Palfinger/DAF Hook Lift

There are very many hook lifts out there in the Aussie waste and resource recovery world operated by countless businesses, hauling compactors and open containers, loaded with all kinds of waste materials from numerous industries. A large range of cab chassis and hook lift frame brands are in use, which are virtually unseen across the YouTube garbage trucks community, being something I’m trying to showcase for content variety. So here is one decent video giving a look at what happens with the biggest and heaviest types of bins, action that is quite unknown, often being unseen and overlooked in favour of the easily noticed side, rear and front load systems. For anyone who watched my big “Operating The Dinosaur” episode, this latest hook lift version complements that one, being a comprehensive video I’m pumped to share on the AussieGarbo channel! Not overly long ago I uploaded another hook lift truck for the first time in quite a while, featuring a MEC/Isuzu equipment combo, whereas in this sequel a Palfinger/DAF machinery combo is on show.

The starring modern rig is a 2021 DAF CF with a mighty 450hp engine, quite a pleasure to drive and has all the bells and whistles you’d expect for a European truck, it’s definitely cool to try one out! I hate the semi-auto gearboxes with electric clutches but, they make it hard being smooth and soft pushing containers back in their rails. On a side note, I was expecting a Euro 5 DAF which have a cool diesel rumble to them, so I was a touch disappointed when this softly spoken quiet Euro 6 version came through instead. As for the hook lift unit, the installation plate reads it as a T22A-DINO-SLD5 model, which I understand tells it has a telescopic frame, 22t capacity, articulated jib and is dino container compatible. This product was manufactured by Palfinger, which is a very popular brand worldwide, having produced hook and crane units for decades. It’s sophisticated equipment for what is a very simple type of garbage truck, loaded with proxy switches and carries a deep electronic system, being very different from the hook lifts I’d used previously with manual lever controls and no sensors.

This truck is owned and operated by a subcontractor, which previously sported SUEZ logos, but is now one of hundreds of trucks under the Veolia banner, since the massive buyout that settled in January 2022. It’s also one Sydney example representing a big shift to a streamlined hook lift operation, from what was a strong dino workforce existing as a legacy from the SITA days. Dino is out and hook lift is in, a trend that has been going on for some time and has virtually reached its end point through the ex-SUEZ gear transition. I’m someone who has been right in the middle of this change too, doing plenty of dino work in the past, with odd hook lift gigs here and there, but now my dino days are over and I’m a regular hook lift operator. Saying this, I’m actually the individual behind the wheel of this truck and running the controls throughout the video, all made possible thanks to a weekend job I scored back in 2018, which has seen me in charge of this DAF part time during the last 2 years. It’s been great getting more experience under my belt with the hook lifts, allowing me to come a long way since that time a 19-year-old Mitch was thrown in the deep end at Watts Waste!

There are 5 job sites on display, each chosen to demonstrate different operating conditions. To start, we see the collection and return of a general waste packer from beneath a busy shopping centre in the CBD, including a little look at where this packer lives in Sydney’s underground. Next, we watch 4t get emptied out of a Wastech unit, followed by its drop-off to a major north shore hospital and the subsequent pick-up of the recycling packer next to it. After this we see how the collapsible hook is set-up for duty, then there’s a very heavy 15t lift onto the truck, 10t of wet slop pours out at the transfer terminal and we witness another return and collection process of neighbouring packers used by a flight catering company at Sydney airport. Showing the container locking system on the hook lift was a must as well, which is included right towards the end of the video.

Yet again, this is another lengthy upload duration, something to satisfy those who are interested in this form of equipment or curious about how things work in the bulk container sector. Plus of course, it acts as a record of achievement for me and will be my memories. Please feel free to ask questions in the comments if there are any wonderings about what is going on during the video. I must also give a shout out to Alex and Yianni for their respective efforts helping me shoot the clips which were hand-held recorded. Lastly, this is the second video I’m putting up taken on my phone, and I can’t describe how pissed off I still am with myself for not trying it out sooner (heavy sigh) – ensure quality is set to 720p.