Trucks Case Study

As Seen In

WasteAdvantage
The Advantage in the Waste Industry

Breakthrough Performance
Pete Kennedy

Load control heLps Lighterweight trucks exceed expectations.

In 2009, Matt Wood, regIonal MaIntenance manger for Republic Services (Phoenix, AZ) asked himself a few questions: could lighter-weight trucks deliver enough savings in fuel and other costs to offset lost productivity? Is there a way to prevent drivers from overloading and damaging the lighter trucks? Could the trucks be built to last as long as their heavier counterparts? And, if all of this were true, could such a truck possibly be affordable? Republic asked two preferred body vendors whether they would be interested in attempting to develop such a truck. Heil responded quicklyand with the best alternative. The decision was made to work with Heil Environmental (Chattanooga, TN) on concepting the lighter-weight trucksand to find answers to the above questions. Making the final decision for Republic was a team consisting of Wood; regional managers Larry Allen, Troy Hintze and Brian Beaudrie; and Roy Svehla from Republics corporate office. Republic and Heil spent about a year and a half developing the truck, and another seven months testing 15 Heil Half/Pack Freedom front-loading trucks in Houston. The results of those tests are now in, and virtually all the numbers confirm the

performance and projected cost savings of the lighterweight models. The 15 test trucks also underwent recent structural inspections and passed those with flying colors. I would say the lighter trucks have exceeded my expectations, Wood says. I think its one of the coolest things weve done in a while, and long-term its the right way to go.

Loading Systems Role

While lighter-weight trucks previously have been available, the Heil Half/Pack Freedom model separates itself through its load-control system, Wood says. The trucks cannot be overloaded because of patent-pending Heil technology. That new loading systemcalled the Heil Overload Prevention System, or HOPS convinced Wood it was time to test the lighter trucks. We had to have a way to regulate the payload, Wood says. Otherwise, drivers would continue with their old loading habits, and they could damage the new trucks. Controlling how much they could load was crucial to considering the lighter weight trucks. HOPS provides us with that control. Once that system was developed, we saw it was time to test the trucks.

Heils Half/Pack Freedom front loader uses innovative engineering to enable the largest legal payloads.
Photo courtesy of Heil Environmental.

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The trucks have delivered some key benefits for Republic. Among them: Improved fuel efficiency of 5 percent to 6 percent A reduction in tirewear of 6 percent to 7 percent A nearly identical savings on brake wear The lighter weights also extend the life of both the chassis and the body, says Nate Davis, product manager with Heil. HOPS will be key to that longevity. With properly sized payloads in the body, we expect a much longer life, Davis says. Before a body might last eight to 10 years. Now that could stretch to 10 to 12 years.

Productivity
Perhaps most appealing, Republics analysis showed the benefits could be gained without a loss in productivity. We havent lost anynot one bit, Wood says. Weve reduced costs without sacrificing anything. In fact weve found some unexpected benefits, such as improved operator comfort. Republics acquisition plans confirm its support of Heils Half/Pack Freedom refuse collection vehicle. It plans to purchase the lighter-weight trucks for operations in the North East and California, a weight-sensitive state, in the near future. It will expand their use in the coming years. Its a breakthrough product, Wood says.

The Process
Wood has been involved from the beginning. He originally challenged Heil to build a truck with a true lightweight body that could haul a 10.5-ton legal payloadyet maintain its structural integrity. Even then, Wood saw two factors as crucial to the success of the lighterweight truck. The first was obvious: removing enough weight to make a difference. That was achieved by shedding as much as 5,000 pounds from the body and 2,000 pounds from the chassis. Weve done that by using alternative materials, such as aluminum and some plastic composites, says Nate Davis, product manager with Heil. The new materials are used only in ancillary areas, Davis says. Its a lowrisk, weight-saving strategy. We took weight out of areas of the body that dont see a lot of force or stress. Specifically, the cab shield was converted to aluminum, while the top door is now an aluminum and plastic composite. The tailgate has been redesigned and shed some weight in the process. Oil tanks and under-ride bumpers are also now aluminum. In addition, the chassis manufacturer, Mack Trucks, also was able to eliminate additional weight.

How HOPS Works

Payload control was the second key element recognized by Wood during the initial discussions. That issue was addressed through HOPS. The system: Uses axle transducer scales, accurate within 2 percent, to determine the vehicles gross weight. When the payload exceeds 9.5 tons, HOPS sends the driver an audio and visual warning inside the cab. The driver knows some weight can be added, but is aware that the loading must stop soon. When the maximum allowable weight is reached, HOPS prevents the operator from loading any additional containers. Our inspections show the lighter trucks will hold up, but they cant be routinely overloaded, Wood says. There have always been scales, but drivers can ignore them. HOPS actually controls the payload on the fly, which is a new innovation.

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WasteAdvantage Magazine

May 2011

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Breakthrough Performance

Changing Methods
Wood and others in the waste hauling business have long understood the benefits of lighter weights. The question has always been whether the vehicles could withstand the tough dutyand compensate for lost productivity. Productivity concerns led Republic to take a detailed look at hauling habits while considering use of the lighter-weight trucks. We found that the average heavy-duty truck carried about 30 tons per day, Wood says. We took a closer look at the loads delivered to landfills. We found that with some route balancing and carrying three equal loads per day productivity was maintained. Thats when we decided to investigate the use of lighter trucks and balance our loads equally for all three trips, Wood says. At the end of the day, were hauling the same amount with the lighter trucks as we did with the heavier trucks. Its just that the load sizes are consistent with the Half/Pack Freedom trucks.

The Impact on Drivers

Of course, drivers load those trucks and they have habits. Changing them was easy because of HOPS. In addition, drivers found reasons to embrace their new rides. They absolutely love the new trucks, Wood says. With lighter trucks, the drivers benefit from improved ride. In fact, increased driver comfort has been a significant and unanticipatedadvantage. We had not expected that drivers would see such an improvement in comfort, Wood says. Republic also expected route balancing to be a challenge with drivers, but that has not been the case. Habits can be hard to break, but once they understood how this system functions, they saw the benefits, he says. The fact they were driving a comfortable new truck didnt hurt. | WA For more information, contact Heil Customer Care at (866) ASK-HEIL (866-275-4345) or visit www.heil.com.
2011 Waste Advantage Magazine, All Rights Reserved.Reprinted from Waste Advantage Magazine. Contents cannot be reprinted without permission from the publisher.