In the latest episode of Waste360’sNothingWasted! Podcast, we bring you a dynamic session from WasteExpo that features seasoned haulers, including Kevin Atkinson, owner of Texas Pride Disposal; BJ Harvey, president of E.L. Harvey & Sons; Bart Powell, founder of Right Away Disposal and division vice president for Waste Connections; and Billy Soffera, senior vice president of special projects for Advanced Disposal Services.

Here’s a sneak peek into the discussion:

Q: What are some things your company is doing to get in front of the issue of driver hiring and retention?

A: We’ve tried a multipronged approach on this. For drivers who come in with experience, we typically honor those years of experience—and that goes a long way. We also incentivize employees who bring in new hires who stay at least three months with us, depending on the quality and experience of the new hire. And our company culture includes things like quarterly barbecues, safety programs with incentives and other programs that have helped us grow very quickly.

Q: What is your company focusing on these days regarding safety?

A: Safety is not something you can just tell somebody; it’s all about culture. And we’ve started from the ground up. In 2015, we had a three-week window where we had a fire that burned up four of our trucks, as well as a driver fatality. So, we realized quickly that we had to change things very quickly, going above and beyond to show commitment to safety and the lives of these guys driving the trucks. And now we use safety as a recruiting tool.

Listen to the full episode below and more episodes here. Don’t miss this opportunity to hear keen insights from a group of haulers who have seen it all.