There Are Problems, but They Are Solvable
Discussion with Garbage Truck Industry Experts
The status of an "unsolvable problem"
Is something we assign to challenges ourselves.
- Statement by a psychologist
Industry leaders in municipal solid waste (MSW) management report that garbage truck operators face significant fines due to constant violations of axle load limits, negatively impacting the profitability of their operations.
To understand the root of this problem and explore possible solutions, we spoke with specialists from manufacturers, distributors, and developers in the garbage truck industry.
Since January 1, 2019, Russia has been implementing the "Waste Management Reform", also known as the "Garbage Reform", across its regions (Moscow, St. Petersburg, and Sevastopol joined on January 1, 2022).
By 2024, another phase of the reform will conclude, aligning with the completion of the "Ecology" national project and its "Comprehensive MSW Management System" initiative. As a result, government agencies will soon be evaluating five years of progress and presenting their reports.
It is noted that approximately 23,600 specialized vehicles are currently involved in the collection and transportation of municipal solid waste (MSW). However, there is still a significant shortage of garbage trucks, with a deficit of 3,286 units.
In addition to the lack of sufficient vehicles, another critical issue in MSW management is the exceeding of permissible axle loads by garbage trucks and skip loaders used for waste collection and transportation.
The Issue of Excessive Axle Load
All the experts interviewed agreed that the main reasons for exceeding permissible axle loads in garbage trucks are: heavy waste compaction equipment and operators loading garbage trucks to their maximum capacity.
Maxim Prygunov, CEO and Founder of LLC "AVTOKRAFT"
"The primary causes of overload are the heavy compaction mechanism and the operators' desire to optimize costs by transporting larger amounts of waste per trip. Reducing the weight of the compactor is difficult—if the truck is equipped with a lighter but weaker press, it will quickly break down.
In my opinion, using high-strength steel in the compaction system could reduce axle load, but it won’t completely solve the problem.
Another challenge is Russia’s low waste management culture—garbage bins often contain non-compressible items like concrete, wood, and metal."
Artem Eidman, Head of Product Development at BWG (Official Sinotruk Distributor in Russia)
"Balancing payload capacity within legal axle load limits is a compromise. Reducing the curb weight of a truck weakens its durability, leading to suspension and brake failures over time—something customers dislike.
However, we haven't received significant complaints from clients regarding this issue."
Olga Solovyova, CEO of "KDM Plant" (Smolensk)
"Both operators and the government place high demands on waste collection vehicles. Legally, a garbage truck has a 7-year depreciation period.
To ensure reliability throughout this period, the compaction system must function flawlessly, achieving maximum waste compression.
As manufacturers, we use the most wear-resistant metals for the truck body, tailgate, compaction mechanism, container lifter, and ejector plate. However, when fully loaded, the combined weight of the metal structure and compactor significantly increases axle loads.
If we used lighter materials for the compaction plate, the garbage truck wouldn’t withstand the load and would quickly fail, leading to higher maintenance costs and a greater need for fleet renewal.
These expenses could ultimately increase waste collection tariffs."
Is a technical solution to the problem possible?
Experts have differing opinions on whether a technical solution exists for the issue of exceeding axle load limits.
M. Prygunov, AVTOKRAFT, is skeptical: "The issue of exceeding permissible axle loads in garbage trucks is indeed serious. Unfortunately, there is currently no technical solution available on the market, and I doubt one will appear anytime soon. Based on our calculations, there are no 'perfect' garbage trucks. You can't defy physics—the compaction mechanism is very heavy, and the load weight simply cannot be significantly reduced."
Sergey Metelev, Technical Director of KROMANN Group, agrees and adds: "We have encountered the fact that both domestic and foreign vehicle manufacturers do not equip their chassis with high-load-capacity front axles. As a result, ensuring proper load distribution on a garbage truck without exceeding the allowable front axle load is practically (and technically) impossible."
A. Eidman, BWG, holds a different opinion. He believes that manufacturers are fully capable of producing garbage trucks that comply with legal axle load limits, but operators deliberately overload them: "The vehicles we supply have a curb weight that ensures axle loads remain within legal limits. Operators could load garbage trucks in a way that does not exceed the permitted limits for road use.
However, such an approach is inefficient, so users exceed the legal values, trying to transport more waste per trip. Unique solutions will inevitably be significantly more expensive. Multi-axle vehicles, for example, cannot be used as garbage trucks in urban environments due to poor maneuverability. Clients are forced to find a compromise between the number of vehicles and drivers performing the work, as well as the payload capacity of the trucks."
Oleg Sibrikov, Head of Sales at TK Lift, also emphasizes cost as a key factor: "In our opinion, there are Russian manufacturers with the necessary expertise to produce modern municipal garbage trucks. However, the cost of such a 'perfect' vehicle would be comparable to that of foreign-made models."
