SINOTRUK HOWO 6X4 swing arm garbage truck in operation: the hydraulic arm lifts a loaded refuse container onto the bed, carries it, and sets it down for exchange at the collection point.
SINOTRUK HOWO 6X4 swing arm garbage truck in operation
This video shows a SINOTRUK HOWO 6X4 swing arm garbage truck loading a large open-top refuse container. The hydraulic arm lifts the container from the ground, swings it over the chassis and lowers it onto the truck bed. It is a container-handling system rather than a compaction body: one truck can serve several collection points, dropping an empty container and collecting the full one.
The unit was filmed at the CLW manufacturing base in Suizhou, Hubei Province, China, where the body is assembled and tested on the HOWO 6X4 chassis before shipment.
How the swing arm loading cycle works
- Positioning. The driver reverses the truck until the container sits within reach of the arm, then lowers the rear stabilizer leg to take the lifting load off the suspension.
- Hydraulic power. A power take-off drives the hydraulic pump; the operator raises the arm from the side control station.
- Lift and swing. Chains attached to the container's lifting lugs keep it level as the arm lifts it clear of the ground and swings it over the bed.
- Set-down and transport. The container is lowered onto the bed rails and secured for the trip to the transfer station or disposal site.
- Exchange. At the collection point the sequence is reversed: the full container is set down, the empty one is picked up, and the truck moves to the next stop.
What the 6X4 chassis adds
The HOWO 6X4 layout uses a tandem rear axle pair to carry the weight of a loaded container and to keep traction on uneven yard surfaces. The longer wheelbase separates the cab from the lifting zone, and the rear stabilizer leg supports the frame while the arm is working. These details matter when a container is heavier than a standard skid bin and when the route includes unpaved collection points.
Where swing arm garbage trucks fit
Swing arm (skip loader) trucks are used where waste is stored in large containers rather than wheeled bins: residential compounds, markets, industrial parks, construction sites and municipal collection points. Because the container is left on site and only swapped, the truck does not wait for manual loading. Fleets that handle several container types often combine swing arm bodies with hook lift and compactor trucks; the garbage truck range lists the body types side by side.
Body details visible in the video
The red swing arm assembly is mounted at the rear of the bed, with two lifting chains, a hydraulic cylinder and an adjustable stabilizer leg. The flat bed carries rails that locate the container, and the chassis keeps the standard HOWO cab, fuel tank and battery box layout. The container shown is an open-top steel box with lifting lugs on both sides — the type normally placed at a fixed collection point.
Configure a swing arm garbage truck
For a smaller 4x2 unit, see the SINOTRUK 4x2 swing-arm skip loader. For container transfer on the same HOWO 6X4 family, compare the HOWO 6X4 hook lift truck. Container size, arm reach, chassis wheelbase and tipping arrangement are configured per order; send your route and container dimensions to the CLW export team for a specification and quote.
