Roll-Off trucks and containers are essential equipment for collecting and transporting material for the recycling and solid waste industries. Hambicki’s has decades of experience building containers to fit the needs of their customers and wants to share some basics of you need to know before buying a container.
1. Which Type of Roll-Off Hoist Does Your Truck Have?
A roll-off hoist system is the part of the roll-off truck that lifts roll-off containers onto a roll-off truck for transporting. Most roll-off trucks have one of two common types; Hook-Lift and Roll-Off Hoist. Each has a different method for loading and unloading containers. Each hoist type has to have containers that are compatible with their method of loading and unloading.
Roll-Off hoists are the most common type of hoist system. The cable hoist uses a winch to pull containers up onto the truck’s bed. Compatible roll-off containers will have to have a hook in the front, near the ground for the winches cable to connect to. The roll-off containers will also have to have wheels on the rear of the container so it can roll up onto the truck’s hoist. The rails on the roll-off hoist have to line up with the bottom rails on your roll-off containers. The most common roll-off truck has hoists with 2 rails that are 34.5” to 35.5” apart. This makes the standard measurement of the roll-off container to have rails of 36” apart from inside-to-inside. Nose-rollers are positioned just inside of the container’s rails allowing the nose rollers to roll onto the truck’s hoist rails. Once thing to point out is that this is the most common cable hoist configuration, there are some trucks that have rails positioned so the containers nose roller roll on the outside of the hoist’s rails. Neither is better, it’s just preference.
Hook-lift Hoist systems don’t use cables to hoist containers onto the back of a roll-off trucks, they use 100% hydraulic power. Hook lift hoists have a big hook on the back the roll-off truck that allow a driver to back up to a roll-off container and connect the hook on the truck to a receiving hook on the container and simply lift the container up onto the truck. Many prefer the hook-lift system over the roll-off system since the driver never has to leave the comfort of his climate controlled cab to attach a cable and work a separate set of controls on the outside of the truck for loading and unloading roll-off containers. Hook-lift containers are made slightly different. They don’t have nose rollers or wheels since the hook-lift hoists lift containers right onto the truck instead of rolling it onto the truck.
2. What Dimensions Does your Roll-Off Container Need to Be?
Hambicki’s builds containers in sizes that fit customer’s needs. The right size roll-off container dimensions mostly depends on what it is being used for and how much weight you can haul. If you are hauling heavy material like glass or metal shavings, you will need smaller container since you will be over-weight trying to completely fill a large roll-off container.
3. What is the Capacity of Your Roll-Off Truck?
Roll-off trucks are made to handle varying capacities. There are specific features of a roll-off truck that define each weight capacities. It could be frame construction, axle capacities, engine and hoist capacity to name a few. Your roll-off trucks user’s guide should have recommended container capacities.
4. What is the Roll-Off Container Going to Be Used For?
It doesn’t take long to get familiar with your roll-off truck’s hoist type, capacities and compatible roll-off container dimensions. Most of your time deciding on how to buy a roll-off container will be spent on making sure your new roll-off containers fit its job. Is it going to a construction site for handling heavy construction? Then you need a container built with thicker steel than standard specifications. Is your container going to contain liquid? Then you may need a sealed back door. Is your container going to collect wood shavings? Well you may want to door to close inside of the body of the roll-off container so small wood shavings won’t escape through gaps in the body and the door.
No matter what type of roll-off truck you have of what kind of job you need a roll-off container for, Hambicki’s Truck and Container Sales can help you get the right equipment.