WASTE MANAGEMENT IN THE TIME OF COVID-19

Trucks are a true blue staple of the Australian road landscape. On the roads at all hours, trucks deliver to hospitals, clinics, supermarkets, households the needed essentials—food, water, medical supplies

As these trucks and their drivers bring necessities, still others move from these places, carting waste—landfill waste, recycling, garden waste, greywater, blackwater, medical waste, to name a few… Doing the grunt work people don’t often think about, safely transporting waste to specialised management and processing facilities.

The ongoing COVID-19 crisis has effected profound changes on the way we live our lives, as well as exacted increased pressure on a range of essential industries, such as healthcare, supermarkets and grocery stores, road transport, and waste management.

With the current lockdown in place as the steady battle against COVID-19 goes on, waste in two sectors has risen: domestic and medical. The former from self-isolation orders; the latter from increased waste such as used protective equipment, a direct result of the pandemic.

This adds fresh challenges to the waste industry. Pre-COVID-19, Australia was looking at 67 million tonnes of waste generated each year; now, in 2020, that number looks to be significantly higher.

There may be many trials with the ongoing crisis, but one thing remains as true as ever: efficient waste management is a must, and robust waste management in the time of COVID-19 is especially vital.

Now more than ever, safe, effective and efficient waste management is crucial to minimising the secondary impacts of waste on not only public health and the environment, but also frontline waste management operators.

Waste management operators, such as truck drivers, continue to perform an essential service even during the lockdown, coming into direct contact with domestic, industrial and medical waste—which could translate to an increased risk of exposure to COVID-19.

Equipment efficiency and reliability are important for safe and effective waste management, reducing frontline waste collection operators’ exposure to possibly contaminated waste.

Key waste truck considerations

• Size and payload
• Harsh stop-start operation
• Driver visibility and ease of operation
• Performance and efficiency
• Reliability and durability

Local solutions for local conditions

The Isuzu Dual Control truck range is a tailored solution, designed to handle the rigours of the Australian landscape and waste industry demands.

Developed in Australia, the recently expanded range couples product value and reliability with low tare weight—which ultimately means more gets transported cost-effectively.

DUAL CONTROL MODELS

FSR 140/120-260 Dual Control (14,000/12,000 kg GVM)

FVD 165-300 Dual Control (16,500 kg GVM)

FVY 240-300 Dual Control MWB & LWB (24,000 kg GVM)

FVZ 240-300 Dual Control MWB & MLWB (24,000 kg GVM)

 

With key GVM, specification and wheelbase variants, the range caters to a broad range of waste applications including road sweepers and side-lift compactors.

Where payload is a priority, Hendrickson rear airbag suspension is available, offering tare weight advantages of up to 250 kg. Rugged steel spring rear suspension can also be specified for harsher and off-road environments.

Power comes from the Isuzu six-cylinder, 24-valve 6HK1-TCC and TCS engines, providing performance, economy and efficiency, especially under high-idle conditions.

The driver environment is well catered to with industry-spec Allison automatic transmissions and ISRI 6860 adjustable air-suspended seats with integrated seat belt across both left- and right-hand driving positions.

For ease of operation, the instrument panel is duplicated on the left-hand driving side, and both driving positions feature air-assisted steering wheel height adjustment for complete customisation and control.

DUAL CONTROL MODELS
FSR 140/120-260 Dual Control	191kW @ 2,400 RPM & 761Nm @1,450-2,400 RPM	Allison LCT2500
FVD 165-300 Dual Control	221kW @ 2,400 RPM & 981Nm @ 1,450 RPM	Allison 3000 Series
FVY 240-300 Dual Control MWB & LWB	221kW @ 2,400 RPM & 981Nm @ 1,450 RPM	Allison 3500 Series
FVZ 240-300 Dual Control MWB & MLWB	221kW @ 2,400 RPM & 981Nm @ 1,450 RPM	Allison 3500 Series

 

 

Find out more about Isuzu when they exhibit at AWRE 2020.