June 12, 2023

This paid piece is sponsored by Novak Sanitary Service.

When Novak Sanitary Service customers bring their yard waste to the curb this season, odds are Jonathon Boggess will be the one picking it up.

The operations supervisor is filling in on the route for now, often hitting the road by 7:30 a.m. after doing some initial office work.

He covers the entire city of Sioux Falls, plus surrounding communities.

“They’re longer days,” he said. “But I’m able to do what it used to take two trucks to do.”

That’s because Boggess runs an automated route, using a truck with an arm that grabs a container at the curb, efficiently dumps it and returns it.

“It’s just incredibly easy, honestly, and it’s way less wear and tear on the body,” he said. “There’s a whole lot less risk involved for drivers, and you don’t go home exhausted like you just worked out 10 hours. It’s so much better in every single way.”

Novak also runs an automated trash route, which is especially beneficial in the winter.

“You’re not walking up and down driveways that haven’t been shoveled or salted,” Boggess said. “And it’s so much more efficient. If a traditional route can cover 35 to 40 homes in an hour, an automated one can do 65 or 80. And in denser areas like town homes, you can do as many as 150 in an hour.”

One Novak automated route involves more than 800 stops, “and he’s done by 1 p.m.,” Boggess said. “It makes a very difficult job that’s hard for a lot of people to do much easier, which allows us to keep more drivers and reduce the time trucks are on the road. That’s a benefit for everyone involved.”

The job even becomes kind of fun, he added.

“There’s a joystick in there, so you have a lot more control over everything going on in the truck, and it makes you a better driver,” Boggess said. “At the end of the day, I’m not going home nearly as drained. I’m not dealing as much with the elements. Plus, we’re cutting down on fuel, on emissions and on trucks stopping on the road. Ask anyone who has been behind a truck clogging up traffic, we know it slows you down, so there’s a lot of benefit to automated service all around.”

Automated service works only when customers bring their cans to the curb, though. While not required, it’s highly encouraged and will result in savings for your service. As a driver, Boggess has some tips for residents:

• Face the can toward the street

It’s simple, but as you push the can to the curb, just leave it as is so it opens toward the street.

“Just remember to have the lid open toward the street and you’re good to go,” Boggess said. “If the handle is toward the street, once the lid is more full it can fling garbage back.”

• Leave space, don’t stack

If you have a recycling container, leave it at least a foot apart from the trash container.

“And have them side by side and not stacked behind each other,” Boggess said.

• Try not to overfill

Ideally, the city of Sioux Falls wants your container lids to be closed, so trash and recycling can’t blow out.

“We know they can get a little overfull,” Boggess said. “That’s generally not an issue for the automated truck, unless you start to stack things really crazy.”

Know someone who might be a good fit for a driver role at Novak? The company is always looking for those who want to grow their careers here. Click here to learn more.