- November 1, 2024
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Dave Black hasn't called in sick since 1981.
The Waste Pro roll-out driver has worked in the Palm Coast department for the last 16 years, and, before that, he worked with a waste management company in St. Augustine for 16 years. His dedication and hard work ethic has earned him Waste Pro's $10,000 Safety Award three times: this year, in 2013 and in 2007.
He's gotten sick since the '80s, but never to the point of staying home from work, which is something he takes pride in.
Black said that while this isn't the kind of job one would dream of having as a kid, it's in his blood.
"I was kind of born into the business," Black said. "My dad owned his own garbage companies. ... My dad always told me there’s always going to be garbage. People are always going to need you."
He first stepped onto a garbage truck in the summer of 1977, as a 15-year-old, when he worked for his father's company.
One of the things he enjoys most is the variety of each day, especially in a roll-out driver position, where he goes around to local businesses to collect compactors and large dumpsters.
"I could never do an office job. I’m not that kind of a guy," he said. "When you’re out on the road, there’s always something different every day. ... It’s always paid my bills."
Each day, he clocks in at 5:15 a.m. and works about 11 hours. But it's a stable, dependable job he enjoys.
When Black isn’t working, he likes spending time with his family and riding his 2011 Harley Davidson Fat Boy.
