Meridian Waste expands fleet with 13 new McNeilus refuse collection vehicles

McNeilus Truck and Manufacturing, Inc. has delivered 13 refuse and recycling collection vehicles to Meridian Waste for a new municipal contract startup in Richland County, South Carolina. The order was coordinated through McNeilus dealer Atlantic Heavy Duty and includes McNeilus Zero Radius Automated Site Loaders and McNeilus Heavy Duty Rear Loaders. The new fleet of vehicles will support residential collection operations and provide reliable performance for demanding collection routes. 

To support the contract, Meridian Waste established a new South Carolina Midlands-area operations facility featuring an eight-bay under-roof service centre, dedicated parts room, and operational offices. In preparation for the startup, Meridian Waste hired and trained collection personnel, route supervisors, maintenance staff, and leadership teams, while Atlantic Heavy Duty provided refuse truck driver and technician training leading up to the launch.

The fleet configuration was selected to support efficient residential collection and daily route reliability while incorporating proven features and refuse collection technology.

The 13-unit fleet of McNeilus refuse trucks includes:

Seven McNeilus Zero Radius Automated Side Loaders:

• Zero Radius automated side loader configuration for residential collection
• Designed for manoeuvrability and efficient home-to-home pickup operations
• McNeilus features that promote operator visibility and control
• Proven automated collection technology for demanding residential routes

Six McNeilus Heavy Duty Rear Loaders:

• Heavy-duty rear loader bodies designed for residential collection
• 25-yard body configuration to support route productivity
• Built for daily extreme-duty collection applications
• Durable body construction engineered for long-term performance and reliability

The launch of the new fleet was made possible with strong collaboration between companies 

"From facility preparation and route planning to technician training and parts support, a tremendous amount of coordination went into this startup well before the first bin was serviced," said Chris Elvanian, vice president of sales for Atlantic Heavy Duty. "The success of this deployment reflects the collaboration between Meridian Waste, McNeilus, and Atlantic Heavy Duty, along with the commitment to having the right equipment, trained personnel, and support systems in place to serve customers effectively from day one."

Atlantic Heavy Duty provided support by stocking Meridian Waste's parts department with high-use inventory items and assisting with operational readiness planning to support ongoing service and maintenance needs.

"Successful contract startups require strong coordination, dependable equipment, and extensive preparation," said Jason Fritz, vice president of sales for McNeilus Truck and Manufacturing. "Meridian Waste, Atlantic Heavy Duty, and McNeilus worked closely together throughout the planning and implementation process to help ensure the fleet, facilities, personnel, and service support systems were ready to perform on day one. We appreciate Meridian Waste's trust in McNeilus and Atlantic Heavy Duty as partners in this important deployment."

Fritz added, "This contract launch highlights the importance of dependable refuse collection equipment backed by strong dealer support and customer preparation. The McNeilus Zero Radius Side Loaders and Heavy Duty Rear Loaders are built to handle the day-to-day demands of residential collection while helping operators work safely and efficiently."