Rolloffs in your collection operation can be both a moneymaking opportunity and a public relations benefit. Here's how.

By Lynn Merrill

Within an integrated collection system that includes residential, commercial, and industrial services, the rolloff operation can generate cash and help offset costs to residents while making goodwill gestures in the community. Operationally it's the most productive collection system, allowing a single truck and driver each day to handle up to 80 tons of waste while generating several thousand dollars in revenue. On an investment basis, the price for a diesel-powered rolloff truck ranges from $140,000 to $160,000, significantly less than the cost of an automated truck or a frontloader. Open-topped boxes, ranging in size from 10 to 50 yd.³, can be purchased for no more than a few thousand dollars. Compared to other collection equipment, such as frontloaders, rearloaders, and sideloaders, rolloff trucks last up to 10 years without major rebuilding.

A Trucks, Tarps, and Containers
A rolloff system consists of four components: the truck chassis, the hoist mechanism, a tarp system, and the containers. While the specifications of the truck chassis are beyond the scope of this article, both conventional and cab-over chassis are used in rolloff operations, depending on the operating environment. Significantly such systems as Automated Waste Equipment's American Rolloff are available in a wide range of configurations for a variety of applications.

A cab-over chassis provides the driver with additional visibility and tighter clearances, especially useful in tight urban settings or on construction sites. A dual-axle configuration is standard, but a tri-axle or tag-axle configuration might be appropriate if most of the materials to be hauled are heavy construction debris.

The hoist mechanism consists of a pair of rails that the rolloff box rides on, a lift mechanism consisting of dual hydraulic cylinders, and a winch system that pulls the container onto the truck. The rails are designed to guide and support the container and may be configured so the truck rails are on either the inside or the outside of the matching container rails. Outside rail configurations are those most often used in rolloff operations.

The lift system raises the rails until their ends are at ground level to engage the container. The distance between the pivots and the rail ends determines the height that the rails are raised. In limited clearance situations, the pivot point may be set back from the end of the rails in order to reduce the maximum height. The greater the distance between the pivot and the rail end is, the lower the overall height of the lift is. In some instances, an extendable tail may be used to increase the rail length and achieve the same effect. The tail retracts when the truck is traveling and extends when the truck is servicing the container.

The winch, a heavy-duty, multistrand steel cable and pulley system, is used to pull the container onto the rails. A hook on the cable is mated to a hook on the container. The cable must be inspected daily to ensure that it is not frayed or damaged. One of the biggest maintenance issues relating to rolloff operations is that drivers do not fully retract and stow the cable between container services or that they allow it to drag on the ground as they position the truck to mate with the container. This will cause premature wear to the cable and lead to increased operating cost. Even more critical is the potential for injury or death if the cable should fail while pulling a container onto the truck.

Covering open-topped containers with a tarp or another cover is required to prevent debris from flying out while the truck is traveling down the highway. Tarping systems range from manual systems where the driver climbs onto the box and unfolds the tarp to fully automated systems, such as the low-profile design found on the Donovan Mantis and the Roll-Rite, where the tarp is extended and secured over the box with a pull of a lever, or the Pioneer Cover-All hydraulically adjustable rack-and-pinion design that controls the movement of the tarp throughout its deployment cycle.

In a business where the number of containers serviced in a day is determined by the time it takes to service each container, the faster a driver can get the box covered, the greater the increase in productivity and safety. In manual systems, the driver physically must climb onto the box, while it is either on the ground or on the truck, and unfold the tarp over the opening. To accomplish this, the driver must walk on the load while pulling and tugging the tarp. Many workers' compensation claims have resulted from a driver falling off the side of the container or into the container's load while tarping. Manual tarping can take up to 15 minutes to cover the box and an additional 10 minutes to refold the tarp for storage at the disposal site.

Semiautomated systems, such as Donovan's Hy-Tower SL, consist of a tarp mounted on a roller attached to a tower at the front of the truck. The roller operates like an old-fashioned window shade: The driver extends the tarp over the loaded container by pulling on a cable from the ground. The tarp is tied to the end of the container and secured on both sides with tie-downs. When finished, the tarp is retracted onto the roller through either a spring mechanism or a motor drive.

Automated tarping systems involve a set of arms, wider than the rolloff container, on both sides of the hoist. When the driver activates the tarping system from a control station either on the side of the truck or in the cab, the arms pull the tarp out of the housing and over the top of the box. These systems usually provide sufficient tension over the box so no additional strapping is necessary. In some arrangements, the tower can be raised or lowered to further position the tarp tightly against the container.

The types of containers range from 10-yd.³ open-topped boxes to 40-yd.³ compactors. Open-topped boxes range in sizes from 10 to 50 yd.³ Ten-cubic-yard boxes are used primarily for heavy materials, such as concrete, asphalt, and roofing, while 20-, 30- and 40-yd.³ standard boxes are used for everything from commercial and industrial wastes to home remodeling. Fifty-cubic-yard boxes are generally used for high-volume, low-density materials, such as tree trimmings or tires.

There are two styles of open-topped containers: boxes and troughs. The box is reinforced with outside ribbing, creating a smooth floor and sides that prevent debris from jamming when unloading. Swinging doors at one end fold and secure to the sides to allow clear access to the box for loading. The trough has a bathtub interior with no corners where debris can collect and are tapered toward the rear to allow for clean discharge of the contents. As with all waste collection equipment, containers take a beating not only from activity but from weather as well, necessitating periodic maintenance. While haulers traditionally have opted to perform repair and overhaul services themselves, increasingly this activity is being outsourced to companies, such as Mobile Container Service in Danville, VA, that specialize in container refurbishment.

