PUBLISHER: The Business Research Company | PRODUCT CODE: 2000113
PUBLISHER: The Business Research Company | PRODUCT CODE: 2000113
A refuse truck, also known as a garbage truck or waste collection vehicle, is a specialized vehicle designed for the collection and transportation of solid waste to treatment facilities, landfills, or recycling centers. It features mechanisms for lifting and emptying waste containers, compacting the refuse, and securely transporting it.
The main types of refuse trucks include front loaders, rear loaders, and side loaders. Front loaders are equipped with hydraulic arms at the front for picking up waste containers and bins. Refuse trucks can run on various types of fuel, including electric, gasoline, and diesel, and feature different technologies such as manual, automatic, and semi-automatic systems. These trucks are used by a range of end-users, including municipal waste services, industrial waste management, and others.
Note that the outlook for this market is being affected by rapid changes in trade relations and tariffs globally. The report will be updated prior to delivery to reflect the latest status, including revised forecasts and quantified impact analysis. The report's Recommendations and Conclusions sections will be updated to give strategies for entities dealing with the fast-moving international environment.
Tariffs are influencing the refuse truck market by increasing costs of imported drivetrains, hydraulic systems, electronic controls, and battery components. Municipal fleets in North America and Europe are most affected due to reliance on imported electric and automation components, while Asia-Pacific faces higher costs for export-oriented vehicle production. These tariffs are increasing vehicle procurement costs and slowing fleet electrification. However, they are also encouraging domestic manufacturing and local assembly of refuse trucks.
The refuse truck (garbage handling trucks) market research report is one of a series of new reports from The Business Research Company that provides refuse truck (garbage handling trucks) market statistics, including refuse truck (garbage handling trucks) industry global market size, regional shares, competitors with a refuse truck (garbage handling trucks) market share, detailed refuse truck (garbage handling trucks) market segments, market trends and opportunities, and any further data you may need to thrive in the refuse truck (garbage handling trucks) industry. This refuse truck (garbage handling trucks) market research report delivers a complete perspective of everything you need, with an in-depth analysis of the current and future scenario of the industry.
The refuse truck (garbage handling trucks) market size has grown steadily in recent years. It will grow from $13.39 billion in 2025 to $13.8 billion in 2026 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 3.0%. The growth in the historic period can be attributed to urban population growth, expansion of municipal waste collection services, availability of diesel-powered refuse fleets, growth of organized waste management, rising environmental regulations.
The refuse truck (garbage handling trucks) market size is expected to see steady growth in the next few years. It will grow to $15.66 billion in 2030 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 3.2%. The growth in the forecast period can be attributed to increasing adoption of electric refuse trucks, rising investments in smart city infrastructure, expansion of automated waste collection systems, growing focus on emission reduction, increasing demand for operational efficiency. Major trends in the forecast period include adoption of electric and low-emission refuse trucks, increasing automation of waste collection systems, integration of smart fleet monitoring solutions, expansion of compacting efficiency technologies, enhanced focus on urban waste management.
The increasing awareness of waste management is expected to drive the growth of the refuse truck market in the coming years. Waste management encompasses the processes involved in handling waste from its generation to final disposal, including collection, transportation, treatment, and recycling. Growing awareness around waste management is largely driven by environmental and public health concerns, education and outreach initiatives, social responsibility, and greater corporate involvement. Refuse trucks play a critical role in improving waste management efficiency by enabling the collection and transportation of large volumes of waste to disposal or recycling facilities, thereby reducing labor requirements and collection time. For instance, in February 2024, according to a report published by the United Nations Environment Programme, a US-based organization, global municipal solid waste generation is projected to rise from 2.1 billion tons in 2023 to 3.8 billion tons by 2050. Therefore, rising awareness of waste management is contributing to the growth of the refuse truck market.
