For those not familiar, you’ve probably seen automated sideload trucks in your neighborhood, around town, and on highways and byways everywhere. You may not have known, however, that you were looking at the particular type of truck in question.
What Is an ASL Automated Side Load Truck?
Most people are more familiar with the commonly used and seen rear-load truck. But with an ASL truck, there is a loading door on the side this door is controlled by a mechanical arm. From inside the truck, the driver runs the controls.
As an example, your recycling carts and trash bins are picked up and dumped into an automated side load truck by giant, heavy-duty arms that are controlled (as just stated) from the inside of the cab, by the driver.
Though these types of trucks were in existence and a number of years ago, more and more are being added to today’s fleets.
Facts About ASL Trucks
Here are some of the basics regarding automated side load trucks:
- Hugging is one of their specialties. As just referenced, the heavy-duty arms on the side of the truck pick up items such as trash bins. But they don’t simply latch onto a handle. Around the middle of the cart, those giant arms give a secure, firm hug.
- Drivers are not constantly trapped within the truck. Aside from a seatbelt, there is no reason to physically restrain the driver. As necessary, they can get out, walk around, tend to things that need attention on the outside of the truck, take a break, and so on.
- Is that driver on the wrong side? It’s true, as with the cars in England, driving one of these trucks means that you will be seated on the right-hand side of the truck – usually the passenger side in America. But that doesn’t mean that you will be driving on the right-hand side of the road!
- From inside the cab, a joystick is used by the driver to control those big, hugging arms. If you’ve ever played Q-Bert or Pac-Man at an arcade, you are familiar with joysticks. It can make the job just that much more enjoyable.
Why Choose ASL Trucks For Your Fleet?
Though there are a number of reasons to go with an ASL truck, let’s just look at two basic pros:
- Efficiency – Instead of using two drivers, only one driver is needed to operate this type of vehicle. That means more stops can be made to the tune of roughly a 30% increase.
- Safety – There is far less of a chance that a driver is going to be hit by a car because, if they choose, they can stay inside the truck. They only get out when they want to. Additionally, a driver’s body doesn’t go through the physical wear and tear because a far less strenuous situation is presented by being able to operate the mechanical arms from within the truck – with that fun joystick.
At Mickey Genuine Parts, we carry accessories, safety components, van body parts, and much, much more. Order your part by 2 PM Eastern Standard Time, and we can start shipping it to you the very same day. If you choose not to do the work yourself, we have Mickey certified service centers located throughout the United States for your convenience. Contact us today at Mickey Genuine Parts today with any questions you may have, or to place an order.