STG Global’s Tusk Frontloader with the newly designed truck body.
STG Global is taking waste truck manufacturing and design to new heights, with advanced technology and innovation the crowning glory.
Muhammad S. Alam wants STG Global waste trucks to be considered the Queens of the road.
The Head of Engineering and General Manager for Waste Sector at STG, Muhammad has the credentials to get them there. He previously worked on Boeing 747s – dubbed the Queen of the Skies.
By his own admission, Muhammad’s work with aircrafts has made him particular about aesthetics and smart engineering. Since joining STG Global three years ago, he’s focused that penchant on lifting the already recognised specialised truck body manufacturer to new heights.
With an emphasis on customer service, he has integrated advanced technology and innovations into the next generation of STG trucks.
“We wanted to make these trucks future-proof and build something customers can take pride in,” Muhammad says.
For the past 30 years, STG Global has delivered ground-breaking waste trucks including The Bandit Side Loader, Tusk Frontloader, Vacuum Jetter trucks as well as partnered with international companies such as Aebi Schmidt and NewWay Trucks.
Muhammad says the latest STG Global trucks are ‘smart trucks’, with advanced functionality including a single digital screen and self-diagnostic capabilities.
The single screen, an iPad Pro that connects with the STG Global app, has everything a truck operator would need at the tip of their finger. If there’s a fault, the truck’s self-diagnostic system will alert STG Global technicians, who can dial in and fix it remotely.
The trucks are also aesthetically pleasing with a modern shape and ‘futuristic’ outer cladding that makes the truck body stronger, giving waste collectors more payload.
An in-house design team has spent several years designing the modifications. Most of the changes have been developed by listening to what customers want and then integrating those features into the truck.
“One of the rules we had when designing the waste trucks was to spend time on the road with operators,” Muhammad says.
“We would listen to what they like and what they don’t like and then try to improve our design to address their concerns.
“The operators have the most knowledge about what works for them. We really wanted to harness that and improve the design to give them the truck they’ve always wanted.”
Muhammad says the iPad is a big selling feature of the trucks. Most trucks currently have three to four screens in the dashboard including cameras, data management and system interfaces that can be distracting for operators. The STG Global app incorporates everything into the iPad.
The use of an iPad also means it can be regularly updated, is easily replaced, or can be used outside of the truck.
“If you look at modern cars such as Tesla, they’ve gone away from traditional physical buttons for their HMI (Human Machine Interface) and are using digital screen in the dashboard for all the infographics they need, just like what we do with an iPad in our truck cabins,” Muhammad says.
“The single screen interface in waste trucks is the way forward.”
He says STG Global’s capability to dial into a truck anywhere in the world and the system to run diagnostics on sensors and outputs also sets them apart.
It’s already having an impact in the industry with several waste management companies using the trucks in remote or regional areas of Western Australia and Queensland where previously they couldn’t get after-sales support and service.
“We’re confident in our trucks and our product and want to be able to support regional councils and companies,” Muhammad says.
“When you’re managing a small council with only two trucks and one breaks down, the bins don’t get picked up and it gets very messy. That’s what we’ve tried to solve; the frustrations of our customers by having a modular design on our waste trucks.
“Our ability to remote dial in to support customers is already streamlining processes for some remote areas.”
STG Global’s onshore manufacturing is also streamlining processes. The company currently has a four-to-six-week lead time for trucks and has a large stock of critical spare parts.
Muhammad describes the past three years as an exciting journey, but it doesn’t stop there.
“It’s an ongoing process,” he says.
“At STG Global, we have been able to achieve such heights by working together as a team. Our spirit is driven by a, One Team One Dream philosophy. Only with teamwork, we can achieve new horizons. We won’t settle. We really want these trucks to go international.”
For more information, visit: www.stgglobal.net
