The refuse world runs on trucks. Without them, the business implodes — drivers can't pick up the customers' trash, can't take it to landfills and thus can't make any money. That's why, when it comes to effectively managing refuse vehicles, no matter what their application — rear-packer, front-loader or roll-on/roll-off for dumpster service — they must be spec'd correctly and maintained diligently. If they aren't, a refuse company is going to find itself parked on the side of the road with no business to be had.

To keep trucks up and running doesn't require a lot of newfangled software, either. Rather, it demands diligent focus on bedrock fleet management principles, which software and other technologies can then improve upon or make more efficient.

"There are a couple of key points you need to keep in mind in the fleet management game," says Douglas Weichman, director of the fleet management division for Palm Beach County, Fla. "The first thing is to make sure you've spec'd the vehicle correctly for the function you intend it to perform. Make sure you set up the spec range in the 90th percentile — meaning it can handle the toughest conditions in the expected job category, be it refuse, utility service, whatever."

Though it can raise the purchase price to set up a truck spec this way, it saves money over the life of the vehicle because it reduces wear and tear during nominal operation and saves fuel, because the engine doesn't have to work at 100 percent power all of the time.

"The most important piece of all of this is preventive maintenance," Weichman says. "You've got to be rigid about it, from one end of the vehicle to the other. My philosophy is that you cannot overdo it when it comes to maintenance. That includes buying quality parts, because you can't afford the cost of maintenance related to breakdown service."

"Your truck goes down, your customer still wants that container delivered or hauled out of the way," says Sherman Rogers, president and owner of All Waste, Shelby Township, Mich. "They don't care that you don't have a truck."

Rogers' 10-year-old company serves the greater Detroit area, providing waste removal from construction, industrial, commercial and residential sites, and there's no room in his market for failure. "The Detroit market is tight," he says. "If the contractors don't get their can the next day, they'll switch to another hauler. They want great service, so we make sure we keep the trucks running."

Looking at Life Cycle

Examining all the cost factors associated with owning a truck over a certain period of time is what "life cycle management" is all about. According to a white paper published by Kirkland, Wash.-based Kenworth Truck Co. a few years ago, "life cycle cost" has long been discussed in the trucking industry, but rarely defined.

Its definition, according to the company's experts, is the sum of the direct and indirect expenses incurred during the life of a truck, meaning purchasing decisions shouldn't be made strictly based on initial acquisition cost but rather by evaluating the total cost of ownership.

Direct truck "life cycle" expenses under this definition include fuel, maintenance, fixed costs, and finance (acquisition cost, interest and resale). Indirect "life cycle" expenses are broader but no less critical. They include the effects of driver turnover, load maximization, trip times and opportunity costs.

To completely address both direct and indirect life cycle costs as a single package, fleet management practices should focus on spec'ing the right truck, fuel economy, maintenance and customer support, trade cycles, driver retention, financing, and fixed costs. Yet driver ergonomics and comfort cannot be left out of the life cycle equation, either, for drivers are the ones using the trucks every day.

Many of those factors are interrelated, says Chuck Woolever, the recently retired deputy director of San Diego's refuse collection division. "We tried to spec a standard truck for the application in regards to both the chassis and body — the same transmission, body components, engine displacement, etc. — so they'd be easier and less costly to maintain," he says. "Now, we needed to use different trucks for different jobs — rear packers, front loaders, etc. — but within each of those applications, we tried to spec a standard truck with as little customization as possible."

Woolever says he also believes refuse truck drivers play a hugely critical role on the maintenance side of the life cycle management puzzle. "It's not all on the technician's shoulders," he says. "Good maintenance practices start with good pre- and post-trip inspections by the drivers. If you miss a problem on the inspection side, you'll take the truck out on the road where you'll break it, and that now means a more expensive fix is required."

"Drivers complete the life cycle circle," says Steve Ginter, vocational product marketing manager for Mack Trucks, which recently relocated its headquarters to Greensboro, N.C. "They help the maintenance side identify unexpected problems before they become breakdowns. Even attention to small items by drivers is critical. Take wipers, for example: if they are dull, they can permanently streak your windshield. A driver can spot that issue and make sure maintenance knows about it."