Refuse collection vehicles at a glance: rear loaders, side loaders, front loaders, compaction systems, bins to DIN EN 840, payload, manufacturers and buying used.
A refuse collection vehicle is a mobile compactor: whatever is tipped into the hopper is compressed by a packer plate or a rotating drum until several times the loose volume is on board. Around 12,000 such vehicles are in service in Germany. Which body types exist, which bins they take, which chassis sit underneath and what to look for when buying used.
A refuse collection vehicle is a motor vehicle used in waste collection to pick up refuse. Also common are the terms garbage truck, bin lorry and dustcart; in the industry the vehicle is abbreviated to ASF (Abfallsammelfahrzeug), and “Müllpresswagen” (compactor truck) means the same vehicle with a view to its compaction system. Where the lifting and tipping device sits gives the vehicle its name: rear loader, side loader or front loader. A hybrid form is the front-side loader, whose arm reaches up to three metres in front of the cab.
The packer plate body works with a feeding packer plate and a movable ejector panel that pushes out when emptying. For vehicles with 13 to 18 m³ capacity and 7 to 11 tonnes of payload, a compaction ratio of 3.5 is quoted in the working range of the packer plate, and emptying takes about a minute. On the rotating drum body, a drum rotates and mixes the waste; the compaction ratio is lower at 2 to 4, and emptying takes 3 to 5 minutes. The drum scores with wet fractions, however: FAUN promotes the ROTOPRESS with 8 to 25 m³ for organic waste and describes the drum as leak-tight even with liquid-rich fractions.
On the rear loader, the most widespread type in household waste collection, the hopper sits at the rear: the loaders hook on two- and four-wheel bins, and the compactor pulls the load into the body. FAUN offers the VARIOPRESS in ten types from 7 to 29 m³ for chassis from 7.5 to 32 tonnes; body unladen weights range from around 2,500 kg to 6,962 kg. Terberg HS offers the Olympus narrow at 10 to 19 m³ and wide at 13 to 27 m³; at Zöller the Medium X2 is at 19 to 31 m³. Very small bodies such as the Zöller MICRO XL come with 7 to 8 m³ on chassis of 7.49 or 8.55 tonnes.
On the side loader, the lifter sits behind the cab: a telescopic arm with a reach of at least two metres and a hopper that can be designed as a claw, comb or diamond. With a true side loader, the driver controls all operations from the seat; with the so-called false side loader, the bins are moved by hand. Loading volume and payload are 5 to 27 m³ and 6 to 12 tonnes, and compaction is usually handled by two counter-rotating screws. FAUN states 19 to 28 m³ for the SIDEPRESS, Zöller lists its side loaders as the SLF series.
The front loader picks up containers with a lifting fork in front of the cab and tips them over the roof into the body. It takes containers of 0.7 to 15 cubic metres with a lifting mass of up to 3.5 tonnes; typical use is compactable commercial waste. FAUN states 33 to 38 m³ for the FRONTPRESS and 25 m³ for the front-side loader EASYPRESS. The catch is the space required: one waste company quotes a turning circle of 20 metres and at least 6,500 mm of clear height above the standing area for its emptying vehicle. An alternative for steady commercial volumes is the self-compacting swap container: compactor containers with 16 to 24 m³ and 380 kN of compaction force, moved with a hooklift truck, smaller skips with a skip loader truck.
Which bins a vehicle can empty is decided by the hopper. The bin side is governed by DIN EN 840 for wheeled waste and recycling containers of up to 1,700 litres, in six parts: part 1 two-wheel bins up to 400 l for comb hoppers, part 2 four-wheel bins up to 1,300 l with flat lids for trunnion pick-up and/or comb hoppers, parts 3 and 4 further four-wheel bins up to 1,700 l, parts 5 and 6 design, test methods and safety. In practice these are two-wheel bins between 60 and 360 litres and four-wheel bins – also called roll containers – between 660 and 1,100 litres; for the ROTOPRESS, FAUN states bins from 60 litres up to the 1,100-litre large container in accordance with EN 840-1, -2 and -3. The vehicle side is governed by DIN EN 1501: part 1 the rear loaders, part 5 the hoppers.
