What should a guard check when a waste truck arrives?
The entry check answers three questions before the boom gate lifts: is this the vehicle and driver we expect, is the paperwork right for what is on board, and is the truck safe to bring on site? Work through the list with the truck stopped at the gate line, engine idling or off as your site rules require, and the driver in the cab unless asked to step out.
| Entry check | What to confirm | OK | Exception |
|---|---|---|---|
| Booking | Vehicle and contractor are on today's booking or approved contractor list | ☐ | ☐ |
| Driver identity | Driver's licence or site pass matches the name on the booking; site induction is current | ☐ | ☐ |
| Vehicle identity | Registration (licence plate) and fleet number match the booking | ☐ | ☐ |
| Waste paperwork | Transport document or manifest present, waste type and quantity match the booking, generator and receiver named | ☐ | ☐ |
| Placards and labels | Dangerous goods or hazmat placards present where the paperwork says the load needs them, and match the declared class | ☐ | ☐ |
| Load security | Tarp, lid or cover fitted; bin locks and tailgate secured; nothing loose on top | ☐ | ☐ |
| Leaks and odour | No liquid dripping from the body, tank valves or bin seals; no unusual smell or smoke | ☐ | ☐ |
| Vehicle condition | Lights, beacon and reversing alarm working; no obvious tyre or body damage | ☐ | ☐ |
| Passengers | Number of people in the cab recorded; all hold site passes or are escorted | ☐ | ☐ |
| Site rules briefed | Speed limit, route, drop or pick-up point, PPE and the no-go areas | ☐ | ☐ |
Weighbridge and load records
Where the site has a weighbridge, the gatehouse is usually where the gross weight is captured on entry and the tare (empty) weight on exit, or the reverse for a collection. The net weight is what gets invoiced and what appears on the waste records, so the guard's job is to make sure the reading belongs to the right truck and job.
| Weighbridge check | OK | Exception |
|---|---|---|
| Truck fully on the deck, driver out of the cab if your procedure requires it | ☐ | ☐ |
| Reading recorded against the correct registration and job number | ☐ | ☐ |
| Weight within the expected range for the booking (large differences referred to the site contact) | ☐ | ☐ |
| Ticket printed or recorded, copy given to the driver | ☐ | ☐ |
What should a guard check when the waste truck leaves?
Exit checks matter as much as entry checks. They confirm the truck is leaving with what it is supposed to take, and that it is not carrying anything off site that it should not.
| Exit check | What to confirm | OK | Exception |
|---|---|---|---|
| Job complete | Site contact or area supervisor has confirmed the drop or collection | ☐ | ☐ |
| Paperwork signed | Manifest or transport document signed where the receiver or generator must sign, and the site copy retained | ☐ | ☐ |
| Load matches | Load covered and secured; nothing on board that was not booked (pallets, scrap metal, equipment) | ☐ | ☐ |
| Spills and contamination | No leaks, no waste stuck to wheels or body that will track onto public roads; wheel wash used if fitted | ☐ | ☐ |
| Exit weight | Second weighbridge reading recorded and net weight calculated | ☐ | ☐ |
| People | Same number of occupants as on entry; site passes returned | ☐ | ☐ |
| Time out | Exit time recorded; time on site reasonable for the job | ☐ | ☐ |
The gate log
| Date | Time in | Time out | Rego / plate | Contractor | Driver | Job / manifest no. | Waste type | Net weight | Exceptions | Guard |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
What counts as an exception, and what happens next?
An exception is anything that does not match: an unbooked truck, a driver without a current induction, paperwork that names a different waste stream, missing or wrong placards, a visible leak, a load heavier or lighter than expected, or an extra passenger. The guard's role is to hold the truck at the gate, not to make the technical call. Hold the vehicle in a safe holding bay clear of traffic, call the named site contact, record what was found and who decided, and only then admit, turn away or escort the truck. A leak or spill is handled under the site's spill procedure, with the area isolated before anyone starts a clean-up.
Common mistakes
- Waving regular contractors through because "it's the same truck every Tuesday".
- Checking paperwork on entry but not on exit, so loads that leave the site are never compared with the booking.
- Weighbridge tickets recorded against the wrong registration.
- Exceptions handled by phone and never written down, so the same contractor repeats them.
- Paper gate logs that nobody reviews until something goes missing.
Step by step
- Stop and identify. Stop the truck at the gate line and confirm the booking, contractor, registration, driver identity and site induction.
- Check paperwork and load. Match the waste transport document or manifest to the booking, then check placards, covers, locks and leaks.
- Weigh and brief. Record the weighbridge reading against the job, brief the driver on route, speed and drop point, and admit the truck.
- Check on exit. Confirm the job is complete, paperwork is signed, the load is covered, there are no spills and the exit weight is recorded.
- Log and escalate. Complete the gate log for every truck; hold any vehicle with an exception and record the site contact's decision.
A worked example
A manufacturing site had four contractors collecting general waste, recycling, liquid trade waste and scrap metal, with security keeping a handwritten gate book. A stocktake found scrap metal volumes leaving site did not line up with production records, and the gate book showed several scrap trucks with no exit weight. The site moved the gate check to a phone checklist with separate entry and exit sections, made a missing exit weight or unsigned docket an action for the environmental coordinator, and reviewed open gate exceptions at the weekly site meeting. Exit weights were then captured for every collection, and the mismatches were traced to one unbooked pick-up that was stopped.