Autocar Trucks, America's oldest vehicle brand, recently announced the release of its 2018 Autocar Truck Calendar. The calendar is now available to purchase through the Autocar Gear Store - the company's online shop for Autocar-branded merchandise (www.autocar-gear.com).
The calendar features 12 Autocar trucks recently put into service across the United States and Canada from nationally recognized fleets like GFL Environmental and Waste Industries, to municipalities like Kissimmee, Florida and Long Beach, California, and private haulers like Dahl Disposal Services, Groot Recycling and Waste, and Paines Recycling.
Each photograph is accompanied by a statement from the owner on the attributes and differences that make Autocar the right tool for his business. Mike Seader, Vice President of Western Disposal Services (Boulder, CO) states, Autocar's president, "Jim Johnston and the Autocar team are building a true refuse truck. Other trucks are built for lighter vocations and can't hold up to the stress. The trash industry needs a stronger truck. Autocar looks at what it takes to make a driver comfortable and productive and our only downtime comes from maintenance or predictable wear."
Mike Paine, President of Paines, Inc., outlines the "total cost of ownership" calculation that business owners must perform when evaluating a new truck for their fleet. Is it worth the gamble to pay less upfront and hope the repair and maintenance costs aren't too bad or is it better to invest in a higher quality truck with demonstrably lower cost of ownership? When a refuse hauler's success is on the line, it's important to do the math. "We got competitive quotes when we were looking for new trucks. The Autocar price was higher, but you're paying for quality. Now that our trucks are on the road, we ARE paying for quality and I'm fine with that," says Mr. Paine.
Other featured waste haulers touch upon Autocar's unique process of integrating the truck chassis with the refuse collection body. Those unfamiliar with the refuse truck industry might be surprised to learn that while the truck is purchased as a whole, the chassis and the collection bodies come from two separate companies (each depending on the customer's choice). This merging of elements can leave room for maintenance and reliability problems in the future if not expertly managed from the initial engineering concepts to the moment the truck rolls off the factory floor. Marty Mitchell, Fleet Purchasing Manager for Athens Services, said "Autocar see the integrity of the chassis and the body as one. There's no modifications to make the body fit. Autocar has the integration of all the components down to a science and supports the truck as one complete tool."
New to this year's calendar is a timeline of Autocar trucks throughout history to celebrate 120 years of the company's history. Autocar, founded in 1897, is the oldest motor vehicle brand in the United States and built America's first truck in 1899. Since then, Autocar has become the only American truck manufacturer focused on trucks for severe-duty applications - still adhering to the same mission that launched the company to its initial success: building custom-engineered trucks to provide purpose-built tools for the most demanding jobs. Among those featured in the historical section of the Autocar calendar are the cities of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the District of Columbia, and New York, New York.