FAUN offers its rear loaders for two- to four-axle chassis, the ROTOPRESS also as a trailer solution. Two axles for tight areas, three as standard in household waste, four for large bodies; for refuse collection vehicles, Scania lists the configurations 6x2*4, 8x2/*6 and 8x4*4. Chassis are supplied in Germany by DAF, Daimler Truck, IVECO Magirus, MAN, Scania, Volvo and Ford Trucks, among others, as well as by the electric specialists Designwerk and Enginius. The hallmark of the municipal chassis is the low-entry cab: low entry, low seating position, large glass areas.
The body almost never comes from the chassis manufacturer. In the German manufacturers’ association, the body manufacturers organised include Dünschede Fahrzeugbau, FAUN Umwelttechnik, NTM Entsorgungssysteme, Schmidt Kommunalfahrzeuge, Terberg HS, VDL Translift and Zöller-Kipper; internationally, Geesinknorba, Heil and HN Schörling are added. Some brands now belong to a larger group: Haller, with the X1 and X2 bodies, joined Zöller-Kipper in 2010, Farid Industrie from Vinovo has belonged to the Farid Zoeller Group since 2019. Spare parts then run via today’s group.
Short stages, many stops, overnight charging at the depot: the collection round suits electric drive. The Mercedes-Benz eEconic has been in series production since 2022. For the eEconic 300 in 6x2/4, the manufacturer states 27 tonnes gross vehicle weight at 9.2 tonnes unladen weight, 400 kW peak and 330 kW continuous output, 336 kWh battery capacity, up to 150 km of range and charging at up to 160 kW. Volvo offers the FL Electric at 18.6 tonnes, the FE Electric at 28 tonnes and the FM Low Entry at 32 tonnes and 360 kWh. Hybrids exist as an intermediate step: for systems such as DUALPOWER, FAUN states savings of up to 33 percent in fuel and CO₂.
With an ASF, you buy two machines in one: chassis and body age differently. A vehicle with low mileage can have a worn body because it has been compacting for years.
The price is determined by body type and size, condition of the hopper, emission standard and number of axles. A snapshot of a used-vehicle portal shows the range: 748 listings for refuse vehicles, prices from around €4,950 to €254,900 net, years of manufacture from 2006 to 2025. Among chassis, DAF, Mercedes and Renault lead ahead of Volvo, MAN, Scania and Iveco; 452 vehicles are Euro 6, 154 Euro 5 and 64 Euro 4 or older. Older emission standards lose usability in low-emission zones and move into export more often – anyone selling should know the age limits and import rules of the target markets. A concrete figure for your vehicle is provided by the free valuation; after that, verified dealers from 35+ countries make binding offers – sell your commercial vehicle with truckoo.
On the rear loader, the hopper sits at the rear and is served by loaders who hook on the bins. On the side loader, a telescopic arm behind the cab with a reach of at least two metres grips the bin itself; with a true side loader, the driver controls everything from the seat. The side loader saves staff, but the driver is then also the loader.
That depends on volume and compaction. Vehicles with 13 to 18 m³ capacity have 7 to 11 tonnes of payload, side loaders are at 5 to 27 m³ and 6 to 12 tonnes. The packer plate compacts by a factor of about 3.5 in its working range, the rotating drum by a factor of 2 to 4.
Low entry describes a lowered cab with a short entry and low seating position. On the Mercedes-Benz Econic, entry is via two steps, on Scania’s L series via one or two steps, supported by lowering the air suspension by 100 mm. The benefit: many entries and exits per round and direct view of pedestrians and cyclists.
The governing standard is DIN EN 840: two-wheel bins up to 400 litres for comb hoppers, four-wheel bins up to 1,300 or 1,700 litres for trunnion or comb pick-up. Usual are two-wheel bins of 60 to 360 litres and roll containers of 660 to 1,100 litres. Front loaders also take containers of 0.7 to 15 cubic metres with a lifting mass of up to 3.5 tonnes.
Besides the periodic roadworthiness inspection, DGUV Regulation 70 requires in Germany that the operationally safe condition be checked at least once a year by a competent person. For refuse collection vehicles, skip loaders, hooklifts and side loaders, separate checklists apply under DGUV Principle 314-003.
Gabriel Böhm is Managing Director of truckoo GmbH, the digital platform that is redefining commercial vehicle trade in Europe. With a passion for innovation and efficiency, he shapes the strategic direction and drives operational excellence to connect sellers and buyers smarter, faster and more transparently.
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