Maitland Garbage

I didn’t really have further plans to go back to Maitland for any garbage truck videos, but it worked out more than 12 years after my original visit to the area I was back for a council side loader. What got me over there was the fact that one of the members of the original YouTube garbage truck enthusiasts group now drives the side arms in this part of the Hunter region! I speak of none other than Zac aka Ivecofan21, who funnily enough would video the Maitland waste and recycling trucks himself in the past, but is today one of the drivers emptying bins in this LGA. I felt it was necessary to shoot a video to post on the AussieGarbo channel, showing another of the fellows who started off behind the camera and is now starring in front of the camera lens. Zac originally got a foot into the industry at Solo RR doing mixed duties across the lower Hunter contracts, then ended up with SUEZ in Port Stephens for a while, before returning to Solo as a fulltime driver on Maitland recycling. In recent times he hit another milestone by joining the Maitland council works team for the garbage runs. With some good experience already, in the video it’s evident he knows what he’s doing, whipping through the bins at a rapid pace and leaving things tidy as he goes.

Back when I first dropped by Maitland, I caught a GenV/ACCO featuring the previous council logo and the distinct trio of coloured stripes. The first Euro 5 units that came through were sadly without the three bright identifying stripes I speak of, only showing the council logo on a white body. The council also bought a Superior Pak Dennis side loader for a trial in 2012, which was the only combo of its kind in the small operations fleet. What was once entirely a MacDonald Johnston Iveco workforce has now transitioned to a collection of Superior Pak Ivecos, with the exception of the single Dennis yet to be replaced. There is now a different Maitland City Council logo seen on the trucks, plus a modern approach to body signage with a livery theme of mixed educational messages. The truck emptying bins in this upload is unit 6279, a 2016 model which arrived alongside three other vehicles part of the council’s first Superior Pak Iveco order. I again found myself in Thornton on a sunny Tuesday, following Zac and this side loader in a new residential area in the north east corner of the suburb, new enough that it’s seen as undeveloped land on Google maps. Cheers to the operator and I hope everyone enjoys the quick action!