IBC Totes RecoYork, PA · Since 2009info@ibctotesreco.comContact Us
Careers

It is loud, it is wet, and the work actually matters

We are not going to pretend this is a tech campus. It is a yard in York County where 180 containers a day get rescued from the waste stream by people who know what they are looking at.

Request line

Apply here

Put the role in the message box, quantity 1, and anything you want us to know. A person reads every one.

Business or personal — disposable addresses are rejected
US or Canada only — 10 digits including area code
Two letters — must match the postal code
US ZIP (17406 or 17406-1234) or Canadian (K1A 0B1)
Whole units, 1 – 100,000

Required fields are marked *. We reply by email only — this company runs no phone line, which keeps every quote written down and traceable. Your details are never sold or shared.

Usually open

Five roles we hire for

We recruit year-round for the first two and seasonally for the rest. No agency submissions.

Full time · hourly

Wash line operator

Run the lance, dose the chemistry, read the backlight. You will learn more about polymer chemistry from residue behaviour than most people learn in a classroom. Training is on the job; caustic handling certification is on us.

Shift6:30 AM – 3:00 PM
ExperienceNone required
PhysicalRepeated 50 lb lifts
Full time · hourly

Yard hand / forklift

Move, stack, stage and load. We will certify you on counterbalance and reach if you are not already. Winter is cold and summer is hot; the crew looks after each other.

Shift7:00 AM – 4:30 PM
ExperienceForklift preferred
PhysicalOutdoor, all weather
Full time · salaried

Inbound inspector

The most consequential job in the building. You assign the grade, and the grade is final — nobody in sales can overturn it. Suits people who are comfortable saying no to money.

Shift7:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Experience2+ yrs packaging / QC
Key traitStubbornness
Full time · CDL A

Flatbed driver

Mid-Atlantic lanes, home most nights, no hazmat endorsement needed for the majority of loads. Securement matters — a tier of totes is light, tall and keen to move.

LanesPA / MD / NJ / NY / OH
Home timeMost nights
EndorsementsCDL A; hazmat a plus
Full time · salaried

Inside sales & dispatch

Everything in writing, all day. You will quote grades, build loads, chase declarations and tell customers things they would rather not hear. Clear writing is the whole skill.

Shift7:30 AM – 4:30 PM
ExperienceB2B or logistics
Key traitWrites plainly

See where you would work

The facility walk-through, bay by bay — including the wash line you would be running.

Open

What we offer

  • Hourly rates above the York County warehouse median, reviewed every spring.
  • Medical, dental and vision after 60 days; employer-matched retirement at 4%.
  • Paid certification for forklift, reach truck, caustic handling and CDL upgrades.
  • Boot and outerwear allowance, because the yard is outdoors and Pennsylvania has weather.
  • Overtime at time and a half, offered rather than assigned, and never mandatory on Saturdays.
  • No rotating shifts. You work the same hours every week.

What we expect

  • You tell us when something is wrong, immediately, even when it is your mistake.
  • You never re-grade a container to clear a backlog.
  • You wear the PPE without being asked twice.
  • You treat the drivers, the brokers and the walk-ins the same way.

How to apply

Use the form at the top of this page. Put the role in the message box with anything you want us to know — previous yards, certifications, availability. If you would rather write properly, email info@ibctotesreco.com with “Careers” in the subject line.

We reply to everyone, usually within three business days. Shortlisted applicants come to the yard for a walk-through and a half-hour conversation; for the operator and yard roles we will put you in boots and have you watch a wash cycle, because about one person in four decides at that point that it is not for them, and that is a perfectly good outcome for both sides.

No agencies. We have never filled a role through one and we are not going to start.

Equal opportunity

We hire on the work. No consideration is given to race, colour, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, veteran status or genetic information, and we will make reasonable adjustments for anyone who needs them to do the job.

Curious about the company before you apply? Start with our story.

What the work involves

The datasets you would be working from

Nobody asks about these at interview and everybody uses them daily. Read them before you apply and you will be ahead of most candidates.

