Back by popular demand, here is more footage of Sunrise Sanitation's ultra-rare relic - the 1986 Dodge Ram 350 with Hesston Corp. "Pak-Rat" garbage collection body! This neat little truck is seen here working a rural route off of Oregon's scenic Willamette Highway, near Pleasant Hill.
Little is known about Hesston Corp. and their line of waste handling equipment, however it is known that they entered the market in 1974 and exited sometime around 1980, likely making the "Pak-Rat" body in this video older than the Dodge chassis that it is currently paired with. There is a strong possibility that this is the last fully functional "Pak-Rat" still in continual service, making it a very special treat to have running right here in the Pacific Northwest!
Hesston Corp.'s complete line of refuse equipment can be seen on Classic Refuse Trucks at: http://www.classicrefusetrucks.com/albums/albumpool3/HC.html
Of course, as always, a giant thank you goes out to the hardworking gentlemen at Sunrise Sanitation Service for welcoming me once again to tag along on their routes!
CCC LET2 - Heil Rapid Rail
This here is quite easily the fastest Rapid Rail I've ever filmed!
Powered by CNG and paired up with a Crane Carrier LET2 cab and chassis, this lightning fast Heil Rapid Rail automated side loader is seen here collecting recyclables in Westminster, CA! The super quick arm combined with this driver's fine-tuned skill made this by far the most entertaining CNG truck hat I've ever seen! I wish I could have put together a longer video of this truck, but unfortunately, this was all that I was able to get. I hope you all enjoy!
As always, a huge thanks goes out to this awesome driver!
Peterbilt 310 - Amrep Octagonal Side Loader
Happy New Year everyone! Here we are in 2018 already and it's hard to believe that it's already been a year since my last visit to California! For my next installment from that adventure, we have a truly legendary SoCal combo - the formidable Peterbilt 310 cab and chassis with the rough and rugged Amrep Octagonal Side Loader body. This iconic pairing dominated many municipal and private haulers' transition to automated collection in the 1990's. Today, very few 310's are left roaming the sunny streets of Southern California, and even the "Octo Body" isn't quite as ubiquitous as it was even just 10 years ago. It was a real treat getting to see not one, but two of these beasts beautifully preserved and still knocking back route for Burrtec of Riverside! I would have especially loved to get more footage of 3269, but unfortunately we caught it at the very end of its route in far less than ideal weather, so the three clips at the end of this video were all I was able to get.
Thanks again to everyone for watching and I look forward to what 2018 brings for us here in the waste enthusiast community!
Autocar ACX - Heil DuraPack 7000
Happy Holidays! Next up from my summer trip to Utah is this gorgeous Autocar ACX with a Heil DuraPack 7000 automated side load body, run by Republic Services of Pleasant Grove! What made this truck stand out in particular was that it was still sporting the Allied Waste logo, at least on the curbside of the truck, and was one of the only trucks we spotted in Utah that was still running it. I'm sure by now, it's running the standard Republic logos, as you can see that the street side "AW" logo had already been stripped off. As always, I hope you all enjoy the footage!
Huge thanks goes out to this awesome driver!
Volvo WXLL - Dempster Recycle One ~ Residential & Commercial Collection
Lately, I've been on a big kick for both curb-sort recyclers as well as old school WM trucks, so naturally, I felt inspired to go ahead and upload this complete overview of this 1997 Volvo WXLL with Dempster Recycle One body. As many of you already know, this truck was sent to meet its maker in late 2014, having been replaced with the larger, more efficient tandem-axle Labrie Top Select. This truck will always hold a special place with me, as it was the assigned recycling truck at every house I lived in from the time I moved into city limits in 2002 until it's retirement in 2014. Fortunately, back in 2012 and 2013, I was able to accrue a wealth of footage of this truck, showcasing every aspect of it's functionalities! First, we see it handling two-sort curbside recycling, with glass going into the small rear compartment, and co-mingled plastics, metal, paper, and cardboard going in the rest of the truck. We also see how curbside used oil collection is handled. Next, we see the truck handling it's carted commercial route, utilizing the three gravity operated cart latches affixed to the trough. And last but not least, we get a look at the unloading process at the local recycling center! I will forever be grateful that I had the opportunity to document this truck so thoroughly, and I hope to have the same chance with the other remaining relics that still collect in my area! Until then, I hope you all enjoy this final look at the last of my childhood trucks!
A giant thank you goes out to the two drivers featured in this video, as well as the awesome people at Clayton Ward Recycling for making this video possible!
