Position Summary
Detroit Disposal & Recycling, LLC (DDR) is seeking an experienced Welder / Fabricator to join our fleet and maintenance team. This position is responsible for the repair, fabrication, modification, and reinforcement of our waste containers, trucks, and related equipment.
The ideal candidate is a skilled, self-motivated fabricator who can look at damaged equipment, determine the best repair, and complete the work safely and efficiently with minimal supervision. This is a hands-on position working primarily in our maintenance facility and yard, with a strong emphasis on keeping DDR’s fleet and container inventory operational and in service.
The right person will take pride in quality workmanship, understand that downtime costs the company money, and be able to prioritize repairs based on safety, severity, and operational needs.
Primary ResponsibilitiesContainer Repair & Fabrication
- Repair and rebuild roll-off containers, front-load containers, and other waste containers.
- Repair cracked, bent, broken, or damaged container floors, walls, rails, doors, hinges, frames, and structural components.
- Replace and fabricate worn or damaged container components.
- Repair container rollers, rails, hooks, doors, latches, and other hardware.
- Cut, fit, fabricate, and weld steel components to restore containers to safe operating condition.
- Reinforce high-wear areas of containers to extend service life.
- Perform modifications and custom fabrication projects as needed.
- Inspect containers for structural damage and identify repairs that should be addressed before the container is returned to service.
- Paint and finish all containers after completing repairs. Any container that is welded, fabricated, repaired, or modified must be properly prepared and painted before being returned to service. The Welder / Fabricator is responsible for ensuring repaired areas are cleaned, prepped, and coated to provide a professional appearance and help protect the container from rust and corrosion.
Truck & Fleet Repairs
- Perform welding and fabrication repairs on roll-off and front-load trucks.
- Repair truck bodies, frames, brackets, mounts, steps, guards, bumpers, supports, and other steel components.
- Repair and fabricate mounting brackets and structural supports for truck equipment.
- Repair damaged or cracked components caused by normal wear, loading/unloading operations, or accidents.
- Assist mechanics with welding and fabrication related to hydraulic, body, and chassis repairs.
- Fabricate replacement parts when an OEM part is unavailable, impractical, or unnecessarily expensive.
- Work on a variety of heavy-duty equipment, including Mack, Autocar, Peterbilt, and other fleet equipment.
Welding & Fabrication
- Perform MIG welding and other appropriate welding processes based on the application.
- Safely operate welders, plasma cutters, torches, grinders, saws, drills, presses, and other fabrication equipment.
- Measure, lay out, cut, fit, tack, and weld components accurately.
- Work with various gauges and sizes of steel.
- Produce clean, strong, structurally sound welds.
- Grind, finish, and prepare repaired surfaces as appropriate.
- Maintain welding equipment, tools, and work areas in safe operating condition.
- Keep the welding and fabrication area clean, organized, and free of unnecessary hazards.
Equipment & Tools
The successful candidate should be comfortable working with or willing to learn to use:
- MIG welders
- Plasma cutters
- Oxy-fuel torches
- Angle grinders
- Chop saws and band saws
- Drill presses and handheld drills
- Hydraulic presses
- Impact tools and hand tools
- Measuring and layout tools
- Jacks, stands, lifting equipment, and other shop equipment
DDR will provide or maintain the necessary shop equipment and welding infrastructure. Employees are expected to properly care for company tools and equipment.
Safety Responsibilities
Safety is a critical part of this position.
The Welder / Fabricator is expected to:
- Follow all DDR safety procedures and OSHA requirements.
- Wear required PPE at all times.
- Properly use welding shields, gloves, eye protection, hearing protection, respiratory protection, and other PPE when required.
- Maintain proper ventilation and fire prevention practices while welding and cutting.
- Properly secure and support containers, truck bodies, and components before beginning repairs.
- Follow lockout/tagout procedures when applicable.
- Identify unsafe equipment or conditions and immediately notify management.
- Never return a container, truck, or fabricated component to service if the repair is not structurally or operationally safe.
Preventative & Quality Responsibilities
This position is not limited to fixing broken equipment. The successful candidate should look for ways to prevent the same failures from happening again.
Responsibilities include:
- Identify recurring failures and recommend permanent solutions.
- Reinforce areas that are prone to cracking or excessive wear when appropriate.
- Recommend modifications that can extend the useful life of containers and equipment.
- Identify equipment that should be removed from service for more extensive repair.
- Perform quality checks on completed work.