Compactors are usually used in high-volume locations, such as large retail centers, grocery stores, and industrial settings, where the wastes are easily compacted to maximize densities. Compactors can be applied to both municipal solid waste and recyclable products. While they do range in size, 35- and 40-yd.³ compactors are the most common.

B Picking It Up and Putting It Down
Rolloff operations are the most efficient collection systems within the integrated collection program. The typical rolloff truck can make between eight and 10 services in a typical day, depending on the distance between stops and the disposal facility. With a typical 8-ton/40-yd.³ load, a rolloff truck can handle more tons per day than any other refuse collection vehicle.

Rolloff operations can be on either a set schedule or an on-call basis, determined by the needs of the operation. Most construction-and-demolition activities are on-call, depending on the job site and the time it takes to fill a container. These sites generally use open-topped containers due to the bulky nature of the wastes generated and the ease with which material can be deposited into the container using a skiploader or a backhoe. Commercial establishments, such as regional malls or larger retailers, might use compactors as frequently as once a day. If foodwaste is included in the container, many health codes require the container to be serviced once or twice each week.

Scheduling is handled through a centralized dispatching/customer-service center. Depending on the size of the rolloff operation, this center could be a single person who handles both customer contacts and driver scheduling or several staff members with specifically assigned responsibilities. A combination of written schedules issued to the driver each morning by the dispatching center and radio or cell-phone updates can keep the collection operation fluid and allow for last-minute additions, removals, or pickups.

For open-topped bins, temporary service is usually the largest component of the operation and is used primarily by construction contractors. With temporary bin service, developing a good working relationship with the customer is critical, especially if there is active competition for rolloff business. The construction industry is time-sensitive and production-oriented, and timely services are crucial to maintaining the accounts. Drop a bin later than scheduled or fail to empty an overflowing bin when promised, and you've probably cost the contractor money. The next time the contractor has a large project with lots of waste to haul, he'll probably pick someone else.

Bin service is fairly straightforward. The truck is aligned with the hook and rails of the bin or the compactor, the hoist is raised, and the cable is attached to the hook on the container. Compactors should be locked out prior to approaching the container to prevent unanticipated operation that could result in injury or death. Once the bin is on the truck, it's simply a matter of tarping the bin. On compactors, it is necessary to separately tarp the compactor opening to prevent spillage. At the landfill, opening the doors and raising the hoist dumps the container. Some compactors have a separate hydraulic ram that lifts the door in order to dump the compactor container. These compactors require a hose, or "wet connection," between the truck's hydraulic system and the compactor.

Placement of rolloffs should be coordinated with the customer at the time the order is placed. Whenever possible, containers should be placed on the property to avoid creating a traffic hazard. The location for placement—especially for residential customers—should be carefully reviewed by the driver or the supervisor. Some residential driveways might sustain damage from the weight of the rolloff, and it's not unheard of to damage eaves or garage doors when the container is delivered.

C Good Boxes Make Good Neighbors
Depending on the pricing and service levels, rolloffs can generate significant revenue dollars with very low capital outlay and minimum operating costs. But for many municipalities, rolloff services can also create opportunities for flexible operations, community outreach, and disaster management.

Illegal dumping and blight are ongoing problems, especially in large urban municipalities, and cleaning these locations can place a significant strain on already-scarce fiscal resources. With a combination of rolloff equipment and a community outreach program using neighborhood or homeowner associations, municipalities can offer weekly community cleanups to those who either might not be able to afford to clean up their own properties or might lack the transportation to haul waste to a recycling or disposal site. These programs are particularly effective in low- to moderate-income neighborhoods and can be accomplished in conjunction with active code-enforcement activities. While most private haulers will participate in such programs on a limited basis for goodwill, municipalities can make them a proactive part of their blight-abatement agendas.

Rolloff equipment also provides flexible equipment usage. Place a 10-yd. bin on the back of a rolloff truck, and you have a dump truck to haul soils or aggregates. Drop the box and slide a grapple body onto the rolloff, and the truck is ready to pick up bulky items, such as couches and water heaters from curbs or drainage ditches. Rolloff bodies include enclosed storage boxes, flatbeds, and water tanks and can maximize application of the chassis while reducing the cost of a complete vehicle that might not be used as often.

Rolloffs also provide assistance in cleanup after a disaster. In the aftermath of the recent firestorms throughout southern California, rolloffs were placed in devastated residential neighborhoods of one city by both the municipal and private haulers. In times of disaster, there is a great desire for residents to clean up and return to a semblance of normality as quickly as possible—but this is often more of a psychological boost than an effective cleanup tool. Fast, cost-free placement of the rolloffs allowed residents to begin the difficult process of sorting through the debris and reclaiming their lives.

Generally there is a great deal of competition among rolloff businesses within larger municipalities. A municipality that enters a limited rolloff market controlled by a dominant private hauler, however, can stabilize rates due to the lack of competition. If priced correctly, rolloff services can enhance revenue for a municipality's current collection operation, effectively offsetting residential service fees while enhancing the opportunity to provide franchise fees for cash-strapped general funds.

Author Lynn Merrill is director of public services for the City of San Bernardino, CA.