Source: http://www.connpost.com/women/ci_8734173
Driving a dump truck is surprisingly easy.
It’s just like driving a really big SUV.
Of course, I’m probably not the best judge of dump truck maneuverability, having only driven such a vehicle a couple of feet.
My stint behind the wheel of said truck was just part of the morning I spent hauling away furniture, books and assorted other discarded items with the folks at 1-800-GOT-JUNK?
1-800-GOT-JUNK? is an international company made up of nearly 300 franchises in four countries, including the United States and Canada. Each branch employs drivers who go to homes and haul away unwanted junk.
I was contacted about spending a day with the guys at the Stratford-based 1-800-GOT-JUNK? franchise, and jumped. This is going to sound nuts, but I’ve kind of always wanted to haul garbage. I mean, I imagined it was pretty gratifying work.
This is a job for which you don’t need to dress up. You don’t need to make a good impression on people. All you need to do is show up, and do the job that no one else wants to do, and people are grateful.
I spoke with franchise owner Chris Kirk, who arranged for me to come to the Stratford office and embark on a morning of hauling away other people’s crap. Kirk started the Connecticut franchise in 2004, with only one truck. Now, the business has five trucks serving most of Fairfield County as well as Westchester County, N.Y., and two offices — the main one in Stratford and a satellite in Norwalk. Employees handle anywhere from 30 to70 jobs a week, and charge anywhere from $120 (for removing a single item) to $578 (for removing a full truck… Read on
