r/mildlyinteresting • u/dysfunctionalveteran • Aug 26 '21
Interior and controls of my garbage truck. Quality Post
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u/vitaminalgas Aug 26 '21
Nice!...you got a Gatorade® Button!
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u/CriscoWithLime Aug 26 '21
Think it drops down a straw from the ceiling?
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u/yungrii Aug 26 '21
Gatorader aider
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u/JohnWesternburg Aug 26 '21
Where do you think all that sweet garbage juice is going?
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u/Redditforgoit Aug 26 '21
The Thirst Mutilator!
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u/zendarr Aug 26 '21
It's got what plants crave!
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u/HateYourFaces Aug 26 '21
Water..? Like in the toilet..?
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u/Don_Blanc Aug 26 '21
It's got electrolytes.
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u/MikeKM Aug 26 '21
Press this button to drink whatever juices are in the back of the truck.
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u/PlausibleHorseshit Aug 26 '21
Looks like a PepsiCo 4171 "Refreshex". I worked on the development team and am happy to see one in the wild. I think the bottlers only managed to sell about 50 of them total before they were dropped.
Despite the Gatorade logo, it could be filled with almost any Pepsi product in theory, but carbonated offerings always caused trouble with the peristaltic pump. That along with the weedy cooling system were the main problems. (Well, and the 4k price for a peristaltic pump, some tubing, the flex hose from a milling machine and a cooler pulled from a sharper image desktop fridge)
The button is actually a sprung rotary switch - right to pump, and a short twist left to reverse the pump for a clean finish. The blank button to the left of the red light is where the flavor selector would have gone if it was equipped.
We all knew we were working on a failure, but our group managed to keep going for almost 4 years. When the project lead proposed a system extension to remove waste generated by the 4170, he had pushed too far as it turns out. Some executive got logs from our Collab sessions and found tons of references to the 'piss pipe', the writing was on the wall.
A few firings and some exceptionally funny emails later, most of us got folded into the failed Purple Flurp crossover.
I've moved on to other things, but thanks for the stroll down memory lane!
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u/tacobellmysterymeat Aug 26 '21
Damn it, I even googled refreshex and pepsico 4171 before reading your username hahaha
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u/cthulhusandwich Aug 26 '21
Whoa, this is far too interesting for this sub. I'm starting to get all sweaty.
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u/MasterPip Aug 26 '21
If anyone is curious, that Gatorade cap is on top of an unnecessarily loud alarm speaker. Dulls it a great bit. We all did this in our trucks. It's practically a perfect fit.
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u/MrMeanwhile1 Aug 26 '21
Your job is playing a claw machine but all the prizes are trash
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Aug 26 '21
Or sometimes bodies!
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u/uniqueusername5001 Aug 26 '21
Sometimes just the parts!
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u/Sandpaper_Pants Aug 26 '21
Sometimes the GOOD parts.
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u/phadewilkilu Aug 26 '21
This comment right here officer
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u/sixhundredandsixtsix Aug 26 '21
Jeez, he didnt say the delicious parts.
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u/Arekai4098 Aug 26 '21
But you did
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u/appleavocado Aug 26 '21
Clearly a man of taste
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u/Jerking4jesus Aug 26 '21
And to get a man to taste best I'd recommend an overnight brine and a squeeze of lemon right before serving.
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u/Vergenbuurg Aug 26 '21
"Aww, look here. Somebody threw away a perfectly good white boy."
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u/skepachino Aug 26 '21
I mean not too different from a regular claw machine then
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u/MrGunnermanhaz Aug 26 '21
What do the 4 buttons on top of the joystick do?
And how comes there are dual controls e.g. Steering wheel?
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u/dysfunctionalveteran Aug 26 '21
Those buttons are controls for the boom or hydraulic arm that snatches the garbage cans. The joystick consists of a “deadman” switch that disables all joystick controls and activates the arm when your hand grips the joystick. When activated; tilting the joystick left or right will extend or retract the boom. Tilting the joystick up or down lifts or drops the boom. The top 2 buttons are inert on my model of truck but on some garbage trucks with dual hoppers (1 for trash and 1 for recycling) it controls a divider panel so the driver can dump the can in the appropriate side of the hopper. The bottom 2 buttons open or close the gripper fingers of the boom when grabbing trash cans.
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u/Tennessean Aug 26 '21
I see the backup camera, but I always assumed there was an arm camera. You have to do everything through the mirror?
