The SWANA ROAD-E-O mission is to provide operators of solid waste collection and landfill equipment an opportunity to showcase their skills. This is done at a one-day event during which contestants operate various solid waste collection trucks and landfill equipment on different courses in the field and are scored according to their proficiency, with 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners recognized. It is an opportunity for operators to not only compete with other operators, but to provide them an opportunity to network with operators in the region from other companies or entities.
In addition, contestants placing first or second in the regional competition will be eligible to attend the SWANA International Road-E-O to be held in the Fall 2025, to compete against and network with contestants from across the US and Canada. At the 2024 International Road-E-O, five (5) competitors from the SWANA Mid-Atlantic chapter placed in the top 3 in their respective events, including wins in the Articulated Truck and Rear Loader competitions.
The Mid-Atlantic Chapter is the overall sponsor for the Regional Road-E-O, which includes our neighboring chapters to the north: Pennsylvania and New Jersey. The actual event will be hosted by Maryland Environmental Service at its Midshore II Regional Solid Waste Facility located in Ridgely, MD.
Maryland Environmental Service is finalizing its planning of the event. The Thursday evening dinner (May 15th) will be held at the Denton American Legion. On Friday, May 16th, the Midshore II landfill will host equipment, truck, and mechanic competitions as well as a continental breakfast, lunch, and awards ceremony. Event registration will once again be supported by the Keystone Chapter via their website: https://keystoneswana.org/road-e-o/
Registration is now open for contestants, volunteers, and attendees!
Mark your calendars for May 15-16, 2025 AND begin to decide to have or to recruit members of your field staff to participate in the contests. The contests at the May event will include the following (assuming a minimum number of three registrants for each category):
- Heavy landfill equipment
- Landfill compactor
- Track dozer
- Rubber-tired front-end loader
- Articulated dump truck
- Trucks
- Front-end loader
- Rear-end loader
- Transfer Trailer
- Roll-off
In addition to contestants, we will need volunteers on-site May 16, 2025, in order to conduct the event:
– To assist the host Maryland Environmental Service as needed
– To lay out the courses
– To judge the contestants on the courses
– To tally scores (two volunteers already)
– To be score sheet runners
– To be “gophers”
In addition to contestants and volunteers, we will need sponsors, who will receive various levels of advertising/recognition, depending on the sponsorship levels, which is detailed in a form attached to this newsletter. If you know of any vendor or company who services the solid waste management industry and may be interested in sponsoring the Road-E-O, please contact them. If unwilling or unable to contact them, send their names and contact information to Cory Daviau (cdaviau@menv.com).
We will also be preparing swag giveaway bags for the contestants, so any suitable items for field personnel would be appreciated, but are not needed until early May.
For more information or questions on the Road-E-O, or to volunteer, contact Eric Frase (efrase@menv.com) or Gary Lasako (glasako@menv.com).
With the assistance of all Mid-Atlantic Chapter members, such as allowing and recruiting your agencies’ operators to register and participate, volunteering to serve on the Committee and/or at the event, sponsoring the Road-E-O, contacting potential sponsors (or forwarding their names), donating raffle items or swag giveaways, etc., the SWANA Mid-Atlantic Regional Road-E-O on May 15-16, 2025 can once again be a resounding success.