During the winter months, a garbage truck in State College typically picks up about 10,000 to 12,000 pounds of trash a day. In the summer, the amount increases to between 18,000 and 20,000 pounds.
"It's weird how it works," Palmer said.
One of the heaviest times for trash around State College is when students move in and move out. With garbage overflowing from cans, borough workers do their best to get it all.
"We pick up everything we can get a hold of," Palmer said. "You can always tell where the students live."
The job typically starts at 7 a.m. From that point on, drivers are constantly on the move -- walking to the back of houses, lifting garbage cans and loading them into the truck.
"It's a tough job," he said. "Your body has to get used to it."
The trucks used to pick up trash in the borough are not the typical rear-loaders from years ago. No longer is one person driving while others scramble to load trash from behind. The 3-year-old vehicles operated by the borough have a dumpster-like scoop on the front where trash is loaded. When the scoop is full, it is lifted over the cab and dumped into an opening in the top. The new design allows a single person to both drive the truck and collect garbage.
The winter weather does not bother Palmer, who regularly walks through the snow and copes with sub-zero temperatures.
"During the summer it's actually harder on you," he said. "Everything's cooking."
In the cold months of the year, there is little smell to garbage, and there are no insects to deal with.
"Summers are even worse with the smell, the flies and the maggots," Palmer said. "In the winter, you can come in and get warm, but during the summer the air conditioning doesn't work too well because the door is always open."
Palmer said deer season also presents its unique challenges. Residents often leave the remains of a gutted deer out with the trash.
"Some of the things you pick up, you're not sure if they are dead or alive," Palmer said.
Dead deer are not the only strange things he has found in people's trash. On one occasion, someone threw out two trash cans full of crushed grapes.
"Someone was making their own wine," he said.
Although Palmer is able to deal with the sight of any overflowing trashcan or torn garbage bag, some situations are too much.
On Monday, Palmer maneuvered the garbage truck down an alley toward a row of cans, but a blue pickup truck was blocking the containers. Climbing over a snowdrift, Palmer hoisted each can from its position, walked back to the garbage truck and emptied the contents, then walked back to return the can, slowing the process considerably.
"That kind of stuff makes me mad," he said.
Every Monday, Palmer's truck makes its way through town to the Paterno household to pick up trash.
"He's just a normal person," Palmer said. "When [Joe] sees you, he always gives a big wave."
In addition to knowing the neighborhoods, Palmer also knows the dogs in the area, and stops when he has a moment to scratch their heads and say hello.
Palmer smiles, stops the truck at the next house, and pauses to explain why he enjoys his job.
"It's a busy five-day week," he said. "No one bothers you. You know what you have to do. The time just flies by."
Palmer looks forward to the borough ordinance requiring people to bring their garbage to the street for pickup. Residents have the option of leaving their cans by their back door. Although convenient, the person collecting the garbage must walk to the back of each house and empty the cans.
Placing the cans on the street will save the collectors a lot of time, but many people will be upset about the change, Palmer said.
The job is not for older men, he said, commenting on when he plans to find something new.
"What it comes down to is, can I lift 20,000 pounds of trash a day? My body will tell me that," he said.