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Aug 26 '21
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u/stiackman Aug 26 '21
I design garbage trucks. This poster is correct. The monitor can support multiple cameras such as backing up, arm cam, hopper cam, and more. The display we install will switch based on which function is operated
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u/EvryMthrF_ngThrd Aug 26 '21
I design garbage trucks.
NGL, my first thought was: That's a thing?
But then I chided myself that "Of course that's a thing - they don't apparate out of thin air, ya dingus!", so good for you doing the important stuff no one thinks of, but is needed.
Also, I may need to get out more...
:)
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u/ufoicu2 Aug 26 '21
I had the same initial reaction but then I realized it’s still weird that someone designs strictly garbage trucks. I would expect something more like I design heavy equipment or I design hydraulic robotic arms but I design garbage trucks is still a bit surprising.
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u/calmikazee Aug 26 '21
This is ripe for an AMA!
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u/stiackman Aug 26 '21
There is a lot to know and I had no idea when I started how complex these systems have become when they used to be so simple
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u/StuTheSheep Aug 26 '21
Agreed! u/stiackman I want to know more about designing garbage trucks!
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u/BihlCosby Aug 26 '21
If its anything like one of ours it'll switch cams to whatever your operating, reverse, dumping, operating the lift or multiple views. Most do have a cameras for the lift now days but some still rely on mirrors and on the RH drive you can see out the window too. The newest model uses lasers and an on screen guide to automatically do everything except line it up when you stop, can be as easy as pull up and tap button with your left foot.
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u/CorrectPeanut5 Aug 26 '21
It's amazing how it used to be a 3 man crew when I was a kid. There would be a driver and then two guys hanging off the back collecting cans from both of the street.
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u/fubuki_ Aug 26 '21
This is still very common.
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u/cheapdrinks Aug 26 '21
In my area it's a 4-5 man crew. One driving, two chucking the trash in the back and 1 or 2 guys running a street ahead to pull all the bins out onto the road to make it quicker for the other guys so they don't have to wrangle them over all the parked cars as well as lift them into the hopper
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u/May_I_inquire Aug 26 '21
My area it's just one person driving a truck. They never get out, so if your can isn't at the curb, too bad, or if it falls over and spills, too bad.
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u/Appoxo Aug 26 '21 edited Aug 26 '21
That's how it's done in Germany.
1 driving and probably operating the car hydraulics
2 collecting the bins and driving it to the back of the car.Edit: Angry comments told me I can't generalize a country with several millions of residents.
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u/the_last_0ne Aug 26 '21
Northeast US here and our trucks are a mix of the newer ones with arms and guys for now. I think they keep a guy on the back anyhow in case the cans are facing the wrong way or not accessible from the arm right away.
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u/innernationalspy Aug 26 '21
Once they train their customers they'll just skip the houses that don't place cans as directed.
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u/ScarletCaptain Aug 26 '21
Yeah, in my city it depends on the neighborhood. Older parts of town where alleys are common they have to have a guy to pull the cans up to the back where a little hook thing flips the cans into the back. Other parts of the city where people can easily put their cans onto the curb they have the trucks with the gripper arm on the side.
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u/zooberwask Aug 26 '21
It's like that still in Philly. Our garbage collection is severely underfunded though.
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u/dysfunctionalveteran Aug 26 '21
The dual steering wheels are for driving and operating the truck from either the left hand or right hand side of the cab.
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u/timix Aug 26 '21
The really trippy thing about dual control trucks for me is that both steering wheels turn in sync, at least in the ones I'm familiar with, so hitching a ride in one of these things and sitting in the other seat makes for a very strange journey.
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u/Baldazar666 Aug 26 '21
I mean of course they would. They have a real physical connection to the wheels.
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u/fortyeightD Aug 26 '21
I guess one of the buttons is for the ejector seat, and one for missiles.
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u/MrGunnermanhaz Aug 26 '21
One button for oil slicks and I guess the last button is for a self destruct sequence?
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u/Atheist_yak Aug 26 '21
Co-pilot
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u/dysfunctionalveteran Aug 26 '21
The “Chewbacca Seat”
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u/burrbro235 Aug 26 '21
The garbage chute was a really wonderful idea! What an incredible smell you've discovered!
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u/jcpahman77 Aug 26 '21
I don't care what you smell you big furry oaf, get in there!
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Aug 26 '21 edited Aug 26 '21
Probably to arm the 30mm howitzer Cannon or select air-to-air or air-to-ground missiles.
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u/uniqueusername5001 Aug 26 '21
Is there a button that throws the can 10 feet into my driveway upside down? Or is it just a party trick our guy has learned?
