Waste Industry Terminology
A
Accelerator Kit – Speeds up the refuse truck engine when the rear loader tailgate or hopper is cycling. It slows back down to normal engine idle after the compaction cycle completes.
Arm Forks – The large front forks (similar to those found on a fork lift) that lift large dumpsters over the cab and into the hopper of a front loading garbage truck.
Auto Back Pack – Holds the eject panel during the packing cycle to maximize the payload. It releases at end of the pack cycle.
Auto-Lock Tailgate – Cylinders automatic lock and un-lock the tailgate during the dump cycle.
Automated Side Loader – An automatic side loader is a type of garbage truck that has a lift, or an arm that may be operated by a joystick or levers within the cab. One distinct advantage of automated side loaders is that it only requires one operator, and most tasks can be performed from the cab.
Automated Truck – Typically a reference to an automated side loader.
B
Back Up Alarm – The alarm that sounds when a garbage truck is in reverse gear.
Baler – A hydraulic machine that crushes and compacts the contents into smaller rectangular bales. It is commonly used for paper, cardboard, and plastics.
Biogas – The gas created by the decomposition of organic solid waste. It mainly consists of methane and carbon dioxide.
Blade – See "Packer Blade"
C
Cart Tippers – A cart tipper is a mechanical device which may be attached to a refuse truck. It lifts up containers or bins and unloads the contents into the garbage truck. Cart tippers are especially helpful for large or heavy containers.
CNG – Acronym for "Compressed Natural Gas." Garbage trucks can be converted to run on CNG rather than gasoline or diesel. Burning CNG is a cheaper and more environmentally friendly alternative energy.
Cobra – The Cobra is New Way's most popular rear loader. It has a variety of container handling options and capacities to be very versatile.
Cobra Magnum – The Cobra Magnum is a heavy-duty New Way rear loader. Its primary advantage is an extremely high compaction to weight ratio.
Compaction Cycle - See "Packing Cycle"
Container – Could be reference to 1) The body of a garbage truck, where the waste is compacted and stored until the truck reaches the land fill (AKA packer, compactor, or refuse body). 2) A temporary storage container for solid waste, typically used by customers, and loaded by solid waste workers (dumpster, trash bin, trashcan, trash barrel, container bin, or waste receptacle).
Curbside Pickup or Curbside Collection – The type of waste collection where waste and recycling is collected from homes and businesses. The waste or recycling is placed on the curb for pick-up. This collection typically takes place by municipal workers or by private companies with municipal contracts.
D
Diamondback – New Way's smallest rear loader truck. Diamondbacks are used with some smaller chassis and compacts 6-8 cubic yards of garbage. Diamondbacks are known for their extensive list of standard features which are typically upgrades on competitors models. It is also adaptable to residential cart tippers.
Driver Alert Buzzer – Curbside, rear, right hand mounted buzzer used to notify the driver he is clear to go to next stop.
Dump Cycle – The term typically used to describe the process of lifting a container into the hopper of a front loader, and then returning the container to the ground. Dump Cycle may also be a reference to the process of lifting containers from the curbside, into the hopper, and then back in an Automated Side Loader.
Dumpster – A widely used term for solid waste container.
E
E-Waste – Electronic Waste. This includes televisions, computers, and devices such as phones and tablets.
Eject Panel – The eject panel pushes refuse loaded into the body out of the truck through the tailgate.
eShowroom – New Way's online showroom for selling demo garbage trucks, K-PAC™ compactors, and other waste equipment. It also include garbage trucks and compactors for sale from New Way's extensive distributor network.
F
Fleet – A term used to describe several garbage trucks or other waste collection vehicles belonging to a single waste collection provider.
Front Loaders – A front loader is a type of refuse truck equipped with forks for lifting large waste containers or dumpsters over the truck and into the packer in the rear. They are usually operated via joystick or levers in the cab. Front loaders typically service commercial and industrial companies.
G
Garbage Truck – A large truck that collects solid waste and transport it to a waste treatment facility. AKA trash truck, refuse trucks, waste collection vehicle, packer truck.
Grabber – A hydraulically powered arm used to grab waste bins on automated side loader garbage tracks. The arm grabs the container and lifts it into the hopper, then returns the container to the curb.
