Name the bin lorry!

You can suggest a name for one of Charnwood's new bin lorries.

Charnwood Borough Council’s current vehicles are being replaced with a new fleet of 41 new lorries, vans and road sweepers.

Whether it’s Bin Diesel, Forrest Dump or Johnny Trash, local children are being asked to enter the Name That Wagon competition and submit their name suggestions. The more pun-tastic the better but remember to keep them clean! No pun intended and please no Binlorry McBinFace suggestions.

Or if you want, put forward names of someone you know or who you think is special.

Names will appear on the side of the 21 bin lorries and four road sweepers.

The first vehicle has been named Florence, a dedication to the NHS heroes and key workers who are on the front line supporting the public during the coronavirus pandemic. The vehicle will also feature a large rainbow on the side along with a thank you message.

The Council is investing around £4.8 million in a more efficient and safer fleet which will include the latest technology.

The refuse lorries will have new in-cab technology to give the crews real-time information on operational issues as they carry out their rounds in the borough.

A 360-degree camera system will also be installed on each lorry to provide additional safety of for staff members, other road users and members of the public, particularly cyclists and pedestrians.

Four cameras will capture live recordings from the front, rear and sides of the vehicle. The view from the cameras will be displayed on the in-cab screen, giving drivers an improved view of potential cyclists and other road users to the rear of the lorry whilst reversing. The front facing camera also provides a wide-angle lens for a greater field of vision.

An additional camera to the rear of the vehicle will focus on the main working area to provide extra protection for the crew.

The vehicles which are being manufactured by Dennis Eagle will also be more environmentally friendly and contribute towards the Council’s target of becoming carbon neutral by 2030. The new fleet of lorries complies with the latest emissions’ standards and is expected to reduce the Council’s carbon footprint.

The fleet will also include two Nissan electric vehicles and two hybrid vehicles from Ford.

The four new road sweepers are being supplied by Johnston, a company which has been making sweepers for more than 75 years.

Cllr Leigh Harper-Davies, lead member for major contracts said: “Our current vehicles have served us well for a decade but it’s time to replace them.

“We are investing in a new fleet that will see us through for another 10 years and they will be better for the environment, quieter and more advanced in terms of being able to track their locations. The new camera technology means everything will be captured, providing additional safety to crews, cyclists and other road users.

 “These vehicles are part of a large operation to collect waste, recycling and garden waste across the borough as well as keeping our streets clean.

“We thought it would be a great idea to get local children involved and come up with creative names for the new vehicles. I’m looking forward to reading all of the entries and helping to pick the winners.

“I am delighted to unveil the first of the new lorries with our tribute to the NHS, care workers and key workers. They have done so much for our community over the past few months and we will be forever grateful. As a former nurse, I know the difference all NHS staff are making during this pandemic and this is just a small way to show our appreciation.”

Dennis Eagle’s Regional Sales Manager Matt Horwell said: “The new rear steer version of the 8x4 chassis makes it even more manoeuvrable and more operationally efficient in an area like Charnwood where there a lots of modern housing developments with well laid-out roads.

“By buying 20 of these larger, 32-tonne vehicles, Charnwood Borough Council found they could reduce the fleet size and save both capital outlay and operating costs. There’s nothing else in the market that could rival them. They also ordered an Olympus Mini for rural collections and harder-to-reach places.”

The current fleet of bin lorries collects all refuse and recycling from the borough’s 75,000 homes as well as serving more than 30,000 customers of the Council’s garden waste service.

The vehicles empty household bins around five million times a year.

Entries for the Name That Wagon competition are now open and will close on Friday August 21, 2020.

For more information and to enter please visit: www.charnwood.gov.uk/NameThatWagon

The winners will be contacted by the Council directly and the new names will be revealed later in the summer.