A junk removal operations manager plans each day's trucks for a branch, matches crews to jobs, and fixes field problems before the day falls apart. The manager links sales, dispatch and fleet maintenance so trucks leave with a full day of work and come back empty.
By the HireBus team · Updated · Pay data: BLS, May 2025
Median pay, waste collection companies · BLS, May 2025
Responsible for managing daily truck schedules and coordinating operations within our Junk Removal division to ensure maximum efficiency and high customer satisfaction. Plays a vital role in bridging communication between sales, dispatch, and fleet maintenance teams. Oversees job completion and promptly resolves field issues to maintain operational excellence. Contributes to the overall growth and profitability of the company by optimizing resource allocation and streamlining processes.
2. Essential Duties and Responsibilities
Plan and coordinate daily truck schedules to maximize efficiency and punctuality.
Monitor job completion and ensure all projects meet quality and safety standards.
Act as the primary point of contact for resolving field issues in real-time.
Coordinate with sales, dispatch, and fleet maintenance teams to align operational plans.
Maintain detailed logs and reports on truck utilization, job status, and operational metrics.
3. Key Tasks / Daily Activities
Review and update daily truck assignments based on service requests and job priorities.
Conduct regular check-ins with field teams to assess progress and address any challenges.
Collaborate with the dispatch team to adjust schedules and resolve last-minute issues.
Engage with sales and customer service teams to provide updates on job statuses.
Analyze performance data to identify trends and implement process improvements.
4. Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
On-Time Completion Rate: ≥ 95%.
Customer Satisfaction Rating: > 4.8 stars.
Field Issue Resolution Rate: ≥ 90% within the same day.
Capacity Efficiency: 85% or higher truck utilization during operational hours.
5. Required Qualifications and Skills
Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Logistics, or a related field.
3+ years of experience in operations management, preferably within home services or field operations.
Strong organizational and problem-solving skills with a keen eye for detail.
Excellent communication skills and the ability to manage multiple priorities simultaneously.
6. Preferred Experience
Prior experience in the junk removal, waste management, or home services industry.
Familiarity with fleet management software and scheduling systems.
Demonstrated history of process improvement and team leadership.
Experience working in a fast-paced operational environment.
7. Physical Requirements
Ability to sit or stand for extended periods while monitoring operations.
Occasional requirement to lift and move light objects or documentation (up to 20 lbs).
Exposure to various weather conditions during field visits.
Comfortable working in both office and outdoor environments.
8. Work Environment and Schedule
Regular work hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM.
Occasional after-hours or weekend support may be required during peak periods.
On-call duties during high-demand situations.
Collaborative office environment with periodic field visits.
9. Compensation and Benefits
Competitive salary range: $60,000 - $75,000 per year, commensurate with experience.
Performance-based bonus opportunities.
Comprehensive health, dental, and vision insurance.
401(k) plan with company match.
Additional fringe benefits such as paid time off and professional development support.
10. Company Culture and Overview
At [INSERT COMPANY NAME HERE], we foster a culture of innovation, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
Our operations team thrives on teamwork, accountability, and a passion for excellence.
We invest in our employees' growth and provide ample opportunities for career development.
Join us to be part of a forward-thinking company dedicated to customer satisfaction and operational 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].
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What changes for an operations manager in junk removal
Every operations manager runs the day's plan. In junk removal, the plan has to cover crews who start at the yard, long days on the road, and furniture that can carry pests.
The workday starts at the yard
Crews usually start at the yard, where they collect the truck, straps and dollies. When you require crews to meet there for orders or tools, federal rules count the ride to the first job as paid time. Every drive between jobs counts too, and so does the drive back when crews must return the truck to the yard. Plan the day with that time on the clock. Source: eCFR: 29 CFR 785.38, Travel that is all in the day's work.
Lunch on the road still needs a break
A full day of cleanouts can roll from job to dump to job with no stop. In West Virginia, for example, employers must make at least 20 minutes available for meal breaks in a workday of six hours or more. The statute applies this wherever workers aren't given needed breaks or a chance to eat while working. Under federal rules (29 CFR 785.19), a meal break is unpaid only if the worker is fully off duty. Lunch eaten while driving to the dump is paid time. Source: West Virginia Code §21-3-10a: Meal breaks.
Bed bugs travel in furniture
A couch or mattress from an infested home can spread bed bugs to the truck, the warehouse and the next home. EPA tells people who throw out infested furniture to rip the covers so no one takes it home. It also says to mark it 'Bed Bugs' and to seal items that can't be treated in plastic bags. Ask about pests at booking. Bag those pieces, keep them out of donation loads, and clean the truck bed after. Source: U.S. EPA: Do-it-yourself bed bug control.
