There are four main types of garbage trucks on the road today. Each of them serves their own particular function, and most are built to be tough and haul away any amount of garbage you can pack into them. Garbage trucks are a staple in todays way of living and there is no evidence that there will ever be a shortage of need for a garbage truck.

The front loader trucks are generally used in commercial and industrial business. They work by lifting large dumpsters by using their fork lift attached to the front of the truck. This forklift can lift the dumpster up and over the front of the garbage truck and then empty the contents of the dumpster into the back of the truck. Once the container is empty, the driver uses the joystick to return the dumpster to the ground and then compact the waste in the hopper all the way to the back, making room for the next load.

Rear loading Garbage trucks are the trucks most typically seen in residential areas on the designated garbage pickup day. They are open in the rear and require a person to manually load the garbage into the rear. Garbage collectors who ride on the backs of these machines pick up waste bins from the side of the street and deposit the contents into the trucks as they move along. If the containers are too heavy, there are lifting mechanisms that allow the garbage collector to lift the bins rather than having to do it by hand.

Since we have already tackled front and rear loading models, it just makes sense to talk about the side loaders. These loaders are open on the side of the hopper to allow waste to be dumped in. some come equipped with mechanical remote controlled arms that can grasp and empty bins into the truck. These bins are specifically created for the mechanical arm and must be placed in the exact location directed by the waste management company.

Grapple Trucks are the garbage trucks that handle large waste materieals. They also have a large arm that is used to pick up the trash and deposit it into the waste bin they are hauling. This arm works much like the arms used in the claw machines we can never seem go grab the stuffed animal out of at carnivals. Except this one works. Its powerful claw can move a lot of garbage very quickly.