An Ounce of Prevention is Worth a Pound of Cure: Avoiding Over-Weight Problems in Refuse Pickup

On-board scales are worth the investment. They will save your company time and money, increase the safety of your drivers and of the public, and give your company information that can help your business operate more effectively.

Michael Ferguson

Overweight vehicles can be hazardous to others and harmful to public roadways—anyone working in the industry is well aware of this and the potential liabilities. But what often goes unconsidered is the damage that over-capacity vehicles can cause to your business: your drivers, your vehicles, your reputation, and your time and money.

The Weight Problem

Refuse workers have one of the highest rates of on-the-job injuries in the United States. In 2004, “solid waste collection workers were […] two times more likely to suffer lost workday injuries than the average service sector worker”¹ There are multiple reasons for this statistic, but one factor that cannot be overlooked is the danger caused by refuse vehicles themselves. For refuse companies, this can be a huge liability as well as an ethical dilemma.

Refuse trucks are more likely than other vehicles to be involved in collisions. They are large and have limited visibility, and are often forced to navigate on narrow city streets lined with parked cars and people leaving their driveways. Overweight trucks further compound a driver’s chances of being involved in a collision.  When a vehicle carries more than the recommended suspension weight, the effectiveness of the truck is significantly reduced. Study after study has shown that overweight vehicles handle less responsively and require a longer stopping distance.² Being overloaded also puts excess stress on the engine, transmission, brakes and steering systems, causing premature wear and failure.³ As Sgt. John Duley of the Connecticut State police notes, “Any overweight vehicle is posing a traffic hazard, but if there were to be an accident involving a garbage truck, cars would literally be buried under the garbage.”⁴

This increased risk is of great concern for any refuse company because of its implications for safety, liability and reputation. It goes without saying that your company does not want its employees to be injured on the job or cause a potentially fatal accident, but accidents can also damage your public image. It is well documented that large trucks carrying heavy loads cause significantly more damage to public roadways than do other vehicles. According to a study in Minnesota, garbage vehicles have the same impact on roads as do 1,125 passenger automobiles, and “further, the number of overweight vehicles using roadways increases the potential for paving damage.”⁵ City councils take note of industries, such as refuse removal, that have the capacity to greatly increase their expenses. And some customers may also notice the damage refuse trucks are causing to their streets, which for them usually means increased taxes.

There are also potential legal implications to driving over the legal weight limit. Overweight refuse trucks can also be subject to impoundment and enormous fines, even upwards of $15,000 per truck if the violation is severe enough.⁶ A driver involved in a collision where there is an overweight vehicle can face a suspended license, assault or reckless endangerment charges, or even manslaughter charges if there is a fatality.⁷

On top of the safety risks and liabilities, overweight vehicles can significantly cost your company in both time and money. Vehicles that are loaded past maximum capacity will need more frequent repairs due to damage of brakes, suspension and other mechanical systems. Refuse trucks cost between $130,000 and $170,000, and most are in use for between 8 and 12 years,⁸ but overloading trucks will reduce their useful life. You will end up paying more for repairs as well as new trucks. Overweight trucks waste your drivers’ time as well as company time, meaning many drivers are getting paid less and are less satisfied with their jobs. The last thing a driver wants is to be held up at a landfill because his vehicle is overweight. [The landfill] may make him remove some of the weight or make the truck sit for an undetermined amount of time. This prevents the driver from returning to his route, which is lost time and lost revenue.⁹

It’s clear that overweight trucks cause serious problems for drivers, companies and communities and should be avoided. But most drivers do not have the information they need to avoid overloading their trucks. [Drivers] are completely guessing when it comes to garbage trucks. Without a scale, drivers typically will load the truck until they are done with a route or until the vehicle is completely packed, which will almost always lead to overweight vehicles.¹⁰ And in-ground scales often don’t offer a cost-effective solution; some companies must travel out of their way to use them, while others have had to extend their open hours in order to weigh trucks.¹¹