Garbage Truck Handling Issues
S. Metelev, KROMANN, continued his thought and highlighted another pressing issue that other experts had not mentioned—the load on the front axle and garbage truck handling:
"When designing a multilift system, our engineers must ensure that axle load limits are not exceeded. However, the front axle of a multilift must carry at least 22% of the vehicle's total weight to ensure proper road contact and good handling. This dilemma can be solved by using a higher-load-capacity front axle (9 tons) and a reinforced suspension system.
However, such chassis will be more expensive than standard ones. Unfortunately, for regional operators, the decisive factor is always having the cheapest garbage truck possible. The fact that a 7-ton front axle will constantly operate under overload, leading to quick wear and tear on springs and tires, is seen as an insignificant concern.
The problem is that decisions about ordering and purchasing vehicles in these companies are made not by technical specialists, but by financial managers and lawyers who do not consider technical challenges. All of our manufacturer's proposals for designing a multilift truck with a hook loader, good handling, and a front axle within legal limits are rejected by regional operators for financial reasons.
For example, instead of a 6-meter, 27 m³ container, they prefer a 7-meter, 36 m³ container for municipal solid waste. However, with such a container, the weight distribution shifts, placing more load on the rear axle and reducing the load on the front axle, which negatively affects the truck's handling.
At the same time, regional operators' concerns are understandable—waste disposal sites are usually far from major cities, so they want garbage trucks to carry as much waste as possible per trip. This is where technical considerations conflict with economic priorities."
How Do Foreign Manufacturers Address the Issue of Excessive Axle Load?
Our expert interviewees also had differing opinions on this matter.
A. Eidman, BWG, stated:
"Foreign manufacturers reduce the weight of their garbage truck structures, often compromising reliability. In many cases, the payload capacity is also lower than in Russia. However, the higher operating costs are offset by increased waste collection tariffs."
M. Prygunov, AVTOKRAFT, believes:
"It’s very simple: in other countries, axle load limits are higher than in Russia, so waste collection companies do not face these issues. Structurally, foreign and domestic garbage trucks are very similar."
O. Solovyova, KDM Plant, supports this view:
"Garbage trucks from popular foreign manufacturers, which were previously available in Russia, were structurally similar to modern Russian garbage trucks. Similar specialized vehicles with the same technical specifications continue to operate in other countries today—the only difference is the legally permitted axle load limits."
On Lifting Axle Load Restrictions
The proposal by MSW industry leaders to remove axle load restrictions as a solution to garbage truck overloading and fines received mixed reactions.
M. Prygunov, AVTOKRAFT, fully supported the idea:
"The proposal to lift axle load restrictions for garbage trucks is completely justified. Otherwise, the industry could face serious consequences, and cities may become overrun with waste."
O. Sibrikov, TK Lift, was more cautious:
"Finding a compromise is necessary to address this complex issue."
On Domestic Manufacturers' Products
We would like to end this article on an optimistic note, so we asked our speakers to share information about the products their companies offer.
S. Metelev, KROMANN, explained how his company works individually with each customer:
"We design multilift garbage trucks, selecting chassis, multilift mechanisms, and containers based on specific needs. When designing garbage trucks, we ensure that axle loads remain within legal limits while also maximizing payload capacity.
Before starting a project, we determine the customer's operational requirements. With this information, we can order the most suitable chassis from manufacturers, considering factors like wheelbase and high-load-capacity front axles. If needed, we suggest installing a suspension stabilization system to prevent the truck from bouncing when loading containers. We also help choose an optimally sized container.
If a customer wants a larger capacity container, we warn them that this would increase the load on the front axle beyond legal limits. However, technical solutions exist, which we offer—extending the wheelbase, using a shorter container, or reinforcing the front axle with stronger springs and higher-load-capacity tires."
M. Prygunov, AVTOKRAFT, teased upcoming innovations:
"Our team has accumulated vast experience in waste transportation equipment. We are now preparing to launch a new line of garbage trucks that can be operated by a single person. I won’t reveal too much yet, but I can say that improving weight distribution is a key focus for our new models."
O. Solovyova, KDM Plant, emphasized quality and local sourcing:
"The SM series rear-loading garbage trucks were developed by KDM Plant using modern global engineering practices and mostly domestic components."
O. Sibrikov, TK Lift, highlighted market trends:
"We work closely with BWG, sourcing chassis from them. Currently, we see growing demand for hook loaders and are focusing on meeting this need. While we have experience in garbage truck production, this segment has not shown significant customer interest yet."
Thus, industry experts have identified key challenges in MSW collection and disposal and proposed potential solutions. They have once again confirmed a fundamental truth: No problem is unsolvable when there is a genuine willingness to find a solution.
