A junk removal crew leader drives the truck, prices each job at the door and runs one or two loaders through the pickup. They take payment, decide what the truck can safely carry, and get every load to the right donation dock, recycler or transfer station before the day ends.
By the HireBus team · Updated · Pay data: BLS, May 2025
Median pay, waste collection companies · BLS, May 2025
Oversees and operates a 14-20 ft dump truck in a fast-paced junk removal environment. Leads a small team of 1-2 loaders to ensure efficient and safe removal of junk. Provides accurate estimates, handles on-site payments, and delivers excellent customer service. Acts as a crucial operational link between the customer, crew, and company leadership.
2. Essential Duties and Responsibilities
Operate a 14-20 ft dump truck, ensuring safe driving practices and adherence to safety regulations.
Lead and supervise 1-2 loaders during junk removal tasks, ensuring efficient teamwork.
Provide timely and accurate service estimates to customers at the site.
Process payments and maintain accurate records of transactions.
Ensure that all job sites are left clean and free of hazards following service completion.
3. Key Tasks / Daily Activities
Inspect equipment and perform pre-trip safety checks on the dump truck each day.
Lead loading, hauling, and disposal activities on various residential or commercial sites.
Interact respectfully with customers, addressing queries and explaining service details.
Document job details, including estimates provided, payments processed, and issues encountered.
Coordinate with dispatch to optimize routes and schedule daily loads efficiently.
4. Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
On-time service completion rate: 95% or higher.
Customer Satisfaction Rating: greater than 4.8 stars.
Safety compliance and incident-free driving: 100% compliance.
Revenue per service call: $150 or greater.
5. Required Qualifications and Skills
High school diploma or equivalent.
Valid commercial driver’s license (CDL) with appropriate endorsements.
Minimum of 2 years driving experience in a commercial or heavy equipment environment.
Strong leadership, communication, and customer service skills.
Ability to perform basic vehicle inspections and maintain equipment.
6. Preferred Experience
Previous experience as a crew leader or in a supervisory role in the junk removal or waste management industry.
Familiarity with operating dump trucks and handling heavy loads.
Experience with on-site estimating and payment processing.
Knowledge of local and federal regulations related to waste removal and transportation.
7. Physical Requirements
Ability to lift and move loads up to 50 lbs repeatedly.
Capacity to work in varying weather conditions including hot and cold environments.
Frequent bending, lifting, and manual handling while on job sites.
Extended periods of sitting and standing, with required visual and auditory acuity for navigation and operation.
8. Work Environment and Schedule
Typical work hours: 7:00 AM – 4:00 PM, Monday through Friday.
Occasional overtime or weekend work may be required based on service demand.
On-call availability for urgent service requests as needed.
Work performed primarily in outdoor environments and on diverse job sites.
9. Compensation and Benefits
Hourly wage range: $18 - $25 per hour, based on experience and qualifications.
Performance-based bonus opportunities tied to KPIs and customer satisfaction.
Comprehensive Health, Dental, and Vision insurance.
401(k) plan with company match.
Additional fringe benefits such as paid time off and employee discounts.
10. Company Culture and Overview
At [INSERT COMPANY NAME HERE], we pride ourselves on providing exceptional service while fostering a culture of respect, teamwork, and continuous improvement.
We value our employees as our greatest asset and offer plentiful growth opportunities in a collaborative and supportive work environment.
Our mission is to exceed customer expectations while promoting sustainability and community responsibility.
Join our team and be an integral part of a company that encourages personal development and celebrates success.
11. How to Apply
If you meet the above criteria and want to be part of a growth-oriented company focused on customer satisfaction, please send your resume to [INSERT EMAIL HERE] or apply online at [INSERT WEBSITE LINK HERE].
Need help filling this role? HireBus posts the ad, Iris interviews every applicant by phone before you do, and you decide who to hire. Start hiring now
A delivery driver hands over a package and leaves. A junk removal crew leader quotes a price, runs a crew inside someone's home, and owns everything on the truck until it is unloaded.
The CDL depends on the truck's weight rating
The template asks for a CDL. Under federal rules, a single truck needs a CDL driver once its rating or real loaded weight reaches 26,001 pounds. So does a truck and trailer at that combined weight when the trailer tops 10,000 pounds, and any truck hauling hazmat that must be placarded. Read the rating on each truck's door label. An overloaded truck can cross the line, so keep the requirement if yours come close. Source: eCFR: CDL definitions, commercial motor vehicle (49 CFR 383.5).
A walk-around before the first job
Federal rules say a commercial truck can't be driven until the driver is satisfied that its brakes, steering, lights, tires, horn, wipers, mirrors, wheels and emergency gear work. On a dump truck, the leader also checks the hoist, the tailgate latches and the tarp. A problem found in the yard is a phone call; one found on the highway is a tow. Source: eCFR: Equipment, inspection and use (49 CFR 392.7).
Nothing blows out of the bed
Federal cargo rules say a commercial truck's load must not leak, spill, blow or fall off, and must not shift enough to upset the truck. States add covered-load laws. In Washington, a driver whose unsecured load hurts someone badly, through criminal negligence, commits a gross misdemeanor, and any driver must clear the road of what falls. Leaders tarp loose debris and strap tall pieces before pulling out. Source: eCFR: Cargo securement, general requirements (49 CFR 393.100).
Saying no kindly at the door
Some things the crew won't load, like paint, solvents, pool chemicals and propane tanks. The leader works from the refusal list the environmental compliance officer keeps, tells the customer why before the pile is priced, and points them to the local drop-off. If something looks risky, such as crumbling pipe wrap, nobody touches it until the office says how to handle it. Refused items never get tucked into a bag.