On-Board Scales as a Solution

On-board scales give your driver weight information, updated in real time, reported to the cab of the truck. Scales contain displays that state the weight of each bin, the total gross weight of the truck, the weight of all refuse in the truck and the weight that is carried by each suspension group. This helps your driver know exactly when a truck is at full capacity so it won’t be overloaded. With this information, you can avoid damage to your refuse vehicles as well as penalties and liabilities and increase your drivers’ safety. Many on-board scales also include the ability to communicate with your truck’s internal computer, data you can then send to your administrative offices and use for reporting or print in the cab of the truck. Because scales can weigh individual commercial refuse containers, companies can use on-board scales to audit routes as well as larger commercial customers, identifying those who are overloading bins and setting rates appropriately. Knowing the amount of weight customers are putting into their bins allows a company to make better decisions on the most efficient routes for their drivers.¹²

Many on-board scales have the ability to alarm the driver when an overload is detected, which further increases the scales’ usability and effectiveness. A blinking light or an audible notification will notify the driver that the truck is approaching maximum weight capacity. You can also use alarms to notify drivers when the vehicle is approaching maximum weight. At perhaps 2,000 pounds below the legal limit the warning light will blink, letting your driver know he needs to begin thinking about returning to the landfill. Closer to maximum weight (around 200 pounds), the alarm will sound or the light will remain on instead of blinking intermittently. Alarms can even be programmed to disengage the truck’s loading mechanism when the weight has reached a maximum limit, so the driver is not physically able to overfill the refuse vehicle.

A cost-to-benefit analysis clearly shows that on-board scales are worth the investment. They will save your company time and money, increase the safety of your drivers and of the public, and give your company information that can help your business operate more effectively.

Michael Ferguson is National Account Manager for Air-Weigh Inc. (Eugene, OR). In operation for more than 25 years, Air-Weigh’s mission is to protect the safety of drivers, reduce expenses for trucking companies, and make communities better and safer for everyone. They work toward these goals by providing on-board scales and other weight solutions to trucking companies around the world. Michael can be reached at (541) 349-8584.

Notes

1. Tuller, David, M.P.H. 2013. “Garbage Collectors.” Health Day Health Library. Accessed May 6, 2013. http://consumer.healthday.com/encyclopedia/article.asp?AID=646458
2. Demarco, Peter. 2010. “Piling on too much weight is bad for cars, too.” Boston.com. Accessed May 6, 2013.  www.boston.com/cars/news/articles/2010/06/06/piling_on_too_much_weight_is_bad_for_cars_too
3. Mid South Truckers Group Inc. 2012. “Dangers of an Overweight Truck.” Mid South Truckers Group Online. Accessed May 6, 2013. www.midsouthtruckersgroup.com/about-us/our-blog/dangers_of_an_overweight_truck
4. The New York Times. 1994. “Patrols Hunt Trash Trucks From New York With Defects.” The New York Times Online. Accessed May 6, 2013. www.nytimes.com/1994/10/07/nyregion/patrols-hunt-trash-trucks-from-new-york-with-defects.html
5. City of Chanhassen Organized Collection Study. 1993. “Final Report.” Resource Strategies Corporation. Accessed May 6, 2013.  www.co.ramsey.mn.us/NR/rdonlyres/909B52B9-D2FE-42E4-A9E4-4EC6F91B11E8/5510/PC_Traffic_Issues.pdf

6. Shanoff, Barry. 1994. “Overweight Trucks Face Hefty Fines.” WasteAge. Accessed May 8, 2013. http://waste360.com/mag/waste_overweight_trucks_face
7. Schurin, Zachary. 2007. “Criminal Penalties for Overweight Trucks.” State of Connecticut General Assembly. Accessed May 6, 2013. http://www.cga.ct.gov/2007/rpt/2007-R-0214.htm

8. Inform. 2009. “Facts on Greening Garbage Trucks: New Technologies for Cleaner Air.” Inform Online. Accessed May 6, 2013. www.informinc.org/fact_ggt.php

1. Anderson, Michael. Interview with Alissa Stoops. Personal interview. Eugene, Oregon, May 7, 2013.
2. Anderson, Michael. Interview with Alissa Stoops. Personal interview. Eugene, Oregon, May 7, 2013.
3. Lovely, Lori. 2013. “Weighty Work.” MSW Management. Accessed May 6, 2013. www.mswmanagement.com/MSW/Articles/Weighty_Work_19938.aspx?page=1
4. Anderson, Michael. Interview with Alissa Stoops. Personal interview. Eugene, Oregon, May 7, 2013.