McNeilus to introduce 'tech-forward' products

McNeilus Truck and Manufacturing Inc, a Minnesota-based Oshkosh Corp. company, will debut the latest in its fleet of technology-forward innovations at WasteExpo, June 28-30 at the Las Vegas Convention Center, Central Hall. The company is featuring the new Zero Radius automated side loader with CartSeeker Curbside Automation in the McNeilus booth No. 1823. CartSeeker brings artificial intelligence (AI) to curbside waste collection, reducing costs by 8 percent, according to the company. The McNeilus Metro Pak Plus rear loader will be featured in the food and beverage pavilion.

McNeilus says it has partnered with industry-leading technology companies to produce trucks with innovations that help promote efficiency, longevity and safety while also providing flexibility and cost management.

“As North America’s only factory-direct builder of garbage trucks, we are inspired by customer input and informed by industry trends to continually innovate our best-in-class trucks,” Matt McLeish, vice president of sales and marketing at McNeilus Truck and Manufacturing says “Our Metro Pak Plus rear loader and Zero Radius automated side loader with CartSeeker Curbside Automation are prime examples of this. It’s yet another way we’re getting rid of the BS that gets in the way of keeping your business – and the trash industry – running.”

CartSeeker

McNeilus partner CartSeeker Curbside Automation developed AI-based cart recognition technology that identifies and locates curbside carts and fully automates the operation of the truck’s robotic lift arm without joystick manipulation. This helps with cycle times, training time, focus on safety, predictable scheduling and maintenance costs, the company says.

With a 96 percent success rate, the system’s visual recognition corrects for color and size of carts, angles, differing backgrounds, lighting and weather implications and proximity to other carts, McNeilus says. Carts can be open, closed or overflowing.  

McNeilus Zero Radius

CartSeeker is included on the new Zero Radius automated side loader, which features the largest hopper available of any side loader on the market and an extremely fast pack cycle, the manufacturer says.

The Zero Radius automated side loader offers what McNeilus says is “an innovative radius operation” that allows for clearance issues, narrow streets and alleyways. The arm reaches out to grab 30-to-110-gallon cans. An optional 12-foot extended reach is designed to make it easy to navigate cul-de-sacs and other obstructions.

Other enhancements include the McNeilus CODE controls system. These simplified controller area network-based controls provide complete vehicle diagnostics, with the side loader including an integrated smart fuse panel, reduced hardware requirements, pretrip reminders, status messages and more.

This truck features Tailgate CNG, an easy-to-service, efficient system that allows the truck to stand up to the demands of refuse collection, McNeilus says.

The Zero Radius benefits from significant fuel savings thanks to load-sense hydraulics, according to the manufacturer. The full-eject body reduces chassis wear and simplifies operations, reducing exposure to hazards.

Metro Pak Plus

McNeilus unveils the lower cost, lower weight option of its rear loader: the Metro Pak Plus, which caters to rural or condensed areas and helps fill fleet or route gaps.

Its compact body size and quickness are ideal for weight-restricted roadways, smaller routes and tighter areas. The Metro Pak Plus is available in 20-cubic-yard, 17-cubic-yard and 14-cubic-yard capacities, with a 24-second packing cycle and compaction ratio of 650-900 pounds per cubic yard, the company says. Reinforced design on tailgate side walls and pack and sweep panels means it is designed to stand up to wear and tear.