Recently, I had the opportunity to tag along for a day with this rare classic: the Hesston Corp. "Pak-Rat" mini side loader! This rare and relatively unknown body is seen here mounted to a 1986 Dodge RAM, and runs a quiet countryside route in rural Lane County, OR. As you can see, this unit has been outfitted with a custom-built cart tipper, which is capable of handling a wide variety of trash carts from 32- to 96-gallons. The full-height curved packer blade is forced into the body by a pair of single-stage hydraulic cylinders, generating enough force to pack nearly two tons of garbage into this little body! When the truck is full, the blade extends all the way to the rear of the body to eject the load. All-in-all, this looks to be a very stoutly built body. Aside from some rust and minor wear and tear, she's still kicking hard and running strong, especially for being nearly 30 years old!
I would like to extend my gratitude to the kind gentlemen at Sunrise Sanitation Service for letting me tag along for a day! I am truly honored to be able to share such a rare truck with all of you! I hope you enjoy the video!
