires and explosions if you want to risk your life for 10 dollers a hour go ahead. You will wear fire resistant cloths , long sleve shirts that are over a half inch thick plants the same or coveralls hard hat and gloves you will wear this if it is a 100 or 20 , so if you like to have a heat strokes this is also the place for you. The people that work therr are basically good people they just can't work anywhere else. You will be nothing but a number here far as the company is concerned and if you go to this company as mangner watch your back its see what mangner can stab who in the back is a daily game they play. The equipment is complete junk I will just say that. Avoid this place at all costs but I mean if you have been in prison or what ever may be the place for you. They will hire you in a heart beat. 

Tradebe is committed to the three R’s of waste management: Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle. In my time there, I have seen that model applied not just to business, but also to its employees: reduction in team members to do work, reusing other team members to do the work of reduced team members, and recycling work left unaccomplished due to faulty support systems. I am fortunate to have stayed employed at the company through the pandemic in spite of these issues, but the result has been years of only being assigned more work without the training or development to become a better team member or grow my confidence to pursue opportunities better aligned with my skills. The misconception that assigning more work is a form of employee development unfortunately also resulted in taking away certain responsibilities from my workload I actually enjoyed, demonstrating the company prioritizes its values over recognizing the individual value one may bring to the company. Ultimately, I would caution anyone considering a role at Tradebe, whether in leadership or as a laborer, because of these reasons and a concerning lack of direction shown in the higher levels of the company.

Tradebe is a bit different than most of its competitors - if you are looking to climb the ladder and shoot for the moon then be ready to commit 150% to the work and a lot of travel. And if that's what you want in life - go get it! You can go from the drum room to the boardroom here if that's what you want and you're willing to invest yourself. Folks, our CEO did just that! Now THAT is different and for me - I respect this type of culture where anyone and everyone has the same chance. "If it is to be, it's up to me"

However, if you're not looking for that and you want to just make a difference every day by producing good work, (this is where I fit in these days), and contributing to the company's growth - in your own way in your role - then, by all means, there's room for you too here! That's what makes the company different - you can help mold your career path by just communicating clearly what your personal career goals are and working diligently to get there.  No company is perfect - and this one isn't either.  Some days are crazy and I'm exhausted by the end of the day - But I love what I do and enjoy tremendously the opportunity to contribute in my own small way every day.

Worked on average 54 hours per week but not uncommon to work 70 hours.
Field Chemists are paid hourly starting at $15 and recieve .75 cents with class B CDL and 3 months experience. .50 cents every 6 months after.

$300 incentive every month if no accidents

Equipment is outdated and managment does not upgrade until something breaks.

Managment has little respect for work/life balance.

You will learn the waste managment business very quickly.

Not a mentally difficult job, but the amount of time spent away from home every week in a commercial box truck can be very tiring.

The average Field Chemist stays with the company 1.5 years then moves on to a competitor or a client offers a position.

The most enjoyable part of the job is the freedom of being in charge while on a client site. There is no supervisor while in the field.

Managment also knows that their employees are underpaid and will turn a blind eye if you exagerate your hours within reason.

This company lacks management.  They lack basic skills to run a company as the East Chicago location was recently on tax sale. There is much more office gossip than work getting done.  This company operates on a point system.  I you receive 10 points in a 1 years time you are without a job. There is no grace period if you are late even if you call. If you are late that's considered1 point.  Because of this they have a extremely high turn over rate.  This company pass less money than their competitors.  The only way to advance in this company is to know the higher ups or date someone in a high position.  Everyone one there in a position of power was related or dating someone with power. I found myself listening to my headphones everyday because I didn't want to be involved in office politics. This is not a place for anyone to work if you actually want to ENJOY going to work.  By the way I worked here for 5 years before enough was enough.  Leaving this company was the best thing I ever did.

The company is a great place to start a career right out of college. Young employees will get the opportunity to gain ample experience in the fields of hazardous waste management, systems engineering, mechanical engineering, EH&S, Regulatory compliance, etc...
The downside is the lack of progressive views on employee development and a structured pay/benefit increase plan, which causes the exodus of talented employees to more progressive and forward thinking companies. 
The office atmosphere is fairly laid back with many employees developing friendly relationships with one another. The round-trip commute  from Chicago is pretty low stress and easy.

Management often fails to communicate efficiently to those working in the field. Often times destinations/jobs are changed at the last minute. Hours can be somewhat long at times (12+ hour days) and sometimes very short (4 hour days). Expect plenty of overnight stays in hotels. The people who work with me at my branch are very nice and pleasant although they need to work on their communication skills. Company struggles to retain/hire new field chemists.

What is the best part of working at the company?
I’m allowed to do my job without being micro managed. I’ve been with the company for twenty years. If I was not moving, I would not leave the company. 

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
Not knowing what is coming that is not on the schedule and that’s not that stressful 

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
Do your job, do it safely and go home in the condition you came in. It is a job. Come in on time and do your job. 

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
I come in and check pump sheet’s that may have come in after I went home. Go out and check for any standing water in my pit. Check the status of my loader and fill out my check list. If any standing water I dry it up. Make sure my dry bin is ready for my delivery of sawdust. Open up the gates. Then get changed into my work clothes and I’m ready to take on my day.

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Forklift operator 16 salaries reported	$18.93 per hour
Receiver 6 salaries reported	$20.68 per hour
Laborer 3 salaries reported	$19.70 per hour
Truck driver 9 salaries reported	$29.39 per hour
Technician 6 salaries reported	$22.25 per hour

Working at Tradebe: Company Overview and Reviews

Tradebe

Tradebe Ratings

Popular jobs at Tradebe

Salary Satisfaction

Job Seeker Tools

Employer Tools

Browse

Stay Connected