Garbage collection is a serious business matter and its segregation, storage, collection and disposal has a tremendous effect on the overall health and wellness of the general public as well as the environment as a whole.

Solid waste can be categorized in different ways depending on the type of garbage being produced by the population. This does include bulk trash which can be defined as garbage that is large and does not fit into residential garbage containers. Though bulk trash is one of the growing problems in metropolitan areas, the local governments are trying to respond positively to its disposal.

New Methods Improve Collection Efforts

Metropolitan areas see the importance of bulk trash haulers in maintaining and keeping municipalities clean and free of solid waste materials. The old-fashioned way of collecting bulk refuse has been replaced with the use of grapple trucks. Garbage collectors will no longer have to heave the trash can over their shoulders into the garbage truck, which is very time-consuming. These trucks and trash cans have been replaced by the use of a knuckle boom grapple truck to pick up everyday garbage and bulk items to be put inside the dump truck bed. The versatility of this vehicle is extremely beneficial for bulk waste collection.

Definition of Grapple Truck

A grapple truck as used in waste management collection systems is defined as a utility vehicle that has a claw–like apparatus attached on a knuckle-boom which is mounted on the truck frame. It has a hydro-mechanical device that allows the claw to rotate around the axis for the ease of garbage collection.

Types of Bulk Waste Management Collection Systems:

Transfer - This system consists of a transfer station and high-volume hauling trucks which carry the refuse to the transportation site. Waste is loaded by the grapple loader into the collection vehicle. When it is full, the waste materials are transferred into a hauling truck for final disposal.

Loader and Body - In terms of deftness in handling large volumes of garbage materials, the loader and body system can load, transport, and dump trash without difficulty. This configuration requires less labor because it only needs one operator for collection. The loader and body system have a clamshell bucket that can be detached for convenience and versatility. This vehicle is excellent for roadside clean-ups and in clearing drainage and waterways.

Rear Mounted Loader and Trailer - Another prototype of this type of vehicle is the combination of a rear mounted loader and a trailer. The loader is attached at the rear of a short truck by means of a pivot. The trailer is also connected directly to the rear of the carrier for easy garbage hauling. When the trailer is full it can be detached from the rear connection and then be attached to a towing vehicle which will bring the trailer to its final destination.

Roll-off – This system features portable storage bin lifters that are mounted on the vehicle. They will carry custom roll-off standard containers that fit the bin lifters. The grapple loader is also mounted behind the truck to perform more efficient large volume garbage hauling. When the roll-off container is full, it is delivered and dropped to a staging area.

Rear Mounted Loader and Haul Truck - This type of waste collection system is composed of a garbage transport vehicle and a separate grapple loader. It collects the refuse by means of a claw which is mounted on the back of another truck cab. The removal of solid waste can be easily managed by this technique. One thing to remember about this type of machine is that the bulk waste is loaded into separate haul trucks which then transport the waste material to transfer stations.

Rear Steer - The rear steer system can be very useful for large amounts of trash collection. This system consists of a grapple loader that is placed in a rear-facing direction onto the chassis of another truck. The driver of the truck portion can leave the cab of that vehicle and enter the cab of the grapple loader to handle debris removal.

The vehicle is driven in a normal fashion until arrival at the collection site. Then the operator moves into the cab of the grapple and from there can operate the entire vehicle. Since several hauling trucks usually accompany the grapple loader, when these vehicles operate together it looks as if the grapple loader truck is being driven backwards when in fact the now front-facing grapple cab holds the operator of the entire grapple and vehicle. Many of the bulk collection fleets are using this system because it is self-contained and has the fastest load-cycle time.

A large percentage of items in the solid waste management program are too heavy to be lifted manually into a typical garbage truck. Items such as household furniture, major appliances, broken air conditioners, branches and logs are types of oversized waste that need the help of a vehicle that can also collect these kinds of items.

In the trash disposal industry, utilizing this type of vehicle can decrease labor cost, save time and be very cost-efficient in our ever-changing economy. Don’t waste another day in the wrong type of system for your waste collection needs. Study and learn which one of these systems is the right one for you!