Garwood Australia’s Miner is the nation’s smallest rear load compactor body, but it still packs a punch. Anthony Zammit, General Manger of Capital City Waste explains.
Titled the “world’s smallest rear load truck”, Garwood’s Miner has been praised for its ability to enter areas considered inaccessible for larger trucks.
Since winning the Innovative Product award at the Australian Waste and Recycling Expo in 2014, the Miner Rear Loader has been deployed in many metropolitan waste service fleets.
One such operator is Capital City Waste, which has operated throughout New South Wales since 2009. It recently added three of Garwood Australia’s Miner units to support its industrial and commercial waste recycling and collection. Anthony Zammit, General Manager, says it was an “obvious decision”.
“The Miner units are used for residential and commercial waste and recycling removal from laneways and, more importantly, basement car parks. Both can be difficult areas to access with larger loaders,” Anthony says. “The units eliminate the need for garbage bins to be brought to a central area, which saves both time and money. It removes potential barriers such as the height and width of access areas and is a lot safer for traffic, as well as cleaners, because we are able to go straight to the source.”
Miner units have a maximum cab plus body height of only 2080 millimetres, which allows Capital City Waste to service underground basements with entry points as low as 2.1 metres in height.
“There are also some ramps on buildings, which are weight limited,” Anthony says. “You can take these trucks on those ramps.
“Before the Miner units there was really no option to service the waste removal needs inside of the basement. Cleaners would need to use a trolley or a tow vehicle to move bins into an easily accessible location.”
Anthony says a truck that is able to access office blocks, shops and even exhibition halls also provides benefits for building owners.
“The owner of the building does not need to purchase a tow vehicle, which can be an expense anywhere between $15,000 to $30,000. People previously have had to move bins two or three times a week, now they don’t need to do that,” he says.
The Miner unit has been designed to cater for a range of bin capacities, from 120 litres up to 1100 litres, while also containing a fast compaction cycle.
Anthony says the flexibility of the machine complements the adaptability required for Capital City Waste’s operation.
“The thing that stands out is the flexibility of where you can take these vehicles, our drivers can do so much work that a larger truck can’t,” he says.
“With the Miner units, you have so many options. More and more developers are wanting to use the Miner because it saves a lot of money by not needing a big dock or large area to collect bins.”
He says the simplicity of the Miner has aided inner city travel for Capital City Waste’s drivers, who are required to conduct services in crowded metropolitan areas.
“The ease of operation of the vehicle is important for us and saves the headache of travelling throughout congested Sydney traffic,” he says. “We have also found that it has been easier to find drivers who are able to operate a smaller truck.”
In terms of maintenance, Capital City Waste has put the Miner units through routine engine checks, but Anthony says they have held their own during the three years of operation in the company’s fleet.
“We have conducted routine maintenance every 5000 to 10,000 kilometres. But the body itself is very low maintenance and it has great hydraulics,” he says. “The bodies can be refurbished if required and placed on another model. The lifter can be easily replaced, so you can potentially get at least 10 years of use out of these trucks.”
He says that Capital City Waste has been supported by Garwood Australia every step of the way.
“Garwood has a great back-up service and parts. When they don’t have parts on hand, they are able to get them in very quickly. In terms of this product, we haven’t required major changes. This truck can do what most can’t.”
For more information, visit: www.garwoodinternational.com.au
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