Regardless, this is pretty cool and thank you for what you do!
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u/dinardogiants1 Aug 26 '21
Its definitely a party trick and takes a while to learn... been a garbage man for 20 years
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u/useles-converter-bot Aug 26 '21
10 feet is the length of exactly 29.93 'Standard Diatonic Key of C, Blues Silver grey Harmonicas' lined up next to each other.
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u/TKPhresh Aug 26 '21
I bought a VW Passat the other day for $400 and we've been using that as our conversion for money spent on things to repair it, ex: "I don't want to buy a new O2 sensor, the store sells them for about 1/4 of a Passat".
Basically just letting you know I'm a fan of useless conversions.
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Aug 26 '21
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u/TKPhresh Aug 26 '21
Lol we used to measure everything in Saturns since it was a nice even $250, so sometimes we'll "make change". Like, "oh yeah I was looking at that F-150 but it's two Passats and a Saturn so I'm out."
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u/Ratchet-and-Spank Aug 26 '21
I always use mcchickens (back when they were truly a dollar, those greedy bastards)
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u/ValyrianSteelYoGirl Aug 26 '21
$400 is a steal for anything that’s running nowadays.
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u/TKPhresh Aug 26 '21
Bought it non-running but it was the simplest fix ever. Positive lead from the battery to the starter was inside some heat shrink tubing. Opened it up to find the lead was completely frayed from the battery clamp. Grabbed an eyelet from the junk bag and crimped it on, now it starts right up. Working on patching the exhaust now and then it'll be good as new.
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Aug 26 '21
Wow, two steering wheels?
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u/MadnessIsMandatory Aug 26 '21
Left side is for driving to and from route and for rural routes. Right side is for neighborhoods. It makes it easier/faster for a driver to hop out at a stop that has extra work. For example: knocked over bin, extra bags, items stacked against the can.
Life pro tip: If you have extra items (provided that they are allowed in your jurisdiction), stack them 2-3 feet beside your container. The driver will be able to get your container on his first try, and will be happier only having to get out once
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u/merkindonor Aug 26 '21
Nobody can reverse a truck like a garbage truck driver. Every Tuesday they reverse up my street with maybe 10” of clearance on either side of the truck… around a curve… at 5mph.
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u/soviets-pectre Aug 26 '21
This is blatant bus driver erasure, I'll always remember the ride home from school, clinging to my seat thinking today will be the day we won't fit trough the insanely narrow street or that time they closed off a road and our driver had to reverse for a solid half mile, baffles me every time how they pull it off
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Aug 26 '21
Once you've set up your mirrors correctly and learnt how to use them, it's easy. Unless you've got a trailer hitched. That's just black magic.
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u/Ratchet-and-Spank Aug 26 '21
Trailers really are something else. Had a uhaul trailer on my CRV and couldn’t reverse it out of the parking lot lol
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Aug 26 '21
Quick tip for backing up trailers. Put your hand at the bottom of the steering wheel and move it in the direction you want the trailer to go. It still takes practice but not having to flip the directions around in your head makes it much easier.
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u/shootmedmmit Aug 26 '21
90% of other people's cars I drive have the side mirrors pointed at their doors with just a little road showing. Doesn't surprise me that people are shit at reversing
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Aug 26 '21
My general rule of thumb after my wife drives the car is to center the rear door handles in the side of the mirror then rotate them out until I can’t see the side of the car.
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u/MikeX7s Aug 26 '21
I have that too at the passenger side, the reason is people want to see the side of the car when they park so they don't hit the sidewalk and such
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u/1thousandwords Aug 26 '21
When I was in middle school, my house was the only stop on my street. The street was not quite a dead-end, at the end of the block, your only option was to turn south. Because the bus would initially be on the opposite side of the road and needed to turn around any way, she would drive to end of the block, turn south, then backup into the driveway that started where the street ended. She'd end up on the right side of the road and facing the direction to head back out to main street. We had a decently big driveway though, and one day she decided to just pull into it and back out onto the street. Unfortunately, there were deep ditches on either side of the entrance which left her little turning room, and worse, the mailbox was on a post directly across the street from the driveway. My dad installed the new mailbox off to side but she never tried that maneuver again.
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u/mwineK Aug 26 '21
Their precision.... I thought this trucks had camera allover them
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u/brunooouuu Aug 26 '21
TIL garbage trucks drive like jets
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u/mwineK Aug 26 '21
With a co-driver just in case
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u/fh3131 Aug 26 '21
These are often dual control so the driver can drive from whichever side is closest to the bins
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u/SMURKS Aug 26 '21
Garbage collectors rule!! Thank you for your service!