- Communicate parts, materials, and equipment needs to the Fleet/Maintenance Manager.
- Document significant repairs when requested.
Work Priorities
DDR operates a busy commercial waste and recycling fleet, and equipment availability is critical to our operation.
The Welder / Fabricator will be expected to prioritize work based on:
- Safety-critical repairs
- Trucks that are down and need to return to service
- Containers needed for scheduled customer deliveries
- Repairs that prevent further equipment damage
- Preventative repairs and container rebuilding
- General fabrication and improvement projects
The ability to work efficiently while maintaining high-quality workmanship is essential.
QualificationsRequired
- Previous professional welding/fabrication experience.
- Strong MIG welding skills.
- Ability to weld structural steel and heavy-gauge materials.
- Ability to read measurements and accurately lay out and fabricate components.
- Ability to safely operate common welding and fabrication equipment.
- Mechanical aptitude and ability to understand how heavy equipment components work together.
- Ability to work independently and identify appropriate repair solutions.
- Strong attention to detail.
- Ability to safely lift, position, and work around heavy equipment and steel components.
- Valid driver’s license.
- Reliable attendance and dependable work habits.
Preferred
- Experience repairing waste containers.
- Experience working on refuse, roll-off, front-load, or other heavy-duty trucks.
- Heavy equipment repair experience.
- Experience with hydraulic equipment.
- Experience with structural fabrication.
- Experience using plasma cutters and oxy-fuel torches.
- Experience fabricating replacement components from measurements or damaged samples.
- CDL or willingness to obtain one is a plus.
Ideal Candidate
DDR is looking for someone who can think like a fabricator and a mechanic.
The ideal candidate:
- Can look at a damaged container and figure out how to repair it.
- Doesn’t need to be told exactly how to make every repair.
- Understands the difference between a temporary repair and a proper repair.
- Takes pride in strong, clean workmanship.
- Can work independently without constant supervision.
- Understands the importance of getting trucks and containers back into service quickly.
- Is comfortable working in a heavy-duty industrial environment.
- Is willing to tackle dirty, difficult, and physically demanding jobs.
- Communicates when a repair requires additional parts, labor, or expertise.
- Looks for ways to make equipment stronger and reduce repeat failures.
- Takes ownership of the quality of their work.
Physical & Working Conditions
This position requires working in an industrial fleet maintenance and yard environment.
The employee should be comfortable with:
- Standing and walking for extended periods.
- Bending, kneeling, climbing, reaching, and working in awkward positions.
- Working around heavy trucks, containers, and equipment.
- Working with steel and heavy components.
- Exposure to welding fumes, dust, dirt, grease, noise, heat, cold, and other typical industrial conditions.
- Working both indoors and outdoors depending on the repair.
- Occasionally working in inclement weather when operationally necessary.
Performance Expectations
Success in this position will be measured by:
- Quality and durability of completed repairs.
- Safety and adherence to company procedures.
- Ability to complete repairs efficiently.
- Reduction in repeat repairs and equipment failures.
- Ability to keep trucks and containers moving through the repair process.
- Proper care of tools and company equipment.
- Reliability and attendance.
- Communication with the Fleet/Maintenance Manager and operations team.
- Overall contribution to fleet uptime and equipment condition.
Compensation & Benefits
Compensation: Competitive hourly wage based on experience and welding/fabrication ability.
DDR offers a competitive compensation and benefits package for qualified full-time employees, including applicable company benefits and opportunities for additional hours based on operational needs.
Why Join DDR?
Detroit Disposal & Recycling is a growing, privately operated waste and recycling company with a large and active commercial fleet. Our maintenance operation is an important part of keeping the company moving.
This is an opportunity for an experienced Welder / Fabricator to become an important part of the maintenance team, work on a wide variety of heavy-duty equipment, and have a direct impact on the reliability and appearance of DDR’s fleet and container inventory.
If you are a skilled welder/fabricator who takes pride in building things right—not just getting them out the door—we want to hear from you.
Pay: $25.00 - $30.00 per hour
Benefits:
- 401(k) matching
- Dental insurance
- Health insurance
- Life insurance
- Paid time off
- Retirement plan
- Vision insurance
People with a criminal record are encouraged to apply
Experience:
- Welding: 2 years (Required)
Shift availability:
- Day Shift (Preferred)
- Night Shift (Preferred)
- Overnight Shift (Preferred)
Ability to Commute:
- Detroit, MI 48211 (Required)
Work Location: In person
