Garbage Trucks: A Summer Afternoon in NYC

Experience the sights (but luckily not smells) of a stroll through Midtown Manhattan in July, with a decided focus on the different garbage trucks doing their thing.

Featured first is a late model Loadmaster LM-400, essentially the "demolition carter special." This one has a particularly smooth tipper for 1/2 yard A-frame cans and a raised hopper sill to help keep things neat and tidy. Chassis is a Mack Granite. The whole thing is done up in a stunning red, a color I'm normally not fond of on trucks but it works really well here. However Statewide Demolition earns a demerit for the gaudy ass wheel simulators.

What follows is the first of two Progressive Waste McNeilus rear loaders. These things are wonderfully easy to find and film by virtue of their universally laid back crews. That's not to say unprofessional, their strict adherence to company policies and rules is evident in the video. Great care is taken as to when the packer is run, when not to stand near the hopper, how bins are moved, etc. This particular McNeilus is a bit special with the ACX chassis and old IESI branding.

Working the same section of street as IESI, the Vanquish LM-400 makes a second appearance on the georgewuzheer channel. This one rides some form of the Volvo WG/Autocar ACL; can't remember which. It has a nice whine during the pack cycle and a “looser” tipper than the Statewide truck.

Next is another Progressive McNeilus, this time a MRU in the current colors. This was waste from a Chipoltle restaurant, the other bins at the stop were labeled as such. There's a bit of entertaining squirting and bag popping as the blade retracts at the end of the clip but by all means tame by New York restaurant waste standards.

Last but far from least is a decked out Mack Granite/2RII from Signature Interior Demolition, caught packing out on the last A-frame can of the day. As always thanks to all the drivers, filmed July 30th, 2013.