Regulations may dictate smaller route trucks

What will the truck of the future look like. Already the refuse industry is seeing the use of smaller six- to 10-yard-rear-loading trucks in residential collection. What will the fleet look like as we progress towards the year 2000. Will a typical operation use small satellite type trucks operating in conjunction with larger transfer vehicles. Or will we sell more of the same (or even larger) high-compaction units as the mainstay of the collection system. Market conditions and pure business economics will help determine the shape of things to come. But the influence of new laws and resulting regulations will also be important. This article explores the potential impact on the waste hauling industry of truck weight law changes, safety regulations, environmental restrictions, and activities of local jurisdictions.