A grapple truck is a

truck A truck or lorry is a motor vehicle designed to transport cargo, carry specialized payloads, or perform other utilitarian work. Trucks vary greatly in size, power, and configuration, but the vast majority feature body-on-frame constructi ...

that has a grapple loader mounted to its frame which is used for loading and sometimes hauling bulky waste. A grapple loader is defined by ANSI Z245.1 as:

“a hydro-mechanical device able to rotate on an axis with a grapple or bucket attached at the end of the boom, which is intended for the collection of waste that due to size and/or weight is impractical to containerize.”

Grapple trucks are commonly used by

municipal A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality'' may also mean the ...

sanitation or public works departments, and by

waste collection Waste collection is a part of the process of waste management. It is the transfer of solid waste from the point of use and disposal to the point of treatment or landfill. Waste collection also includes the curbside collection of recyclable ...

companies. Grapple trucks can also sometimes be used in

road construction A road is a linear way for the conveyance of traffic that mostly has an improved surface for use by vehicles (motorized and non-motorized) and pedestrians. Unlike streets, the main function of roads is transportation. There are many types of ...

and repair. There are six types of bulky waste collection system in which grapple trucks are used: loader and body systems, rear steer system, rolloff systems, rear mounted loader and haul truck systems, rear mounted loader and trailer systems, and transfer systems.

Loader and body system

A grapple truck can sometimes be configured to include a

dump body A dump truck, known also as a dumping truck, dump trailer, dumper trailer, dump lorry or dumper lorry or a dumper for short, is used for transporting materials (such as dirt, gravel, or demolition waste) for construction as well as coal. A typ ...

. A single operator loads, hauls, and dumps the load.

Rear steer system

With this system, a grapple loader is mounted on the rear of a short frame

chassis A chassis (, ; plural ''chassis'' from French châssis ) is the load-bearing framework of an artificial object, which structurally supports the object in its construction and function. An example of a chassis is a vehicle frame, the underpar ...

with an operator's cab mounted between loader and chassis cab. The loader is operated from this cab, and all driving controls are also routed to the operator's cab enabling the "rear steer" unit to drive backwards along the route and load into separate haul trucks.

Rolloff system

A grapple loader is mounted behind a truck cab. A cable roll off is mounted behind the grapple. The grapple loads in to roll off boxes. When the box is full it is dropped at a staging area and an empty box is rolled on. Boxes are transported between staging area and

landfill A landfill site, also known as a tip, dump, rubbish dump, garbage dump, or dumping ground, is a site for the disposal of waste materials. Landfill is the oldest and most common form of waste disposal, although the systematic burial of the wast ...

by a shuttle truck.

Rear mounted loader and haul truck system

A grapple loader is mounted on the rear of a short frame chassis. The grapple truck loads into separate haul trucks which travel back and forth between loading unit and landfill.

Rear mounted loader and trailer system

The grapple loader is mounted on rear of a short frame chassis, with a trailer hauled behind. The trailer is loaded, then when it is full it is exchanged for an empty one. An additional truck is used to shuttle trailers between the landfill and loading vehicle. {{clear

Transfer system

The grapple loading mechanism is mounted with a

dump truck A dump truck, known also as a dumping truck, dump trailer, dumper trailer, dump lorry or dumper lorry or a dumper for short, is used for transporting materials (such as dirt, gravel, or demolition waste) for construction as well as coal. A t ...

body on a truck chassis. The grapple truck loads into the dump truck body or into separate

haul trucks Haul trucks are off-highway, rigid dump trucks specifically engineered for use in high-production mining and heavy-duty construction environments. Haul trucks are also used for transporting construction equipment from job site to job site. Some ar ...

. When the dump truck body is full, the trash is transferred into another haul vehicle.

References

External links

Waste Industry Releases Revised Standard

Public Works Magazine article about grapple trucks

* ttp://waste360.com/mag/waste_thinking_outside Waste Age Magazine article about grapple trucks and bulky trash
Waste Age Magazine article about grapple trucks as part of automating
Trucks