CPWM Waste Collection and Transportation Practices 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which factor most significantly increases the rollover risk for a rear-loading collection truck during operation?
- Driving on freshly paved roads
- High center of gravity from a top-heavy compacted load combined with sharp turns (Correct answer)
- Reduced tire pressure from extended route duration
- Frequent stopping and starting on flat terrain
Correct answer: High center of gravity from a top-heavy compacted load combined with sharp turns
A compacted, top-heavy load dramatically raises the vehicle's center of gravity, making sharp turns or uneven surfaces hazardous rollover scenarios.
Question 2: What is the primary regulatory concern with transporting liquid waste in an open-top roll-off container?
- Increased vehicle fuel consumption due to weight
- Risk of spillage violating 49 CFR bulk packaging and non-bulk packaging standards (Correct answer)
- Difficulty in manifesting the load at the transfer station
- Reduced container lifespan from liquid corrosion
Correct answer: Risk of spillage violating 49 CFR bulk packaging and non-bulk packaging standards
Open-top containers carrying liquid waste risk spillage during transport, violating DOT packaging and bulk liquid transport regulations under 49 CFR.
Question 3: A collection program implements RFID tags on residential carts. What is the primary operational benefit?
- Automatic billing adjustment based on set-out frequency and container weight (Correct answer)
- Reduction in vehicle maintenance costs
- Improved driver safety scores
- Compliance with EPA reporting requirements for recycling rates
Correct answer: Automatic billing adjustment based on set-out frequency and container weight
RFID-equipped carts enable pay-as-you-throw (PAYT) billing by automatically recording each set-out event and, when combined with onboard scales, the weight collected.
Question 4: Under the DOT Hazardous Materials Regulations, a placard is required on a transport vehicle when the quantity of a hazardous material reaches:
- Any amount, regardless of weight
- 1,001 lbs (454 kg) gross weight in most hazard classes (Correct answer)
- 5,000 lbs or more for all classes
- Only when transporting radioactive materials
Correct answer: 1,001 lbs (454 kg) gross weight in most hazard classes
For most hazard classes, DOT requires placards when a vehicle carries 1,001 lbs or more of hazardous material, though some categories require placards in any quantity.
Question 5: Which collection system design best reduces contamination in a single-stream recycling program?
- Providing larger carts to encourage more materials to be placed in recycling
- Implementing clear resident education paired with visible container color-coding (Correct answer)
- Increasing collection frequency to twice weekly
- Switching to drop-off only collection to give residents more time to sort
Correct answer: Implementing clear resident education paired with visible container color-coding
Resident education combined with distinctive container color-coding consistently outperforms other strategies in reducing contamination in single-stream programs.
Question 6: What is the purpose of a 'tare weight' record in waste collection operations?
- To document the total weight of waste collected per route
- To establish the empty vehicle weight so net payload can be calculated at the scale (Correct answer)
- To record the maximum legal load limit posted on the vehicle
- To track the cumulative weight collected over a billing cycle
Correct answer: To establish the empty vehicle weight so net payload can be calculated at the scale
Tare weight is the known empty weight of a vehicle; subtracting it from the gross weight at the scale yields the net weight of waste collected.
Question 7: A collection manager discovers that one route consistently requires 2 extra hours to complete compared to similar routes. The FIRST analytical step should be:
- Immediately hire an additional driver for that route
- Compare the route's stop count, distance, container sizes, and terrain with peer routes to identify the root cause (Correct answer)
- Reassign the route to the most experienced driver
- Reduce the number of stops on the route by splitting it
Correct answer: Compare the route's stop count, distance, container sizes, and terrain with peer routes to identify the root cause
A systematic root-cause analysis comparing the route's parameters against similar routes is essential before implementing any operational change.
CPWM Waste Collection and Transportation Practices 5
Which factor most significantly increases the rollover risk for a rear-loading collection truck during operation?