Dave was hired to work on the trucks for the summers of 1969 and 1970. At the time, he worked with other island employees Norman Stone, Carl Nickerson, Wayne Thompson, Wes Rice, Harlen Rice, and Royce Randlett. There were three trucks and one fire engine on the island at that time for the workers to use. For the job, Dave would wake up every day at 6 A.M. to have Carl Nickerson pick him up and drive him down to the Nellie Dock to meet the 7 A.M. boat. Dave's main tasks included luggage and grocery deliveries, in addition to milk deliveries several days per week. He was not involved in garbage work while he worked for the island.

Dave also delivered tanks of oil around the island. His sister, Janet Danforth, recalls that Dave used to carry two heavy barrels of oil, with one on each shoulder. However, Carl Nickerson would tell him to "slow it down," so that the islanders wouldn't expect more from them.

Dave's favorite part of the job was delivering luggage, that way he could keep track of who had arrived and who had left the island. In turn, his least favorite part of the job was dealing with "unruly islanders." He said he came across quite a few. Whenever an islander was difficult with them, fellow employee Carl Nickerson would have a "short and sweet" response. "He was not afraid to say what was on his mind" Dave recalls.