City Seeks Suppliers' Cooperation

Bill Knapp

The city of Los Angeles is trying to turn a simple idea into reality: They are urging container and equipment manufacturers to work together on the system being developed for their automated recycling pilot.

The idea isn't meant to promote unity among competitors as much as it is to ensure compatibility among the system's pieces. This means having the containers functioning smoothly with the lifting devices, and both must be compatible with the vehicle's other components.

Often, a city specifies containers, trucks and other pieces separately, only to discover that occasionally they don't mesh well. In some cases, containers damaged by lifting devices may be a result of the vehicle's chassis height or body configuration.

The end result is damaged containers, poor vehicle performance and a disappointed customer. Trying to amend the situation costs time, money and goodwill.