SCOTT SIMON, HOST:
You can see garbage trucks rolling through just about every neighborhood - huge, heavy, going slow. But highly skilled drivers are behind their wheels. Do you think parallel parking a Silverado is hard? Try doing it with a 20-ton garbage truck. Last month, Republic Services, a waste disposal company, brought together the most deft of these drivers for the ROAD-EO National Championship, a one-day competition in Phoenix.
(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)
SIMON: The garbage truck drivers put their precision to the test.
(CHEERING)
SIMON: When it comes to handling tricky maneuvers and tight spaces, every driver has a specialty.
MARK SOLORZ: Well, small container is my expertise. That's kind of been my passion ever since I've been here.
SIMON: Mark Solorz from Sauk Rapids, Minnesota, has been with Republic Services for 13 years. Began his career driving semitrucks before joining his father in the waste management business, and now he's made his mark on the ROAD-EO National Championship.
SOLORZ: I'm kind of following in his footsteps, so he also, too, made it three times to nationals.
SIMON: This was Mr. Solorz's third time at the nationals. He won first place in 2021, second in 2023, and this year competed in the small-container category using a front-load truck - the kind you see lifting dumpsters outside of restaurants. Once at the nationals, the competition works like this.
MARCOS SANCHEZ: So imagine a course with seven challenges, and this course is about the size of a football field.
SIMON: That's Marcos Sanchez from Republic Services' IT department. He's a judge.
SANCHEZ: In order to get a perfect score, at each challenge, you have to get 50 points.
SIMON: The challenges included a 90-degree right-hand turn, parallel parking, backing into a tight alley and the serpentine.
SANCHEZ: The driver is required to weave in and out of the containers in a continuous motion without stopping and without touching a container or running outside the boundaries.
SIMON: Mr. Solorz says the serpentine was the most demanding test of his finesse.
SOLORZ: I told myself, whoever got through that serpentine was probably going to be the one going on stage to get a trophy.
SIMON: The difficulty of each course can depend on the type of truck. CJ Hines, who's been with Republic Services for 13 years, competed in the rear-load category - kind of big, blue garbage truck that most of us are familiar with. He says the serpentine wasn't a problem.
CJ HINES: The parallel park was always a problem for me. Not having a rear camera for the competition makes it pretty difficult to do.
SIMON: Right. No rear cameras. Not only was Mr. Sanchez a judge, he was also a timer, following drivers like CJ as they maneuvered their biggest challenges.
SANCHEZ: You literally have their faith in your fingertips, and you need to make sure you're accurate for them.
SIMON: And at the RODE-EO, every second matters. Just ask Mr. Solorz.
(SOUNDBITE OF CREEDENCE CLEARWATER REVIVAL SONG, "UP AROUND THE BEND")
SOLORZ: I should have won the whole thing. But I ended up tying for second, but I lost to a guy by time. So the guy did the course a minute faster than I did, and I ended up getting third.
SIMON: Mr. Hines says it all came down to points.
HINES: The total was 265 out of 350. I've only competed in two national RODE-EOs - first place both times.
SIMON: And what does a winner get?
HINES: First place gets $5,000 and five extra vacation days.
SOLORZ: I ended up winning $1,000 and extra day of PTO.
SIMON: Both drivers say the competition highlights the everyday realities of their job.
HINES: People probably don't understand the stress that it is to drive a truck, let alone drive a truck around tight corners and in traffic.
SOLORZ: Our garbage trucks are considered the most dangerous vehicle to drive in the world. I mean, it's a very stressful job, but rewarding job, at the end of the day.
SIMON: And thank you for doing that important job, and also to BJ Leiderman, who drives our theme music.
(SOUNDBITE OF CREEDENCE CLEARWATER REVIVAL SONG, "UP AROUND THE BEND") Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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