What is a Road-E-O

SWANA has a long standing tradition of educating and showcasing the achievements of its members.

The Road-e-o is a great opportunity for the “front-line” employees in the solid waste management field - truck drivers, heavy equipment operators and mechanics - to obtain education through formal training and networking. The Road-e-o also gives these front-line employees a chance to display their on-the-job skills in a competitive arena.

Almost every SWANA Chapter holds an annual Chapter (state) Road-e-o. Competitors from both the public and private sector are welcome to participate, as long as someone within their organization is a SWANA member.

The weekend event usually starts on a Friday afternoon with classroom instruction – for truck drivers this includes a commercial driver license (CDL) refresher, followed by a written exam with questions from the refresher. After the classroom instruction and written exam, each driver must complete a pre-trip inspection on the type of vehicle in which they will be competing.

A roll off truck maneuvering through an obstacle

There are five (5) different truck categories, covering all aspects of solid waste collection and transfer. They are rear loader, side loader, front loader, roll off and tractor trailer.

A front end loader maneuvering through an obstacle

For heavy equipment operators, the Friday afternoon also consists of classroom instruction focusing on safety. Pre-trip inspections follow the classroom instruction.

There are four (4) different heavy equipment categories, covering all aspects of landfill and transfer operations. They are front end loader, scraper, dozer and compactor.

Friday night is usually reserved for a casual welcome reception. This provides a networking opportunity for the competitors, judges, and the hosting community.

Early the next morning and throughout the day on Saturday is the competition. Truck drivers and heavy equipment operators have two separate tracks. The tracks are essentially courses where the drivers or operators run through a series of obstacles to determine those with the best time and score. Some examples of obstacles on the truck driving course include parallel parking and alley back parking.

Saturday evening is reserved for the awards banquet dinner. This is when the competitors find out how they performed over the course of the two days. A first, second and third place winner is acknowledged with a trophy for their achievement. The winners are determined by the highest combined score of their pre-trip examination and driving/operating skills, and for truck drivers, their written exam score is also added.

The first and second winners of each category of truck, heavy equipment and the winning mechanic in the Chapter Road-e-o are able to go on and compete at the International Road-e-o.  This pits state against state.

As with all SWANA events, there is a high level of professionalism. The Road-e-o is one of the only events strictly for the front line employees. The friendly rivalry, networking and educational component makes the Road-e-o a winning combination!

Example truck driver test