Garbage trucks can be traced all the way back to ancient civilizations when people first realized that they needed to get rid of their trash in an efficient way.
The first garbage trucks would have been simple carts that were pushed around by humans to collect unwanted waste.
As societies grew, the need for waste removal grew with it, and pretty soon the carts became larger and were drawn by horses instead of people.
With the introduction of the car at the turn of the 20th century, garbage trucks became more mechanized.
However, they were still primitive by today’s standards and were no more than pick up trucks with trash being thrown onto the back of the truck.
The covered body trash compactor made its first appearance in the 1930’s and a revolution in waste collection was underway.
Having an enclosed body made it so trash would not fly all over the place and the stench of the garbage would not fill the streets.
Over the subsequent years garbage trucks have evolved to become the efficient pieces of machinery we have today.
In the United States, there are four types of garbage trucks that we see on our roads everyday and each one serves a very particular purpose.
Front Loader Garbage Trucks.
Front loader garbage trucks are used for servicing commercial and industrial businesses by using dumpsters to collect waste materials.
They require massive containers to collect all the garbage from your properties.
These types of trucks are equipped with hydraulically controlled forks on the front of the vehicle which are used by the operator.
The forks are used to lift and dump the contents of the dumpster containers into the vehicle’s hopper.
From sludge to waste from factories, the design of these trucks make it possible to accommodate all types of garbage inside.
Then it’s compacted by a hydraulically actuated packer into the rear of the body.
Most front loaders in the United States will hold up to 40 cubic yards of trash and are capable of lifting containers weighing 8,000 lbs.
The addition of a Curotto Can system also allows the front loader to also be used as an automated side loader enabling the operator to dump residential carts.
This is just one of the many dump trucks that you see wherever you go in our society.
Side Loader Garbage Trucks.
Side loader garbage trucks are used primarily for household waste collection.
There are two variants available in this truck: one with automatic robotic arms that will collect the garbage and second, manually.
The automated side loaders are more expensive, and they require only one operator.
They are loaded from the side with the assistance of an automatic robotic arm that is controlled from inside the cab of the truck.
Lift assist trucks are referred to as automated side loaders (ASL), which only require one operator and can service up to 1,500 homes a day.
This has distinct advantages for efficiency as well as for reducing on the job injuries caused by repetitive lifting.
Because of these benefits, the ASL is becoming increasingly more popular in the waste collection industry.
The manual side loader, as the name implies, is loaded manually from the side by an operator who lifts and dumps the trash into the hopper of the truck.
These trucks are still a staple in the waste collection industry because of their ability to go into areas where an automated truck just can’t.
They can also be outfitted with cart tippers to make them “semi-automated”.
The size of the truck plays a role in deciding the quantity of the waste materials it can carry.
Most of the standard trucks can hold about 30,000 lbs of compacted garbage every day and hold up to 28 cubic yards of garbage.
Some of these trucks are available at a great price if you buy them second-hand.
The manual side loaders will cost less compared to the automated side loaders.
Rear Loader Garbage Trucks.
Rear loader garbage trucks can be used for both residential and commercial trash collection.
This makes them one of the most versatile and popular garbage collection vehicles available.
Rear loaders have a large opening at the rear of the truck where the operator can throw bags of garbage or empty the contents of containers.
Many residential clients keep their garbage inside bags.
No matter what their size is, you can collect plenty of them inside the truck in one day.
Like carrying, these trucks also help in dumping the trash too, thanks to their huge rear opening.
The addition of attachments to the body can assist the operator with dumping heavy containers without having to lift the waste manually.
This can be things such as a cart tipper, kick bar, winch, or a reeving cylinder.
Most rear loader garbage trucks can take trash from as many as 800 to 850 homes.
They have the capacity from 6 to 35 cubic yards and capable of carrying up to 18 tons.
The rear loader garbage truck gets the job done whether big or small.
Roll-Off Trucks.
Roll off trucks are most commonly used for large scale commercial waste removal.
Some examples are for construction and demolition sites or for handling huge recycling materials such as steel and cardboard.
These trucks carry large roll off containers which can be dropped off at a given location.
Then they’re picked up and taken to either a landfill or recycling center once the container has been loaded.
This set up makes the roll off truck ideal for efficiently handling large jobs without leaving the truck idle for long periods of time.
A roll off garbage truck can carry approximately 20,000 lbs, which is equal to 10 tons.
Its sturdy construction makes sure the truck doesn’t get damaged during the pickup and drop off.
Roll offs come in a variety of hoist configurations including reeving cylinder, winch, and hook-lift.
Each of these have their own advantages depending on the situation.
To Conclude.
Garbage trucks are truly engineering marvels that make our lives better, but they’re often overlooked.
Most people don’t value the engineering of garbage trucks.
If you want to grow in your garbage removal business, make sure you choose one of these trucks for higher efficiency of the quantity of the trash they can carry.
So the next time you take your trash out, remember all of the innovation and thought that has gone into making the garbage truck that comes to your street every week.
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