SENATE BILL REPORT

                  SSB 5567

               As Passed Senate, March 19, 1997

Title:  An act relating to garbage and recycling trucks.

Brief Description:  Relaxing front end length limits on garbage trucks.

Sponsors:  Senate Committee on Transportation (originally sponsored by Senators Sheldon and Prince).

Brief History:

Committee Activity:  Transportation:  2/27/97, 3/5/97 [DPS].

Passed Senate, 3/19/97, 43-0.

SENATE COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION

Majority Report:  That Substitute Senate Bill No. 5567 be substituted therefor, and the substitute bill do pass.

  Signed by Senators Prince, Chair; Benton, Vice Chair; Wood, Vice Chair; Goings, Haugen, Heavey, Horn, Jacobsen, Morton, Oke, Patterson and Rasmussen.

Staff:  Mary McLaughlin (786-7309)

Background:  Front-loading garbage and recycling trucks are being used with increasing frequency in the collection of solid waste.  These vehicles are more efficient than the traditional rear-loading, high-entry vehicles due to the larger carrying capacity.

A front-loader is a truck with:  (1) a cargo hold and compressor behind the cab; and (2) a "fork" and "bucket" in front of the cab.  The fork lifts the bucket from in front of the vehicle, over the cab, and then the bucket turns with gravity to deposit the trash in the cargo hold.  The garbage is then compacted to the rear of the truck.

Current law restricts the length a vehicle or load may extend beyond the front wheels or bumper to three feet.  Because front-loaders are one to two feet over the legal limit, these vehicles should be operating under special overlength permits ($10/trip or month, $120/year) issued by the Department of Transportation (DOT).

Summary of Bill:  Front-loading garbage and recycling trucks are exempt from the three-foot extension length limit.  The fork and bucket are down only when the truck is on route and actually collecting garbage at speeds of 20 mph or less.  The bucket and fork are up and nestled when the vehicle is traveling to or from the operations base or the transfer, disposal or recycling processing facility.  The exemption allows these vehicles to operate without DOT special overlength permits.

Appropriation:  None.

Fiscal Note:  Not requested.

Effective Date:  Ninety days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.

Testimony For:  Exempting the new, front loading trucks from the three-foot extension will  allow for more efficient operation and be more cost effective to the consumer.

Testimony Against:  None.

Testified:  PRO:  Senator Sheldon, prime sponsor; John Paul Jones, WA Refuse & Recycling Association; Barry Diseth, WSDOT.