Big cleanouts get planned the day before
A big estate or office cleanout can take two trucks, a field supervisor and several dump runs. The day before, the operations manager sets the crew size and the order the trucks arrive. The manager also picks the disposal and donation stops and books any loading dock or elevator. A midday check keeps the rest of the schedule on track.
How much junk removal operations managers make
The closest BLS group for junk removal operations managers is general and operations managers. General and operations managers who work for waste collection companies earned a median of $99,070 a year ($47.63 an hour) in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That’s below the $105,770 median for general and operations managers in all industries. About 6,290 of the 3,503,020 general and operations managers in that survey work for waste collection companies.
Most are paid a salary and a bonus for on-time jobs, truck use and ratings. The BLS median for this job group in waste collection is above the template's range. That group also counts senior managers. Someone who has run a full branch will likely ask for more.
Waste collection companies
$99,070$99,070 median Middle half $74,290–$136,520 10th–90th $50,920–$202,350
All industries
$105,770$105,770 median Middle half $72,320–$167,280 10th–90th $50,090–$253,390
$0k$50k$100k$150k$200k$250k$300k
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
$50,920
$74,290
$99,070
$136,520
$202,350
All industries
$50,090
$72,320
$105,770
$167,280
$253,390
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
Has run daily schedules for trucks or field crews
Decides fast when an overrun or breakdown threatens the day
Explains schedule changes clearly to crews, dispatch and sales
Keeps crew hours accurate, including travel and meal breaks
Tracks truck use and job times in a spreadsheet or field software
Teach these on the job
Truckload pricing and how much fits in each truck
Disposal, donation and recycling stops in your area
The company's booking and dispatch software
Items crews must refuse or keep separate
Fleet maintenance schedules
The day runs on the dispatch board in your field software, such as Jobber or Workiz. Add GPS truck tracking and a daily report of truck hours and finished jobs. Anyone who has used a dispatch board can learn yours fast, so weigh judgment over software names.
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 · Short-staffed morning
At [7] a.m. you learn two loaders called out and [5] trucks are booked. What do you do?
A strong answer: Calls the on-call list, decides which jobs truly need three people, combines crews, moves the most flexible jobs and calls those customers early.
Behavioral · Productivity improvements
Tell me about a change you made that got more jobs done per truck or crew without more overtime.
A strong answer: Names a specific change, such as loading routes the night before, timing dump runs or a job-photo checklist, the measure used (jobs per truck-day, overtime hours) and the before-and-after result.
The template's numbers are samples. Work out your own from the branch's job history, and review them by crew and by day of the week.
On-Time Completion Rate
Count jobs finished inside the promised arrival window and the quoted time, divide by all scheduled jobs, and log the reason for each miss.
Customer Satisfaction Rating
Average the branch's post-job ratings each week and go over every low score with the crew leader involved to find the cause.
Field Issue Resolution Rate
Log each field problem, such as a job bigger than quoted or a breakdown. Note when it was reported and when it was closed, then count the ones closed the same day.
Capacity Efficiency
For each truck and day, compare the hours it was booked on jobs and disposal trips with the hours it had a crew and was ready to roll.
How does an operations manager split work with the dispatch supervisor?
The operations manager decides the plan: which trucks run, which crews go together, and how big jobs are staffed. The dispatch supervisor runs that plan hour by hour, moving jobs when one runs long and keeping customers updated. Some problems need a judgment call, like turning down part of a load or sending a second truck. Those come back to the operations manager.
How much does a junk removal operations manager make?
General and operations managers who work for waste collection companies earned a median of $99,070 a year ($47.63 an hour) in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The middle half earned between $74,290 and $136,520 a year. Pay also depends on your local market, experience and bonus terms.
How often should a junk removal operations manager be out with the crews?
Set field time every week, not only when something breaks. Visit a large cleanout while it's underway, ride along for part of a day with a new crew leader, and stop at the transfer station to see the wait times firsthand. Stay at the yard during the morning rollout, when most same-day problems show up.
What does a junk removal operations manager do when bad weather is coming?
Read the next day's forecast every afternoon. Pull outdoor jobs, like yard debris or shed contents, ahead of the weather and push indoor cleanouts into the wet hours. Make sure every truck carries tarps and floor runners, call customers early when a slot has to move, and keep a list of flexible jobs that can fill a gap.
What should the operations manager ad say about field visits?
List the tasks. The manager stands at the yard during the morning rollout and walks job sites and the sorting area. The manager carries files, a tablet or small supplies, and spends time outside on site visits in all weather. Keep the template's physical lines word for word. Note that reasonable accommodations are open to anyone who can do the tasks another way.
How do I test an operations manager candidate?
Hand them tomorrow's board for a branch with a crew leader out sick, a cleanout that grew after the estimate, and rain due after lunch. Ask them to rebuild the day out loud. Listen for who they call first, which jobs they move, and how they protect the customers already promised a time.