Pricing happens at the door
The leader looks over the pile, prices it by how much of the truck it will fill, and adds your set charges for heavy material like concrete, dirt or shingles. The customer agrees before anything moves. Leaders who price too low lose money on every load, and ones who price too high lose the job, so new leaders shadow an experienced one first.
How much junk removal crew leaders make
The closest BLS group for junk removal crew leaders is light truck drivers. Light truck drivers who work for waste collection companies earned a median of $24.32 an hour ($50,590 a year) in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That’s above the $44,860 median for light truck drivers in all industries. About 1,840 of the 983,300 light truck drivers in that survey work for waste collection companies.
Hourly with a bonus for hitting KPIs and good customer ratings, as the template lists. BLS light truck drivers is the nearest code for someone driving a truck below the CDL line. Pay the leader more than the loaders on the truck, since the leader prices jobs and handles the money.
Waste collection companies
$50,590$50,590 median Middle half $41,690–$61,660 10th–90th $37,050–$63,970
All industries
$44,860$44,860 median Middle half $37,270–$52,310 10th–90th $30,800–$80,310
$20k$30k$40k$50k$60k$70k$80k$90k
10th–90th percentileMiddle halfMedianAnnual pay, May 2025. Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
Annual pay by percentile
Group
10th
25th
Median
75th
90th
Waste collection companies
$37,050
$41,690
$50,590
$61,660
$63,970
All industries
$30,800
$37,270
$44,860
$52,310
$80,310
BLS doesn’t publish pay for junk removal companies on their own. These figures cover waste collection, which include them. Post a real range for your market in the ad.
The pay line in the template above is an example from our Role Blueprint. Set yours from these figures and what local companies pay.
Skills to hire for, and what you can teach
Hire for these
Clean driving record and confidence backing a box or dump truck into tight driveways
Explains a price and stands by it without arguing
Gives loaders clear jobs and keeps them safe
Plans the route between houses, donation docks and the transfer station
Handles cash, cards and receipts without mistakes
Teach these on the job
Your price sheet, surcharges and minimums
Tarping, tie-downs and loading a dump body evenly
Your list of items the crew won't take and where they go instead
The job app for photos, signatures and payment
Your donation and recycling partners' drop-off rules
Leaders run a box truck or dump truck with a hoist, tarp, straps and ramp, plus a tablet that holds the job app, the route and a card reader. Put the truck size and whether it needs a CDL in the ad; that one detail decides who can apply.
Junk removal crew leader interview questions
Two of the 6 questions we'd ask, and what a strong answer sounds like. Ask every candidate the same questions, and rate each answer on your own before you compare notes.
Situational · Weight versus volume
The pile is mostly broken concrete and dirt. By volume it's only a quarter of the truck. What do you do?
A strong answer: Knows dense material can overload the truck and costs more at the dump. Uses heavy-material pricing, stays under the truck's rated payload, plans extra trips if needed and explains it to the customer.
Behavioral · Leading a small crew
Tell me about a time a crew member was slacking or working unsafely. What did you do?
A strong answer: Addressed it right away and in private, explained why it mattered, showed the right way and followed up. Told the supervisor if it kept happening.
Pull a season of jobs from your booking software before you set targets, because crew leaders on heavy-debris routes and furniture routes post very different numbers.
On-time service completion rate
Jobs the leader's truck reached inside the arrival window and finished the same day, from the dispatch log. Note days thrown off by a breakdown or a booking error.
Customer Satisfaction Rating
Star ratings and written comments on the leader's jobs. Read for price surprises, missed items and whether the crew protected floors and walls, not just the score.
Safety compliance and incident-free driving
Pre-trip checks on file, tarp and tie-down spot checks, telematics alerts for speed and hard braking, and any crash or property damage, reviewed with the leader monthly.
Revenue per service call
Revenue the leader collected divided by jobs completed, from your payment records. Compare it with how full the truck was so leaders don't overcharge to hit a target.
Does a junk removal driver need a DOT medical card?
Yes, if your trucks count as commercial motor vehicles under federal rules. For a junk truck, that means interstate work with a weight rating or real weight past 10,000 pounds. Drivers of those trucks must be medically certified, even when no CDL is needed. A driver without a CDL carries the medical examiner's certificate on duty. Since June 23, 2025, CDL holders no longer have to carry it. Trucks that stay inside one state may fall under state rules instead.
How much does a junk removal crew leader make?
Light truck drivers who work for waste collection companies earned a median of $24.32 an hour ($50,590 a year) in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The middle half earned between $41,690 and $61,660 a year. Pay also depends on your local market, experience and overtime.
What if the customer adds items after the price is set?
The leader stops and quotes the extra before it goes on the truck. Pointing at the space it will take in the bed keeps the talk simple. If they pass, the extra stays behind. A quiet rule that the price never changes once loading starts, unless the customer agrees out loud, saves most of the arguments that end in a bad review.
How is a crew leader different from a field supervisor?
The crew leader runs one truck and one crew all day. A field supervisor checks on several trucks, drops in on big jobs, settles complaints and price disputes, and coaches the leaders. Many supervisors start as crew leaders, so promote the leaders who price well and keep their trucks clean and safe.
How can I test a crew leader candidate?
Show photos of a cluttered garage and ask what they would charge, how many people it needs and where each kind of item goes. Then watch them walk around a truck and point out what they check. A good candidate asks about stairs, parking and heavy items before giving a number.
