Tracking the trends

Along with the rest of the Waste Today editorial team, I attended WasteExpo in Las Vegas in May, where I enjoyed the opportunity for a bird’s-eye view of trending topics in the waste industry.

Over and over again, I heard discussions about challenges with the labor pool and wage inflation, particularly with drivers, with the consensus that the pace of technology is changing the labor market. During an operators’ roundtable discussion hosted by Waste Today, co-sponsor Clairvest Managing Director Michael Castellarin said operators should expect labor inflation to persist as the supply chain stays tight.

During his CEO Spotlight session, Waste Connections Inc. CEO Ron Mittelstaedt highlighted the servant leadership approach his Texas-based company uses to cultivate talent, as well as the in-house diesel technician training program and CDL driver schools that educate about 150 candidates per month.

“We’re trying to do different things to grow the next generation of front-line employees,” Mittelstaedt said. “We’re taking employees that otherwise wouldn’t get the opportunity … and upskilling them.”

On the flip side of the labor coin, artificial intelligence (AI) and automation technology are changing the way things like safety and service verification are handled across the industry. During the operators’ roundtable, multiple operators praised truck-mounted camera technology from Illinois-based 3rd Eye for helping to increase driver safety, as well as software from companies such as ReCollect for helping to automate service reminders and customer communication.

Electric vehicle (EV) technology officially has arrived as evidenced in the expo hall, where companies including McNeilus showcased EV collection vehicles, while New Way Trucks and Hyzon unveiled North America’s first hydrogen fuel cell-powered electric refuse truck. But many operators say the cost and lack of charging infrastructure still make electric trucks prohibitive for the average hauler.

Another common refrain in our operator roundtable discussion? The high cost of truck parts and general inflation on equipment. Jason Leck, CEO of Ivyland, Pennsylvania-based Leck Waste Services, says inflation on equipment has outpaced service costs.

With higher costs across the board, when it comes to investing in sustainability and ESG (environmental, social and governance) initiatives, most operators are saying the biggest hurdle is whether the consumer is willing to pay.