Taking out the Trash
JR Richards and Sons adds 26 new IVECOs to its fleet
The latest-generation IVECO ACCOs combine a locally developed dual-control system with Solo Resource Recovery side-loading compactor bodies.
The average household wheelie bin lives a relatively peaceful existence. It spends most of the week leaning against a fence, occasionally gets dragged to the kerb and, once emptied, is returned home with varying degrees of accuracy.
The truck collecting it has a considerably harder life.
It spends hour after hour stopping, starting, turning, reversing and threading its way through suburban streets, often before most residents have located the kettle. Beyond town, the same truck may be sent rattling across corrugated dirt roads where the scenery is lovely but the suspension would probably prefer not to discuss it.
It is an unforgiving job that demands a purpose-built vehicle, which helps explain why waste industry leader JR Richards and Sons has continued a relationship with IVECO and the Australian-developed ACCO that stretches back almost half a century.
At a Glance
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- 26 new IVECO trucks added to the JR Richards and Sons fleet
- 25 ACCO 6×4 dual-control compactors fitted with Solo Resource Recovery side-loading bodies
- One IVECO S-Way 8×4 460 AD equipped with a Palfinger hooklift
- The trucks will support local government contracts in Picton and Moss Vale, New South Wales
- JR Richards and Sons now operates almost 280 IVECOs, continuing a relationship that began nearly 50 years ago
- The company has recently welcomed 26 new IVECO trucks into its fleet as part of an equipment renewal program supporting local government contracts in Picton and Moss Vale, New South Wales.
- Twenty-five of the new vehicles are latest-generation ACCO 6×4 models, each fitted with IVECO Australia’s locally developed dual-control system and a side-loading compactor body manufactured by Solo Resource Recovery.
- The final truck is an S-Way 8×4 460 AD equipped with a Palfinger hooklift body, giving the new intake a little more versatility than 26 identical trucks lined up for the morning shift.
Three of the 25 new IVECO ACCO 6×4 side loaders, ready to begin work on local government waste collection contracts in southern New South Wales.
Almost 50 years with the ACCO
JR Richards and Sons began operating IVECO vehicles, particularly the ACCO, almost 50 years ago. Today, the company’s fleet includes close to 280 IVECO trucks, with the oldest still in service being a 1996 ACCO fitted with a rear-loading compactor body.
That sort of longevity is not achieved by assigning a truck an easy life and allowing it to spend its afternoons admiring the workshop floor.
Overseeing the latest acquisitions was JR Richards and Sons General Manager, Logistics, Fleet and NHVR Compliance, Rod Jones. Together with General Manager, Fleet and Maintenance, Dave Endycott, Rod is responsible for evaluating, purchasing and managing the company’s extensive fleet and plant equipment.
With almost 20 years at JR Richards and Sons, as well as broader experience in transport fleet management, Rod has developed a thorough understanding of what separates a capable waste collection vehicle from one that merely looked convincing in the brochure.
“There are a lot of factors to consider when choosing a truck for refuse work,” Rod explained.
“Along with the actual performance of the vehicle and how well it fits the role, the purchase decision is also shaped by the contracts we hold and the organisations we work for.
“Increasingly, there are strict requirements around truck emissions. All trucks need to meet Euro 6 emissions standards at a minimum, and OH&S requirements are also high.”
Fleet consistency gives JR Richards and Sons’ drivers familiar controls while simplifying training, servicing and spare-parts support.
Designed for stop-start punishment
The new ACCOs are powered by IVECO Cursor 9 engines meeting Euro 6 Step E emissions requirements and producing 310 hp and 1,300 Nm of torque.
The engines are matched to Allison 3200 six-speed fully automatic transmissions, a well-proven combination designed to deliver durability and straightforward operation in the relentless stop-start conditions of waste collection work.
The S-Way 8×4 460 AD uses the larger Euro 6 Step E Cursor 11 engine, producing 460 hp and 2,150 Nm of torque. It is coupled to IVECO’s 12-speed Hi-Tronix automated manual transmission.
It is a driveline better suited to shifting serious loads than creeping from bin to bin, which is precisely the point of the hooklift-equipped S-Way.
Safety beyond the standard list
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- The latest ACCO and S-Way models also provide an extensive suite of active safety technology.
- Standard features include:
- Advanced Emergency Braking System
- Brake Assistance System
- Adaptive Cruise Control
- Lane Departure Warning System
- Electronic Stability Program
- Anti-lock braking with disc brakes on all wheels
- ASR anti-slip regulation
“Having a high level of safety is vital. There’s an expectation that the trucks have all the ‘bells and whistles’,” Rod said.
“Along with the long list of equipment the IVECOs already come with as standard, we install a range of extra cameras, along with speed limiters that are activated under certain operating conditions, such as when the rear hopper door is open.”
In an operating environment where trucks work among pedestrians, parked vehicles, narrow streets and an apparently endless collection of bins positioned in creatively inconvenient locations, visibility and controlled vehicle movement are particularly important.
JR Richards and Sons has added 25 dual-control IVECO ACCO side loaders and an IVECO S-Way 8×4 hooklift truck to support waste collection contracts in Picton and Moss Vale.
A working life measured in engine hours
The new ACCOs replace earlier models that have been operating since 2014. During their service lives, the outgoing trucks accumulated an average of approximately 25,000 engine hours.
Unlike many transport applications, waste collection trucks cannot be judged by kilometres alone. Their working lives are dominated by low-speed operation, hydraulic equipment use and thousands upon thousands of stops.
And the work is not confined to smooth suburban streets.
“The work they do isn’t just on sealed residential roads,” Rod said.
“A lot of the time our trucks head out into the bush and operate on rough dirt roads and have to deal with a heap of corrugations. They can get a real flogging.”
It is a wonderfully Australian description of a demanding duty cycle. In engineering terms, “a real flogging” generally means every component is tested repeatedly, often while covered in dust and accompanied by a noise suggesting the road grader has taken the week off.
JR Richards and Sons’ Moss Vale Workshop Manager, Darren Woods (l) with JR Richards and Sons’ Moss Vale Operations Manager, Justin Towse.
The benefits of fleet consistency
Operating a largely uniform fleet also delivers practical benefits for drivers, maintenance teams and daily operations.
“There’s a familiarity for the drivers,” Rod explained.
“We normally assign a driver to a truck and collection route because it increases efficiency and minimises the chance of bins being missed, but if there’s a need for another driver to fill in, it’s all straightforward.
“There are also advantages in spare-part holdings for our workshop. While the new ones will go back to IVECO for servicing and maintenance during the warranty period, we also run our own workshops.”
Standardising vehicles reduces the number of unfamiliar controls and operating procedures drivers encounter when moving between trucks. It can also simplify training, fault diagnosis, parts inventories and workshop support.
In an industry where a truck sitting idle can quickly disrupt an entire collection schedule, these efficiencies carry considerable value.
The latest-generation IVECO ACCOs combine a locally developed dual-control system with Solo Resource Recovery side-loading compactor bodies.
Ready for another long run
All 26 new trucks are now in service, and Rod expects the latest fleet investment to continue the dependable performance JR Richards and Sons has experienced from its IVECO vehicles over many decades.
“We have a strong and enduring relationship with IVECO, and I’m confident the latest-generation models will meet our expectations,” Rod said.
After almost 50 years of ACCOs, close to 280 IVECOs in the current fleet and an example from 1996 still earning its keep, that confidence is based on considerably more than optimism.
The wheelie bins of Picton and Moss Vale may not appreciate the significance of the occasion, but they can expect their weekly appointments to continue with impressive punctuality.
