I was driving today and stopped at a stop sign waiting for a garbage truck to pass, but then it turned on its blinker and turned right. I noticed that both the passenger AND driver side had steering wheels and both were turning their steering wheels. How does that work???
In: Engineering
I have to admit I have not seen this on garbage trucks. But I assume it is a rear axle steering system. This have been used on fire ladder trucks and on special long cargo trucks. By steering the rear axle it is possible for longer trucks to take tighter corners. Some of these systems are automatic and quite common but manual systems are better as you can actively avoid obstacles with the rear. But the addition of another steering control is usually too much for a single driver so these have a second driver in the rear acting as a tiller man.
I assume that the garbage truck might have some issues with manoeuvrability in tight street among parked cars. In addition to being able to take tighter corners that normal trucks can not they can also crab walk making it easier to get into a curb. Garbage trucks usually does not have room in the back for a tiller so they have probably mounted it remotely in the passenger seat. Garbage collectors usually work in pairs so one can be driving the truck while the other can be working outside, this setup allows the second employee to sit in the passenger seat and help control the truck or they can lock the steering and go outside. Quite a smart setup which makes me wonder why I have not seen it before.
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