Refuse collector and HGV driver jobs

A refuse crew is usually a driver and two or three loaders. Loaders walk the round, wheel bins to the lorry and back, and work the lifting gear. The driver holds a category C (HGV) licence and Driver CPC qualification, drives the collection vehicle and is often the crew leader. Loader posts need no qualifications and pay near the bottom of a council’s grades. Drivers earn more because of the licence and the shortage of HGV drivers.

Loader or driver

	Loader	Driver
Licence	None, though a car licence helps	Category C (rigid HGV) plus Driver CPC
Work	Moving bins, emptying them into the vehicle, checking contamination, reporting missed bins	Driving the round safely in tight streets, reversing with a banksman, vehicle checks, leading the crew
Physical load	Very high: walking and pushing bins all shift	Lower, but long hours at the wheel and in traffic
Typical pay level	Bottom of the council’s grades	One or more grades higher

Crews may collect general waste, recycling, garden waste, food waste or commercial waste, and some councils run separate bulky waste collections. Many crews rotate between rounds.

Early starts and task and finish

Rounds typically start very early, before traffic builds up, and most crews are back at the depot by early afternoon. Many councils use task and finish: the crew is paid for a standard shift but goes home when the round is done. A quick round means an early finish. A breakdown or bad weather means a long day. Some councils have dropped the arrangement, so ask at interview.

The work is outdoors in all weather. As a loader you cover long distances on foot and deal with heavy, overfilled or contaminated bins, sharp objects, dogs and impatient drivers. Councils provide personal protective equipment and training in manual handling and working near moving vehicles. Reversing accidents are a known risk, so crews follow strict procedures.

Licences and the Driver CPC

To drive a refuse collection vehicle, you need:

1. A full car licence.
2. A provisional category C licence, which needs a medical examination.
3. Passes in the theory, case study, driving ability and practical demonstration tests.
4. The Driver CPC, kept current by periodic training throughout your career, with a driver qualification card you carry while driving.

The government sets out the full process on gov.uk. Some councils and contractors fund the training for existing loaders, which is the cheapest route in. Private training is expensive, so check whether an employer scheme is open first.

Pay

Council refuse workers are on local grades built on the NJC pay spine, after a 3.3 per cent award from 1 April 2026. The lowest spine point (SCP 3) is now £25,614 a year, about £13.28 an hour, because SCP 2 was deleted from 1 April 2026. As a hypothetical example, a loader grade on SCP 3 to SCP 5 would pay £25,614 to £26,427 and a driver grade on SCP 9 to SCP 13 would pay £28,153 to £30,023. Real grades vary a lot between councils, and many drivers get extra payments or a market supplement. The NJC pay spine gives every point.

In many areas a private contractor runs collection under a council contract. Contractors set their own pay, which must be at least the National Living Wage of £12.71 an hour for workers 21 and over. Staff who moved from the council to a contractor under TUPE keep their terms as they stood at the transfer. New starters may get less.

Council employees get the Local Government Pension Scheme and Green Book leave of at least 23 days plus 8 public holidays and 2 extra days. Overtime is common, particularly around bank holidays and Christmas, and some crews have weekend rotas.

Health and safety on the round

Refuse collection is one of the more dangerous jobs a council offers. The main risks are being struck by the reversing vehicle or passing traffic, injuries from lifting and pulling heavy bins, cuts from glass and needles in bags, and slips on wet or icy pavements. Employers have to assess these risks, train you and provide protective equipment. Rules usually ban riding on the back of the lorry and require a banksman whenever the vehicle reverses.

If you are asked to work in a way you think is unsafe, the law protects you for raising it. The health and safety rights guide explains what to do, and recognised unions at council refuse depots are usually active on safety.

Getting a job on the bins

Councils and contractors recruit loaders regularly, often through agencies first. Agency workers are entitled to the same basic pay and conditions as permanent staff after 12 weeks in the same role with the same hirer, and many permanent posts are filled from the agency pool. Expect a basic fitness check, a medical questionnaire and sometimes a drug and alcohol test. On a crew, reliability counts for more than anything else.

Related outdoor council jobs include street cleansing and grounds maintenance. With experience, crew leaders can move into supervisor, round planner or waste and recycling officer roles. Search council job sites and the regional portals listed in where councils advertise jobs.