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u/portablebiscuit Aug 26 '21
For real. Anyone who does the things I don’t want to do deserves my respect!
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u/Falafelstrudel Aug 26 '21
I hope OP and other collectors get paid generously. That doesn’t look like the easiest truck to operate. Not too mention driving it though tight residential streets. Not to mention hauling our disgusting trash away. True backbones of society these lots
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u/Roflkopt3r Aug 26 '21
Last thing I heard this "nobody wants to be a garbage collector" or "study hard so you don't have to become one" are just stupid leftover slogans from older days. It seems that many have quite decent pay and work conditions these days.
But of course that will strongly depend on the particular country or municipality.
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Aug 26 '21
Does it bother you when people place their totes right next to each other?
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u/dysfunctionalveteran Aug 26 '21
It used to when I first started driving this style of garbage truck. Mostly because I was inexperienced and was nervous I’d either put the arm through the side of someone’s car or take out an innocent mailbox. My company’s policy is residents have keep 3 feet from obstructions on all sides of the garbage can. No one does it though. So I just grab their trash can and while dumping it I’ll let my truck roll forward a little and drop it away from the other can so the other driver doesn’t have deal with it.
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u/raoasidg Aug 26 '21
My company’s policy is residents have keep 3 feet from obstructions on all sides of the garbage can.
When my neighborhood garbage pickup (Patriot) switched to these trucks, the notice we received in the mail included that same guidance. That immediately stuck out to me; shame I see that it goes ignored by everyone else in the neighborhood.
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u/useles-converter-bot Aug 26 '21
3 feet is 2.92 RTX 3090 graphics cards lined up.
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u/phillysan Aug 26 '21
InB4 r/PCMR comes and gets really salty about this unit of measure
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u/LeadLavaLamp Aug 26 '21
You know you wanna ride
On my garbage truck
Truck, truck, truck
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u/RighteousFreedom1776 Aug 26 '21
I’m sitting in a garbage truck too, my 4th day with Republic Services as a CDL trainee and loving it!!
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u/Flyinghead Aug 26 '21
That looks more sci-fi than the inside of the X-wing from a new hope. I now know who to notify if I need a death star blown up.
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u/lulplumman Aug 26 '21
This is awesome to see! I work as an engineer for a MACK supplier that makes almost all of the interior plastic parts you see here for the LR garbage truck. I rarely get to see it all put together and assembled.
Here's a cool view of the entire thing (minus a lot of controls)
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u/Maximellius Aug 26 '21
This looks like a Republic truck, ASL (Automated Side Loader) 1 man operation so no need for extra bodys to get out and dump trash in the back, it takes it over the side.
Automatic transmissions with air braking system, yellow button is the parking brake. All of those buttons have a purpose and almost all are used quite regularly.
Refuse workers have long days, 10-12 hrs and those cabs get hot since the engine is sitting just behind the cab even with the AC on, which seems barely keep things cool. Though they do get paid quite well, it is a rough job.
Get these guys some water, Gatorade(like the cap in the picture implies) or some snacks when you see them. They will take extra care of you should you need it.
Extra credit: I manage these guys for another company and they are hell of workers, keep up the good work and stay safe!
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u/IronPenguin11 Aug 26 '21
Garbage truck mechanic here- really appreciate your clean cab so I’m assuming your mechanics do as well!
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u/Meta_Spirit Aug 26 '21 edited Aug 26 '21
My son, ever since he turned 2, has been obsessed. OBSESSED. With garbage trucks. He turns 3 in about a month and still loves them. He points them out everywhere we go. I'm gonna show him this when he wakes up for the day. I'll update with his reaction! Cool pic, I've never seen the inside of one before.
Update:
His name's Lion and he said, "There's the door! Where's the hopper? Is that to drive the garbage truck?" I said, "Yeah, pretty cool, huh?"
"Yeah! It's the controllers in there." And pointed out more buttons. He loves it. Not much else to say though, he's only a toddler haha
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u/ooomayor Aug 26 '21
I count... 8 blank switches. Clearly someone's municipality went for the base model.
What could be on a garbage truck that you have to shell out extra for...? Other operations or functions not in that truck? Or are these trucks more modular than they look?
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u/IndifferentSkeptic Aug 26 '21
I recognize the Allison Transmission. The U.S. military uses it in most of it's vehicles bigger than a humvee.
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u/Not____Dad Aug 26 '21
Huh. Never in my life have I seen the inside of one of these. Thanks for sharing OP!