Roll-Off Case Study

As Seen In

WasteAdvantage
The Advantage in the Waste Industry

New Roll-Off Makes it Easier to be Green

Kristie Pohlman

Wilkinson Iron & Metal acquires Palfingers American Roll-Off truck and immediately sees A RetuRn On InvestMent WIth vehIcle RelIAbIlIty, lAck Of seRvIce MAIntenAnce And MeetIng cuRRent eMIssIOns RegulAtIOns.

Wilkinson iron & Metal May have started in the small Texas town of Brownsville, but the business is going as strong as the steel they recycle. Jim Wilkinson grew up around the recycling industry with his grandfather starting out in 1937. Wilkinson took over the business in 1966, serving the southern area of Texas as well as northern Mexico.

Collecting Scrap Metal

For Wilkinson, the scrap industry is pretty straightforward. They collect scrap metal of all kinds and transport it by rail to a smelting plant in Mexico where the metals are refined and eventually return to the U.S. as a raw material. In most cases, the scrap metal comes to Wilkinson through other hauling companies, so the need for a large fleet of

vehicles is minimal at this point in time. However, Wilkinson does have several of his own container trucks to provide scrap removal and hauling services to other companies. Empty containers are delivered to businesses to be filled and then swapped out once they are full. Wilkinson only acquires new equipment when the need arises. As existing trucks become a burden through service maintenance costs, they are replaced. One truck in particular led him to search for a stateof-the-art truck. The Palfinger American Roll-Off truck he found was not only their newest model, but the quality was also there, along with the right price. Another key factor that made fueled his decision was availability. The truck was already built up and ready to go on the dealers lot.

Adding a Palfinger Solution

Wilkinsons most recent addition of a PALFINGER American Roll-off (PARO) truck package has many qualities that make it a unique vehicle. The truck itself is a newer Kenworth model. The T440 has a configuration for regional hauling, city pickup and delivery, municipal and vocational applications. The bed features a PARO ARL 60-22 that accommodates container beds that are 10' to 22' long with a carrying capacity of 60,000 lbs. Hi Tech Truck Rigging & Equipment, the PARO dealer in the Houston area, put the truck package together. Bill Rhodes, Technical Sales Representative for Hi Tech, explained that the ARL has a very accommodating body frame. Knowing the potential that this truck package would have in the region, Rhodes worked with a local Kenworth dealer, Performance Truck out of Buda, TX, to arrange putting together this turnkey package and offering it through a consignment with the truck dealer. He introduced the ARL 60-22 as a new unit and mentioned its advantages and how it is a product that no one else currently offers. Lets make one to put on your lot until you have it sold, Rhodes said, and thats exactly what happened in three months time. Once he explained how Space is
Jim Wilkinson of Wilkinson Iron & Metal grew up around the recycling industry. Photos courtesy of PALFINGER.

PAROs ARL60-20 model has its cylinders located inside the frame, which allows more space for CNG tanks.

Benefits of CnG
CNG is a type of fossil

at a premium on the trucks and the cylinders are now located inside the frame which allows more space for building up the truck, the decision to proceed was clear. This has become a huge advantage for trucks that are configured with the new compressed natural gas (CNG) fuel tanks. The transition to the new vehicle was relatively seamless. The whole process took a span of two weeks. The only delay was the fact that Wilkinson needed a tarp system. However, it is quite common for trucks to be sold without a system installed due to the needs of the customer that buys it. There is a wide range of tarping systems available that cater to the needs of the industry. By installing a system prior to sale, dealers would limit the number of potential customers that may be interested in a particular truck.

Benefits of the ARL 60

With its compact design, the ARL 60 can easily accommodate larger CNG tanks with no problem. At this time, fuel distribution is limited based upon

fuel that is produced at the region, with many businesses being their a relatively low cost and own filling station. However, in a municipality is a cleaner burning fuel operation or local hauling it is perfect. The compared to gasoline ARL can fuel up at its home base, deliver/ and diesel fuels. The new pickup containers and easily be back by the fuel has its advantages end of the day for refueling. and disadvantages as Overall, Wilkinson is pleased with his PARO well, being that it emits ARL 60-22 and how it positively contributes significantly less pollution to his business. As with any replacement of yet refueling stations are still very limited. Other equipment, he has immediately seen a return issues include the fact on investment with vehicle reliability and that CNG is consumed lack of service maintenance. Of course, being a at a faster rate than new model, Wilkinson also acknowledges the standard fuels and the benefit that the truck runs more effectively and tanks that hold the meets current emissions regulations. This also CNG are much larger means that more containers and require a greater are picked up with less fuel amount of space on the being used, which adds truck to house them. dollars and savings through One advantage that efficiency. He mentions, In entices many businesses is that the U.S. offers the past 25 years the scrap Federal tax cuts for metal industry has exploded CNG vehicles. Beyond in popularity. This has the tax advantage, created the need to add the CNG is considerably roll-off to his operations. He cheaper than gasoline now feels that Wilkinson not to mention the green Iron & Metal can work much aspects of it reducing more efficiently in their pollutants into the territory. | WA environment. Kristie Pohlman is a Marketing and Customer Relations Specialist for PALFINGER North America Group (Niagara Falls, ON). She can be reached at (419) 443-8431, ext. 211 or via e-mail at k.pohlman@palfingerna.com.

2012 Waste Advantage Magazine, All Rights Reserved. Reprinted from Waste Advantage Magazine. Contents cannot be reprinted without permission from the publisher.