Garbage trucks might all look the same, but choosing the right style of truck can help those offering Rubbish collection Melbourne, or around the world, do their jobs faster and more efficiently. From trucks that require a worker to load waste into a hopper to models that do it all automatically, there are many types of trucks to suit different needs. Whether you’re starting up a new sanitation business or looking to replace your old, rusty equipment, here are the pros and cons of four common types of garbage trucks.
Front Loader
Ubiquitous on big city streets, front-loading garbage trucks are the perfect solution for sanitation services that deal with a large volume of dumpsters. Front-loaders with an automated lift on the front of the truck can grab commercial dumpsters and empty them into the back of the truck. Although front loaders are very efficient, they can be a challenge for residential collection because they can’t pick up small bins.
Rear Loader
A rear-loading garbage truck requires one worker to drive the truck and another to empty bins into the rear of the truck. A rear loader isn’t very efficient if you’re picking up a lot of large dumpsters, but it’s perfect for suburbs and small towns where people use small garbage bins. Rear loaders are also the oldest compacting garbage truck design, which means you can find a wide variety of used and new models on garbage truck sales lots.
Side Loader
If you’re operating in residential areas but want to minimize the number of employees you need, the side-loading garbage truck style is a great option. Side loaders have an arm that picks up bins, empties them and places them back on the curb. This allows one person to operate the truck alone. The main downside of side loaders is that they require more maintenance to keep their additional mechanical parts running.
Roll-off Truck
A roll-off truck can help you if you’re handling garbage removal for construction or demolition sites. This type of garbage truck is much larger than other types of sanitation trucks and features a detachable dumpster that is unloaded at the job site and collected later after it’s filled with debris. However, these heavy-duty trucks can’t fit down city streets so they’re not practical for residential sanitation.
Do you need a truck that can handle recycling? Don’t worry. Most styles of garbage trucks can also collect and process recycling with a few simple modifications like sorting bins to keep different materials separated.
Meghan Belnap is a freelance writer who enjoys spending time with her family. She loves being in the outdoors and exploring new opportunities whenever they arise. Meghan finds happiness in researching new topics that help to expand her horizons. You can often find her buried in a good book or out looking for an adventure. You can connect with her on Facebook right here and Twitter right here.