Geert gets on the back of a garbage truck with his son

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It’s 8 August, 6:45 am when Geert and his son report at the client's location. It is the middle of summer, a busy time for the waste industry. “It’s always busy in the summer. People are off or they’re sick and the routes are doubled because of the growth in garden waste”, says Geert. 

REMONDIS was looking for extra loaders to counteract the rush and Geert promised that if he couldn’t find a loader, he would get on the truck himself. A promise he kept; he was scheduled with a driver from 24/7 drive and took his son along too. 

When Geert thinks back to that day and pulls out the photos, every one shows a blue sky. “Luckily, it was not too hot. If it rains and bad weather like now (ed. February 2024), I can imagine that the work is harder. In that, I believe the loaders have had a bad year.” The weather conditions are a big influence on the work, according to Geert: “If it’s too hot, you’ll be able to swim in your own sweat, but rain or snow, is not nice either.”

“The work is fun, but especially when you only do it once in a while, it’s really hard work.” Gaining a better perspective on the work is easy. “After half an hour, my son said: ‘Pooh, I really do respect the people who do this every day.’. Just imagine if these people wouldn’t do their job… what a mess it would become in the Netherlands. No, I have a lot of respect for the heroes who do this every day.”

A day as a loader proves to be incredibly educational. The experience and knowledge Geert gained while helping out can now be used in his conversations with future loaders and with clients. “It’s no use sending someone somewhere who has absolutely no idea of what he’s going to do. If someone has no experience as a loader, I tell him the ins and outs I know.”

“I had sore muscles the next morning; my son had it even worse”, Geert says when he explains that the first two weeks are the toughest. “But after that, it’s really fun work. You're outside and busy all day.”

The gym membership can be cancelled, as you spend 8 – 10 hours a day doing physical work. “It kind of depends on how hard you work; on average, a workday lasts until 15:00 or 16:00. I finished around 15:30.” But besides the physical part of the job, the mental aspect is also very important. “You can have the most fun on the back of the truck, but you always have to stay alert because it can also be very dangerous.”

As a loader, on or off the wagon, you’re always actively taking part in traffic. When moving, hooking, and hoisting up a bin, you always have to be mindful of pedestrians, cyclists and other vehicles. 

“If you have to do this every day… respect.”

Geert’s word of thanks to all 24/7 drive Waste Heroes: “Huge thanks for everyone who wants to do this work, who does this work and that they do it. Without these Heroes, it would be a big mess.”