H
Hauler – A general term used to describe an organization that collects solid waste. It is most commonly used in reference to privately owned organizations, however it could also include municipal organizations. "The Hauler" is also the title of a well known waste industry magazine that lists garbage trucks for sale, industry news, and other relevant information.
Hopper – The part of a truck where waste is emptied into before it is compacted inside the container.
Hydraulics – The mechanisms that compresses the garbage within the packer.
Hydraulic Pump – Creates the hydraulic pressures necessary to operated the body/packer.
J
Joystick – Typically a reference to a joystick which controls the forks on a front loader, or the arm of an automated side loader.
K
King Cobra – The King Cobra is New Way's infamous high-compaction rear loader. It sets the industry standard with for compaction rate, and rear loading capabilities. It is also known to have the fewest amount of warranty claims of any refuse body in the industry.
L
LED Lights – Acronym for "Light emitting diode lights." LED Lights are brighter and have a longer life than standard light bulbs. All New Way trucks come standard with LED Lights.
Load Sill – Located on a rear loader hopper tailgate, the load sill extends the width of the tailgate.
M
Mammoth – The name of New Way's strongest front loader. Mammoths are well known for the superior steel used in their construction, and heavy-duty arm forks.
Materials Recovery Facility (MRF or Murf) – A facility that sorts and then processes recyclables.
Mixed Waste – Unsorted municipal and commercial waste.
MSW – Acronym for "Municipal Solid Waste." Typically includes waste from residential and commercial businesses (not industrial) and also includes recycling and lawn clippings.
P
Pack at Idle – Reduces packer cycling noise and increases fuel economy during the pack cycle. Pack at idle normally packs with the engine at around 1,200 rpm.
Packer Blade – Used to compress/compact garbage thrown into the hopper to create additional space for more refuse. The blade is typically made of steel and powered by the garbage truck's hydraulic system.
Packing Cycle – The cycle in which the hydraulics use the blade to compress garbage tossed into the hopper.
PTO – Acronym for "Power takeoff." A PTO is a splinted driveshaft that allows a garbage truck's engine to provide power to the packer rather than to the wheels.
Pull Charge – The charge for removing a dumpster. AKA Hauling of filled container charge.
Pump – See "Hydraulic Pump"
R
Rear Vision Camera System – A video camera mounted to the rear of a garbage truck in order to monitor what is happening behind the truck. These are especially useful in urban areas, and when backing up to dumpsters or containers. All New Way Trucks have optional rear vision camera systems.
Refuse – A general term for solid waste. AKA garbage, trash.
Refuse-derived Fuel (RDF) – Fuel created by the incineration of solid waste.
ROTO PAC® - The ROTO PAC® is the first auger-fed organics collection truck in the world. This dual-purpose collection vehicle can collect organics on Monday and collect MSW on Tuesday. Liquid-tight up to 40", this revolutionary automated side-loader is changing the waste industry.
S
Sanitary Landfill – A landfill where municipal solid waste (MSW), and non-hazardous commercial and industrial waste is taken.
Satellite – In the waste industry a satellite truck is a smaller refuse truck which collects waste from areas too small for normal sized garbage trucks to navigate. The satellites, also sometimes referred to as a "mate," can dump its contents into a larger rear loader. Satellite refuse trucks are commonly used in urban areas, and areas where weight restrictions apply.
Side Loaders – A side loader is a style of a garbage truck that is loaded from the sides rather than the rear. They may be loaded by hand or may have an automated lift or arm for assistance (see automated side loaders).
Solid Waste – Non-industrial garbage.
T
Tipping Fee – The price paid to dispose of waste at a landfill.
Tons Per Day (TPD) – Is a measure of a solid waste disposal per day. This is used to determine the price of disposal at landfills.
V
Viper – The Viper is another New Way rear loader, and is very similar to the Cobra. The most popular versions of the Viper are 11-13 cubic yard models, however, the Viper has models with up to 25 cubic yards of body capacity. Like the Cobra, it also has a large variety of container handling options to be very versatile.
W
Western Series Mammoth – A light-weight front loader. This front loading garbage truck is useful for areas with weight restrictions.
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We want to continually update this page to add new terms, and any we may have missed. To submit a term for this page, simply email dross@newwaytrucks.com with the subject: "Website Terminology" and please include a brief description (if necessary).