≈ 180units through the wash line per daythree bays
30,000units across the inspection bench per yearfour minutes each
14inspection points per unitsame sequence every time
100named prior products to learnand what each does to a bottle
Norotating shifts — same hours every weekovertime offered, never assigned
0roles ever filled through an agencyand we are not going to start
Wash programmes — what an operator runs
Wash programmes — temperature, chemistry, cycle time and relative cost
CodeProgrammeTemperatureChemistryCycleRelative costSuits
P1Ambient flood rinseAmbientProcess water, occasional mild alkaline90 sec1.0×Water-miscible residues
P2Hot detergent140°FAlkaline detergent 1.5–2.5%3 min2.2×Oils, fats, filming products
P3Caustic clean-in-place160–180°FNaOH 2–4% + surfactant6–9 min4.5×Pigments, latex, resins, heavy concentrates
PFFood line (Bay 1)140°FAlkaline detergent 2% + 100% hydrostatic3 min + test3.1×Documented edible prior service
RefusedNot accepted————Unknown, acute, labelled-destruction, radiological
Failure modes — what an inspector is looking for
Failure modes on the inspection bench — 10 distinguishable causes
ModeCauseWhat it looks likeRecoverable?PreventionFrequency
UV embrittlementUnshaded outdoor storageChalky, boardy, higher-pitched tapNoCover or shade itMost common
Stress whitening at the radiusOver-fill, freeze, uneven groundWhite crackled lower cornersNoLevel pad, respect max gross massCommon
Plasticisation & ghostingPigment, resin, solvent absorptionPermanent shadow when backlitRebottleMatch chemistry to materialCommon
Freeze damageLeft full and sealedBulged panel, split seam, blown bossSometimes fittings onlyDrain or 2/3 fill, vented lidSeasonal spike
Valve boss crackingUnsupported pump or rigid pipeStar crazing at the boss rootNo — rebottleSupport the pump separatelyAvoidable
Impact punctureForklift tine, drop, collisionHole or deep gougeNoHandling disciplineRare
Cage rackingSoft ground, foot impact, over-fillDiagonals differ by > 1/2"Jig if under 1/2"Level load-bearing padCommon
Weld node crackingFatigue, previous field weldRust bloom then crackNoNever field-weld a cageOccasional
Pallet rot / delaminationTimber base outdoorsSoft bearers, split deckReplace baseSpecify steel or compositeVery common
Seal failureCompression set, wrong elastomer, reuseWeeping at the boss or lidYes — new sealReplace at every product change71% of reports
Grade matrix — the call an inspector makes, in writing
Grades A, B and C against cage-only — what each one permits
Grade AGrade BGrade CCage / pallet only
Bottle clarityClear / near-clearHaze & staining permittedGhosting permittedn/a
Prior serviceDocumented edible, signed at sourceIndustrial, declaredIndustrial, declaredAny declared
Wash programmeFood line, recordedProgramme to residue, recordedAmbient rinseCage rinse only
Hydrostatic test100% of unitsSampledSampledn/a
New valve & gasketsYes, FDA-compliantYesSound or newn/a
New lidYesYesSound or newn/a
Re-markedYesYesWhere the plate survivesNo
Stackable when filled2 high2 highNon/a
30-day leak warrantyYesYesNo — watertight at loadingNo warranty
Food / potableYes, with recordsNoNon/a
Cost vs new≈ 35–45%≈ 25–32%≈ 18–24%≈ 5–10%
Lead timeEx-stock to 5 daysEx-stockEx-stockEx-stock
Loop score (lives left)5–64–52–33–4 bottles
Freight lanes — what a driver runs
Transit from York, PA — 25 lanes
DestinationDistanceTransitModeEquipmentBackhaul pricing
Harrisburg / Lancaster, PA35 miSame dayFlatbed / vanOwnFrequent
York / Hanover, PA12 miSame dayFlatbedOwnDaily
Philadelphia, PA95 miSame dayFlatbed / vanOwnDaily
Allentown / Reading, PA80 miSame dayFlatbedOwnFrequent
Pittsburgh, PA200 miNext dayFlatbedOwnTwice weekly
Baltimore, MD60 miSame dayFlatbed / vanOwnDaily
Washington, DC95 miSame dayVanOwnFrequent
Northern NJ / NYC175 miNext dayVanOwnFrequent
Wilmington, DE75 miSame dayFlatbedOwnWeekly
Richmond, VA230 miNext dayFlatbedOwnWeekly
Norfolk, VA300 mi1–2 daysFlatbedOwnOccasional
Buffalo / Rochester, NY300 mi1–2 daysFlatbedOwnWeekly
Columbus, OH390 mi1–2 daysFlatbedOwnCommon
Cleveland, OH350 mi1–2 daysFlatbedOwnOccasional
Charlotte, NC450 mi2 daysFlatbedPartnerOccasional
Atlanta, GA700 mi2–3 daysFlatbedPartnerRare
Chicago, IL650 mi2 daysFlatbedPartnerOccasional
Detroit, MI450 mi2 daysFlatbedPartnerOccasional
Boston / New England400 mi2 daysVanPartnerOccasional
Nashville, TN700 mi2–3 daysFlatbedPartnerRare
Dallas / Houston, TX1,450 mi3–4 daysFlatbedPartnerRare
