🗺 Location Routes
- Base: Seattle metro terminal / transfer stations
- Route type: Local short-haul within Puget Sound
- Primary counties: King, Snohomish, Pierce
- Schedule: Monday–Friday, rotating Saturday availability, 4–7 AM starts
📋 Daily Operations Flow
Shifts start at the yard or transfer station with pre-trip inspection on assigned vocational truck. Dispatch assigns pickups from municipal collection points, recycling drop-offs or construction sites. You'll pull loaded transfer trailers or roll-offs to processing centers, MRFs, or landfills, then return empties or reposition for next load. Expect multiple short cycles per day involving backing into tight docks, scale procedures, and facility coordination. No customer unloading required. Operations run in urban traffic corridors including I-5, I-405, SR-99 and SR-520 with typical congestion and queue times at busy sites.
🚛 Equipment You'll Operate
- Freightliner M2/Cascadia and Kenworth T880/T680 day cabs
- Peterbilt 567/579 vocational setups
- Automatic transmissions with heavy-duty suspensions
- Transfer trailers, roll-off containers, walking floor units
- ELD, GPS tablets, forward-facing cameras, PrePass where available
- Company fuel cards and dedicated vocational maintenance
✅ Driver Qualification Snapshot
CDL Class A
Valid CDL-A required
Experience
Minimum 12 months recent tractor-trailer experience
Medical Screening
Current DOT Medical Card, acceptable MVR, pass drug screen and background
ELD Environment
Experience with Electronic Logging Devices; comfortable in industrial waste/recycling yards
📦 Load Cycle Patterns
- High-volume municipal solid waste and recycling hauls
- Construction demolition debris transfers
- Green waste and commercial loads mixed in
- Non-hazardous materials in most assignments
- Facility queues and scale procedures standard
⚙️ Yard Facility Behavior
Expect busy transfer station environments with heavy equipment movement. Drivers must maintain strict safety protocols during backing maneuvers and loading areas. Dispatch works with facilities to stagger arrivals and minimize wait times, but peak morning and early afternoon periods often involve queues. Weather in the Pacific Northwest can affect yard traction and schedule padding is built in for winter conditions.
🏠 Schedule Home Time Reality
- Home every evening after completing route
- Typical shift length 9–11 hours
- Overtime available during peak waste volumes
- Year-round consistent work with minimal seasonal disruption
🛣️ Traffic Congestion Layer
- Urban and industrial corridor navigation
- Frequent I-5/I-405 movements with Seattle metro traffic
- Facility access roads and tight dock maneuvering
- Weigh station and scale timing coordination
🎁 Compensation Support Structure
- Overtime after 40 hours + load/trip and detention pay
- Annual safety bonus up to $1,000
- $750 driver referral bonus
- Medical, dental, vision, 401(k) match, paid vacation holidays
- Boot reimbursement, uniforms, EAP, assigned trucks
❓ Questions Drivers Usually Ask
Is this true home daily?
Yes. Drivers return to the Seattle area every shift end. No overnights.
How much overtime is typical?
Depends on volume. Expect some during peak periods but base schedule is steady Monday-Friday.
What kind of backing will I do?
Frequent tight dock and yard backing at transfer stations and landfills. Vocational experience helps.
Are trucks automatic?
Yes, current fleet uses automatic transmissions.
🔗 CDL-A Waste Recycling Transfer Driver – Seattle, Washington
Seattle area CDL-A drivers handle the daily movement of municipal solid waste, recyclables, construction debris and industrial materials between transfer stations, MRFs, landfills and processing centers across King, Snohomish and Pierce counties. This local home daily role starts early with pre-trips on well-maintained Freightliner, Kenworth and Peterbilt vocational trucks pulling transfer trailers and roll-offs. Routes involve multiple short cycles through Puget Sound traffic on I-5, I-405 and connecting state routes with typical facility queues and scale time. Pay runs $33.50–$38.00 per hour plus overtime after 40, load pay, detention and safety bonuses for estimated weekly earnings of $1,650–$2,100. Drivers return home every evening after 9–11 hour shifts with consistent year-round work. The operation requires comfort in industrial environments, solid 12 months tractor-trailer experience and strong safety focus. Equipment includes automatic transmissions, ELDs, cameras and dedicated maintenance support. This is steady local work for drivers who prefer predictable schedules over long-haul and understand the realities of waste and recycling operations in the Pacific Northwest.
🚀 Apply for This CDL-A Position
Complete the form below to apply for CDL-A Waste Recycling Transfer Driver in Seattle, Washington.