Don Ross, Vice President of Sales & Marketing for New Way Trucks, discusses the advancement of modern waste fleets.

1. What kind of innovation is happening in the solid waste collection space currently?

There are a number of trends and innovations underway! From a refuse collection vehicle perspective, we are currently focused on compressed natural gas (CNG) and 100-percent battery-electric solid waste collection vehicles, improved automation and organics programs—all with a focus on customization. New Way believes all solid waste is local, which is visible in the equipment variations our customers request. To meet that need, we offer the widest product lineup of any refuse equipment manufacturer.

2. You mentioned that 100-percent battery-electric is an industry trend. Are there currently any New Way electric vehicles in use?

Yes, in fact, we completed four battery-electric collection vehicles in the last year and more are on the way. New Way released the first 100-percent battery-electric rear-loader to the Seattle market in partnership with BYD for our valued customer, Recology. Recently, we completed the first fully automated residential side-load vehicle for our longtime customer, GreenWaste, on the second generation BYD chassis. BYD is referring to this unit as the most advanced refuse collection vehicle in the world.

3. Do you see municipalities committing to battery-electric fleets as well, or is interest being driven only by private haulers?

Private haulers have been the first to explore 100-percent battery-electric, but several of our municipal customers have also expressed interest. New Way’s first four electric units have been for private haulers in the western U.S., which has driven interest from many municipal customers across the country. Based on the performance of the current units, we see battery-electric really taking off in 2021 and beyond.

4. Besides CNG & battery-electric vehicles, what additional advancements are taking place?

New clean diesel technology is often overlooked. Engine manufacturers have focused on reducing emissions for over a decade, and they now claim that current tailpipe emissions are cleaner than the air entering the engine! Body and chassis integration is also extremely important. Our engineers develop integration strategies with each chassis manufacturer to ensure that the vehicle chassis and our New Way refuse body operate optimally. For example, New Way Trucks has worked with Autocar Truck on cutting-edge integration: the Power of One ™ system is designed to improve manufacturing lead times, reduce rework and warranty claims, and improve performance.

5. What other waste collection trends or innovations should we know about?

Organic waste collection and processing continues to expand due to the beneficial reuse qualities of the materials being collected and subsequent reduction in waste disposal. New Way’s ROTO PAC® auger-driven automated side loader was specifically designed to collect and process organic waste but has also proven itself collecting garbage. The auger generates higher compaction per cubic yard than your standard pack panel design, liberates materials from bags, and has the highest legal payload of any side loader available today. We see organics management as the future, and New Way is working on the next generation of ROTO PAC® designed for commercial collection of organics and food waste.

Be on the lookout for even more innovation from New Way with the advent of our new manufacturing facility in Booneville, Mississippi, which opened in January.