Denver, CO1,700 mi4 daysFlatbedPartnerNo
Phoenix, AZ2,200 mi5 daysFlatbedPartnerNo
California2,700 mi5–6 daysFlatbedPartnerNo
Pacific Northwest2,700 mi5–6 daysFlatbedPartnerNo
Documents — what inside sales produces
Documents we issue — 14 of them, as standard rather than on request
DocumentWhat it containsWhen you get it
Written quotationUnit price by grade, freight as its own line, validity, and the conditions that would change itBefore you order
Grade certificateAssigned grade against our published definitions, per unit serialWith the order
Leak & pressure test recordTest pressure, hold time, outcome, per serialWith the order
Hydrostatic test certificate100% of food-line units, recorded against serialFood-grade orders
Prior-contents declarationNamed last product, generating site, signatureAnything we collected
Wash programme recordBay, programme, temperature, chemistry, cycle timeReconditioned & contract work
Rinse verificationFinal-rinse pH and conductivityReconditioned & contract work
Component specificationValve, gasket, lid materials with compliance referencesFood-grade orders
Photograph setThe actual units on the rack before loadingEvery order
Weight ticketCertified-scale gross weight and countCollections and cleanouts
Diversion certificateUnit counts, weights by stream, destination routes, datesEnd-of-life batches
Certificate of insuranceGL, auto, cargo, workers' comp; additional insuredBefore a crew arrives
Reconditioner marking detailCode, date, design typeRe-marked units
Lease scheduleCount, grade, dates, weekly rate, return condition, replacement chargeLeases
Standards — what compliance works to
Standards and regulations that govern this trade — 18 references
ReferenceTitleWhat it coversWho it binds
49 CFR 172.101Hazardous materials tableClassification and authorised packaging referenceShippers
49 CFR 172 Subpart HTrainingWho must be trained, in what, how often, with recordsAny hazmat employer
49 CFR 173Shippers — general requirements by classWhether an IBC is authorised for your entryShippers
49 CFR 178 Subpart NIBC design types, testing and markingWhat the plate means and how it was earnedMakers, reconditioners
49 CFR 180.352Periodic inspection, testing, repair & remanufacture2.5-year visual, 5-year leakproofness + full inspectionOwners, shippers
40 CFR 261.7RCRA empty containersWhen a container counts as empty; P-list triple rinseGenerators
40 CFR 262Generator standardsWaste determination, manifesting, accumulationGenerators
21 CFR 177.1520Olefin polymersHDPE compliance for food contactFood users
21 CFR 177.2600Rubber articles for repeated useGasket and seal compliance for food contactFood users
21 CFR 110 / 117Good manufacturing practiceHandling, storage, sanitation programmesFood users
NSF/ANSI 61Drinking water system componentsPotable-contact material evaluationWater utilities
29 CFR 1910.1200Hazard communicationWorkplace labelling and safety data sheetsEveryone
29 CFR 1910.146Permit-required confined spacesEntry into tanks and vesselsAnyone cleaning containers
29 CFR 1910.178Powered industrial trucksForklift operation and certificationYards and docks
ANSI/ITSDF B56.1Low-lift and high-lift trucksCapacity ratings and load centresYards and docks
ANSI MH16.1Steel storage rackingBeam capacity, deflection, inspectionWarehouses
PA Title 25 Ch. 95Wastewater treatment requirementsIndustrial discharge standards in PennsylvaniaWash lines
ISPM-15Wood packaging in international tradeHeat treatment and marking of timber palletsExporters
Honest description

What each day actually contains

A day, by role
RolePhysical demandEnvironmentThe hard partThe good part
Wash line operatorRepeated 50 lb lifts, standingWet, loud, 140–180°F circuitsCaustic discipline and concentration titrationYou learn polymer chemistry from residue behaviour
Yard hand / forkliftOutdoor, all weatherOpen yard, stone hardstandFebruary, honestlyNobody watches you work; the crew looks after each other
Inbound inspectorWalking, bending, lifting lidsCovered bench, open gateSaying no to money, in writing, weeklyThe most consequential job in the building
Flatbed driverSecurement, tarpingMid-Atlantic lanesTall light loads in a crosswindHome most nights; no hazmat endorsement needed for most loads
Inside sales & dispatchDeskOfficeTelling customers things they would rather not hearEverything in writing means nothing is ambiguous