It’s 4 o’clock in the morning. Draguignan is still asleep. Kevin Motton, 28, and Maxime Arneodo, 22, are with their colleagues at the Pizzorno technical center, boulevard Caussemille. In total, about twenty ripeurs and drivers are gathered, ready to leave to collect waste throughout the Dracénie.
The cold is biting. Coffee in hand, a cigarette smoldering. The discussions are intense, the laughter bursts forth in the silence of the night.
Before departure, a chat will take place. Carried out from time to time, this makes it possible to raise certain problems in the field and to make reminders.
Safety first
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photo">Sometimes Kevin has to backtrack during the tour. He can count on Maxime to guide him.Photo Camille Dodet.
That day, Anne-Sophie Escudié, safety, quality and environment coordinator for the company, was in charge.
“We had a crew victim of an accident, so be ultra-rigorous about wearing seat belts, even at 30km/h, the damage can be significant”she recalls. “Don’t forget to report all the reverses you make using your tablet”recalls Sofiane Bouchemal, operations manager, about this dangerous but sometimes compulsory practice.
Some react, others remain silent.
4:15 a.m. is the time of departure. Maxime and Kevin must ensure a long collection of 46 kilometers. Their 12.5 tonne empty truck can accommodate up to 7.4 tonnes of waste.
That night, Kevin is behind the wheel, Maxime will be picking up.
“I take a tour of the truck to check its condition, that there is no impact on the bodywork and that the lights and horns are working”, he enumerates, inspecting his vehicle.
Everything is in order, it’s time to leave.
A sense of pride
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Day and night, Maxime has to watch over everything. Passers-by who may pass him and especially the cars following him or trying to overtake the truck.Photo Camille Dodet.
The duo goes to the city center and starts collecting on Avenue du Maréchal-Juin.
At each stop, Maxime grabs all the bags lying around on the ground. For each container, the young man, with his year and a half of experience, is in automatic mode.
He places it, activates the lift; at the sound, he knows if the bin is empty and puts it back on the sidewalk. For large skips, Maxime applies and removes the wheel brakes with his foot at lightning speed.
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On his step, Maxime watches over the grain so as not to forget any bag or trash can. He sometimes ducks to avoid tree branches.Photo Camille Dodet.
“I like my job, it is physical and I need it to move so that I feel good”, explains the young man. “I always thought I was going to try, I loved it and I stayed.”
Beyond the physical side of the job, it requires constant concentration. “I have to take care of everything: the truck is wide, long and high, so I have to be careful of the trees you pass under. Trees are treacherous”says Kevin.
They arrive at a point in the Chabran district: around fifteen dumpsters are waiting for them. Kevin descends from the cabin to help Maxime. In a few minutes, the case is packed. They leave.
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From 4 a.m. to around 10 a.m., the two men criss-cross the main roads of Draguignan.Photo Camille Dodet.
On his running board, Maxime sometimes does squats. “It’s not to stretch me”he jokes. “It’s to avoid getting branches in my face.”
The young man must be constantly aware of his surroundings. “There are cars, but also pedestrians, and you have to spot all the trash cans and some hidden bags, so you don’t forget anything.”
In the cabin, a red light begins to flash. Kevin stops immediately.
“It is Maxime who has just informed me that there is a problem”he says, staring into his right mirror. “I have to keep eye contact with him at all times for security reasons.”
Nothing serious this time, there was one bag left to pick up.
The collection continues. In a suburban street, a resident hands a bag to Maxime. “It doesn’t happen that much in real life”he summarizes. “Our main interactions with people are the motorists who gravitate around us.”
“During confinement, we had lots of messages of support posted on the trash cans“, recalls Kevin. “We feel that the image of our profession has changed in the eyes of people.”
“And then, we are essential”, recalls Maxime. “I am proud to see my city clean every day and to take part in it every day”. A feeling shared by Kevin.
The hours pass, the sun begins to shine. Except for a few cars and early morning dog walkers, the streets are empty.
“We see the city come to life”breathes Kevin, on the lookout. “From 7:45 a.m., traffic is very heavy with children being dropped off at school and arriving at work”. On this morning of school holidays, the duo is relieved.
In a residence, the two men take a short break. They turn off the truck and smoke a cigarette. “We are not too late on the program”smiled Kevin.
“We will finish on time”, whispers Maxime. Five minutes later, they leave.
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Just by the sound, Kevin knows if the dumpster has properly emptied into the truck. Photo Camille Dodet.
A personal life on the spur of the moment
“I discovered a passion for the siesta”, laughs Kevin Motton. With staggered schedules and a day that starts early in the morning, it’s easy to believe it. A practice that Maxime does not necessarily share. “It really depends on how tired I am”he says without much conviction.
“We love our job and what it represents, but it is true that staggered hours are a whole organization”, adds Kevin. When the alarm clock rings, it displays three in the morning for the Dracénois. “The time for breakfast, to drink an orange juice and to wash up, it’s already time to leave”, describes Kevin. “We always arrive a little early to be able to drink coffee with colleagues”explains Maxime.
At 4 a.m. sharp, the tour begins. The duo will have to continue until around 11 a.m., once the truck has been emptied, cleaned and returned. “When I get home, I go to the shower, I eat and I go for a nap”he continues. “But no more than an hour and a half, otherwise after that I’m completely fucked up and I have trouble sleeping at night.”
Five or six hour nights
“I don’t necessarily eat, I listen to myself a lot”explains Maxime. “The nap is optional, but usually I do whatever I have to do and see my buddies at that time.”
Because the day goes by quickly. “I usually go to bed around 9:30-10 p.m.”he adds. “That makes me a night of about five to six hours.” Not much either. “When the weekend arrives, we are very happy”he smiles.
For Kevin, the organization is even more subtle. “I have three training sessions a week with the Draguignan football club”, he says, to which is added the league or cup match at the weekend. “Hence the importance of my naps”he quips, looking at Maxime.
“Once I get home from football, I go to bed and the next day, it starts again at 3 am”, explains Kevin.
But what about social life? “It’s clear that we can’t go out with our friends in the evening and party until late at night with work starting at four in the morning”concedes Maxime. “Afterwards it’s a matter of habit and organization and we do things on weekends and during the holidays”continues Kevin.
“And frankly, for my part, I love my job”, concludes Maxim. “I can’t see myself doing anything else.”
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When there are a lot of dumpsters to empty at a specific location, Kevin systematically gets out of the truck to lend a hand to Maxime.Photo Camille Dodet.
In numbers
7.4 tons. This is the weight that the bed of the truck driven by Kevin can accommodate.
12.55 tons. This is the empty weight of the truck used for collection. The machine, which runs on natural gas, is 3.6m high, about 8m long and 2.5m wide.
46km. This is the number of kilometers traveled to pick up waste on this collection.
