The Workers’ Compensation Insurance Rating Bureau of California (WCIRB) has received questions regarding the classification applicable to trash and debris hauling. Specifically, when should these operations be assigned to Classification 7219(1), Trucking Firms, and when does Classification 9403(1), Garbage or Refuse Collecting, apply? 

Classification 7219(1) is a very broad transportation classification that features an N.O.C. or not otherwise classified qualification. The classification applies to hauling customers’ goods under contract, whether for one or more individuals or concerns, when those operations are not more specifically described by another classification. In other words, the customer retains ownership of the goods and is paying for the goods to be transported to a specified destination. Classification 7219(1) includes a footnote directing that the contract hauling and disposal of waste is classified as 9403(1), Garbage or Refuse Collecting. 

Classification 9403(1) applies to the collection of household and commercial waste and the curbside collection of recyclables for transport to transfer stations, material recovery facilities or disposal sites. It also applies to the delivery and pickup of debris boxes, bins and containers, the disposal of waste and the collection of hazardous materials for transport to disposal or processing sites. While Classification 7219(1) involves transporting customers’ goods, Classification 9403(1) involves removing waste, recyclables and similar materials on a fee basis; these materials are no longer owned by the customer but are the garbage or refuse collection employer’s goods once they are collected for recycling or disposal. The customer is paying to have the materials removed and is not paying for them to be transported to a specified location. 

To view the complete classification phraseologies, footnotes and rules pertaining to the classifications referenced here, use the Classification Search or browse the Classification Listings on wcirb.com.