Major companies operating in the refuse truck market are increasingly focusing on the development of fully electric trash trucks to reduce carbon emissions, lower operating costs, and improve sustainability in waste collection operations. Electric trash trucks are refuse collection vehicles powered by electric batteries, designed to minimize emissions and noise while improving overall energy efficiency. For example, in December 2023, WIN Waste Innovations Holdings Inc., a US-based waste management company, deployed Mack LR Electric vehicles, which are fully electric trash trucks, in the City of Boston. These vehicles are powered exclusively by energy generated from the waste they collect, representing an innovative approach that combines waste management with renewable energy utilization. The adoption of these electric trucks is expected to eliminate the consumption of approximately 12,000 gallons of diesel fuel annually and reduce carbon dioxide equivalent emissions by about 122 metric tons, supporting broader environmental objectives to cut greenhouse gas emissions and reduce dependence on fossil fuels.
In November 2025, Federal Signal Corporation, a US-based manufacturer of vehicles and safety systems, acquired New Way Trucks, Inc. for an undisclosed amount. Through this acquisition, Federal Signal aims to strengthen and expand its Environmental Solutions platform, particularly in the refuse collection segment, by integrating New Way's range of automated side loaders, front loaders, and rear loaders. This strategic move enhances Federal Signal's position across municipal and private waste management markets. New Way Trucks, Inc. is a US-based company specializing in the design and manufacture of innovative refuse collection vehicles.
Major companies operating in the refuse truck (garbage handling trucks) market report include Daimler Truck Holding AG, Dongfeng Motor Corporation, Oshkosh Corporation, Zoomlion Heavy Industry Science & Technology Co. Ltd., Crane Carrier Company, Volvo Trucks North America Inc, Autocar LLC, Takuma Co. Ltd., Mack Trucks Inc., Peterbilt Motors Company, Isuzu Commercial Truck of America Inc., McNeilus Truck & Manufacturing Inc., Stellar Industries Inc., Hino Motors Manufacturing U.S.A. Inc., Labrie Enviroquip Group, New Way Ltd., Loadmaster Industries Inc, The Curbtender Inc., Scranton Manufacturing Company Inc., Spartan Motors Inc., Workhorse Group
Asia-Pacific was the largest region in the refuse truck (garbage handling trucks) market in 2025. The regions covered in the refuse truck (garbage handling trucks) market report include Asia-Pacific, South East Asia, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, North America, South America, Middle East, Africa.
The countries covered in the refuse truck (garbage handling trucks) market report include Australia, Brazil, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Japan, Taiwan, Russia, South Korea, UK, USA, Canada, Italy, Spain
The refuse truck (garbage handling trucks) market consists of sales of roll-off garbage trucks, grapple trucks, compact garbage trucks, mini compactor trucks, and small garbage trucks. Values in this market are 'factory gate' values, that is the value of goods sold by the manufacturers or creators of the goods, whether to other entities (including downstream manufacturers, wholesalers, distributors and retailers) or directly to end customers. The value of goods in this market includes related services sold by the creators of the goods.
The market value is defined as the revenues that enterprises gain from the sale of goods and/or services within the specified market and geography through sales, grants, or donations in terms of the currency (in USD unless otherwise specified).
The revenues for a specified geography are consumption values that are revenues generated by organizations in the specified geography within the market, irrespective of where they are produced. It does not include revenues from resales along the supply chain, either further along the supply chain or as part of other products.
Refuse Truck (Garbage Handling Trucks) Market Global Report 2026 from The Business Research Company provides strategists, marketers and senior management with the critical information they need to assess the market.
This report focuses refuse truck (garbage handling trucks) market which is experiencing strong growth. The report gives a guide to the trends which will be shaping the market over the next ten years and beyond.
Where is the largest and fastest growing market for refuse truck (garbage handling trucks) ? How does the market relate to the overall economy, demography and other similar markets? What forces will shape the market going forward, including technological disruption, regulatory shifts, and changing consumer preferences? The refuse truck (garbage handling trucks) market global report from the Business Research Company answers all these questions and many more.
The report covers market characteristics, size and growth, segmentation, regional and country breakdowns, total addressable market (TAM), market attractiveness score (MAS), competitive landscape, market shares, company scoring matrix, trends and strategies for this market. It traces the market's historic and forecast market growth by geography.
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