Amid bulk trash delays, Phoenix adding pay incentives for truck drivers

PHOENIX – Amid bulk trash pickup delays, the city of Phoenix is offering new pay incentives to licensed truck drivers.

All municipal employees who need a commercial driver’s license (CDL) for their positions will receive a $3 per hour raise starting Nov. 28, the city said in a press release Thursday.

That’s on top of ongoing $2,500 hiring bonuses for new solid waste equipment operators and $3,000 retention incentives for those already on the job.

Phoenix’s quarterly bulk trash pickups have been delayed by several weeks because of staffing shortages, prompting the city to revise its collection schedule for the remainder of 2022.

“By taking care of our city workers, we can also do right by our residents,” Councilman Carlos Garcia said in the release.

“We apologize for the inconvenience the bulk trash collection delays have caused and moving forward, we hope to have better systems in place to communicate with our residents when issues arise.”

Phoenix also has a solid waste equipment operator apprenticeship program for job seekers without experience in the field. The program pays $17.05 hourly plus benefits and provides the on-the-job training along with guidance on how to obtain a CDL.

Residents who can haul their own trash have the option of taking one load (up to 2,000 pounds) to a transfer station per month at no charge.

The city has two transfer stations that temporarily house trash until it’s taken to a landfill. They are located at 30205 N. Black Canyon Highway in north Phoenix and 3060 S. 27th Ave. in the southern part of the city.

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