Ushering in a new era of waste management

Refuse routes might be predictable, but weather and driving behavior aren’t. That’s why Autocar’s ACX is custom engineered to add superior safety to your fleet, a severe-duty refuse cabover featuring advanced driver assistance system (ADAS) technology unavailable anywhere else.

Autocar’s approach to severe-duty refuse trucks isn’t focused on off-the-shelf specifications. Engineers at Autocar think beyond the conventional to deliver the exceptional. That’s why the Autocar ACX can do things other cabover refuse trucks can’t, like autonomous emergency braking on front-end loader trucks. Of course, a trained, alert operator is the first safety “feature” of any refuse truck, but these additional features make it safer in the communities where your refuse fleet operates, enhancing the confidence of your drivers in different conditions.

How does ADAS make the ACX a safer truck on your fleet’s refuse routes? The system employs radar to scan 650 feet ahead for possible front-end collision risks. If the driver doesn’t heed the system’s audible warning or its prompting pulse brake intervention, ACX’s ADAS is designed to trigger a powerful autonomous emergency braking event aimed at avoiding the collision. It all happens in a couple of seconds.

To create the ACX’s ADAS, engineers at Autocar integrated ZF’s anti-lock braking, traction and vehicle stability control system to work in the demanding, dynamic environment of refuse truck routes. Unlike over-the-road trucks that have a predictable gross vehicle mass, refuse trucks gain mass incrementally during a route, influencing their center of gravity. The challenge of implementing autonomous braking is complicated by axle and wheelbase options, but Autocar is renowned for chassis customization, and that’s why it’s the only brand to lead OEM autonomous braking for severe-duty cabover refuse trucks.

Autocar’s engineers, along with ZF, worked together to calibrate the system for ACX and its severe-duty refuse truck role, testing and developing ADAS over 18 months in different conditions and across diverse road surfaces to maximize its operational integrity.

With an ADAS-equipped Autocar ACX, drivers know they have smart technology riding shotgun on refuse routes. The assurance of knowing that ADAS is continuously scanning for front-collision risk helps minimize driver fatigue during shifts, and that is valuable toward the end of a shift when trucks are at peak load.

The ACX’s ADAS is designed to supplement drivers’ skills and attention, keeping communities safer without making it harder for operators to do their job. Autocar’s engineers developed ACX’s ADAS to warn and intervene only when necessary, instead of overreacting and creating driver fatigue.

Autocar’s ADAS is the ultimate collision avoidance assistant for your refuse fleet drivers, always scanning, analyzing and at the ready, but never in the way.