By Denise Rondini
Described by many as the toughest vehicle application, some refuse trucks can make as many as 1,200 stops a day. This demanding work cycle, while hard on the vehicle and its body, presents service and parts sales opportunities.
“What you have is a rapid application of the brake and heavy use of the throttle as the vehicle jumps forward a few feet at a time to the next collection point,” according to Steve Gitner, vocational products marketing manager, Mack Trucks, Inc.
The vehicle also starts out empty and works its way to full, unlike many other applications that are operating either empty or full.
The refuse application is rather unique in that its fuel economy is measured in terms of gallons per hour and the irregular cycles make it difficult to optimize fuel economy.
Another thing that makes the application unique is the variety of trash it picks up – everything from concrete to household garbage with liquids in it, explains Joel Barnes, training facilitator, Heil Environmental.
Today’s refuse hauler has a variety of choices when it comes to truck bodies. To begin with there is the basic rear-load application. “This truck is very elementary. You have basic hydraulics running through a couple of valves and some cylinders,” says Jim Lindstedt, general manager of Mid Atlantic Waste Systems, Baltimore metro branch. Mid Atlantic is a Heil dealer with six locations in Virginia, Maryland and Pennsylvania.
“The front-end loader picks up an average of 100 containers a day and makes two to three daily trips to the landfill or transfer station,” explains Ray Leary, service manager of Mid Atlantic’s Chesapeake, Va. location. “This unit requires the body’s moving parts including the arms, forks and blades to be greased every 40 hours of machine operation,” he says.
The automated side loaders use a hydraulic arm to pick up, dump and reset trash cans. According to Lindstedt, they are integrated with two independent circuits that are air-over-hydraulic and are tied into a programmable logic control (PLC). They have more pivot points than the other types of vehicles and require lubrication on a daily basis.
Barnes explains that missing a greasing can be especially devastating with automated equipment because of the close tolerances. “Running without grease in an arm joint can cause damage because we are talking about 3,000 arm movements a day,” he says. “A rear loader has a duty cycle of about 300 cycles a day, while a side loader cycles 3,000 times a day because it picks up a can at every stop. They normally pick up garbage at 1,000 homes a day.”
One of the highest cost items on refuse vehicles are tires because of the stop-and-go nature of the application and the turning in tight quarters, combined with the rough access to landfills, according to Gitner. “Tires are the number one maintenance item so encourage drivers to check tire pressure every day and to inspect tires for unusual damage.
“The second item is brakes because the vehicle is stopping so frequently. Brake wear is expensive and brake shoes and drums have to be replaced constantly.”
The good news for operators of refuse vehicles is that with the proper maintenance a refuse vehicle can have a long life. “All units are going to have wear items that have to be inspected and replaced prior to wearing through and damaging the structure of the unit,” says Leary.
According to Gitner, Mack has A, B, C and D recommended maintenance intervals for its vehicles used in refuse applications. The A service is a light inspection that should happen at 150 hours or 45 days. The B service is a detailed review at 300 hours or about 90 days. The C maintenance should take place twice a year, while the D service is a once-a-year comprehensive inspection and adjustment.
Leary explains that all packer blades ride on wear strips or bearings. “If these items are monitored and replaced prior to failure, it is fairly basic repair. However, if the unit is operated until these wear items are gone and the machine’s structure is damaged, then the repairs become more involved.”
Some common items that need to be replaced on refuse vehicles include limit switches and proximity switches. Automatic units have rubber belts for squeezing the containers to pick them up and they have a fairly high wear rate. In addition, all waste vehicles have hydraulic hoses. Make sure to inspect these items to see that they are routed properly and secured.
Rob Goodwin, parts sales associate at Mid Atlantic’s Easton location believes that parts people need to help the customer fill all his parts needs. “If a customer calls to order side rollers for an eject panel, we know he also will need the roller retaining plates, bolts and lock washers. If he orders a hydraulic filter, nine times out of 10 he also is going to need new O-rings and gaskets.”
If you expect to service refuse vehicles, be aware that refuse customers work their vehicles on four-day schedules and expect service work to be completed on the vehicle’s off day. “They expect their service provider to come to them or to be able to bring their equipment in on the days the vehicle is not scheduled,” Barnes says. “In addition, they expect you to keep in stock whatever parts they may need, and to be able to turn the truck around in one day.”
Barnes adds, “There is an urgency to this business that you don’t see in a lot of other businesses. When a garbage truck is down for two or three days, the garbage stays stacked at the curb and we all know what garbage does when it sits.”
While operator’s of refuse vehicles may be demanding, the refuse market is a good one to get involved with for no other reason then the fact that refuse vehicles have long lives. After five years of operation, a major service includes replacing the main bearings, rod bearings, oil pump, adjusting valves and installing fuel injectors. Once that service is performed, refuse vehicles often can last for another five years.
What to Stock?
If you plan to serve the refuse market, you must stock a variety of parts including:
- Air actuators
- Seal kits
- Air solenoid valves
- Filters and oil
- Breathers
- Proximity switches
- Toggle switches
- Circuit breakers
- Limit switches
- Micro relays
- Pressure switches
- Brake parts
- Wiper blades
- Bushings
- Pins
- Replacement tarps
- Tarp straps
- Casters
- Container parts
