Birmingham City Council has signed a contract with Dennis Eagle to purchase 151 new refuse, recycling, and food waste vehicles.
The new fleet will start arriving in March 2025, marking a significant step forward in modernising Birmingham’s waste management operations. The investment will replace a combination of outdated council-owned vehicles, many of which are beyond their operational lifespan, and hired vehicles currently in use. This will reduce the Council’s reliance on hired vehicles and enhance the reliability and consistency of waste collection services for residents across the city. Dennis Eagle emerged as the clear winner following a highly competitive tender process, offering the best value and innovative solutions to support the city’s waste collection services.
The contract comprises 110 Dennis Eagle’s versatile and safety-conscious Elite+ trucks and 41 compact and efficient 7.5-tonne Orus trucks for organic waste collection. It specifies several ‘narrow’ chassis variants of the Elite+ – the reduced width minimises contact with the kerb or parked cars, helping to reduce associated tyre and insurance costs.
A fleet designed for Birmingham’s needs
The vehicles have been specifically designed to meet the diverse needs of Birmingham’s road infrastructure. Their various sizes will ensure the fleet can navigate the city’s varying road layouts efficiently. This investment underlines Birmingham City Council’s commitment to delivering high-quality public services and meeting the needs of its growing population.
While diesel-powered, all vehicles comply with the latest emissions standards and align with Birmingham’s air quality objectives, ensuring they fully comply with the city’s Clean Air Zone parameters.
Enhanced safety and crew comfort
The new vehicles have advanced safety features, including a comprehensive camera system to improve crew visibility and operational safety while working on Birmingham’s streets. Additionally, the RCVs feature low-level access points to make ingress and egress safer and more manageable, reducing the risk of crew injuries and enhancing overall working conditions.
Councillor Majid Mahmood, Cabinet Member for Environment and Transport, Birmingham City Council, said: ‘This investment demonstrates our commitment to providing reliable and efficient waste collection services to the people of Birmingham. By replacing outdated vehicles with a state-of-the-art fleet, we are not only improving the working conditions for our crews but also taking a step towards a more sustainable future with vehicles that meet stringent emissions standards. We are proud to partner with Dennis Eagle, a trusted name in the industry, to deliver on this promise.’
Richard Taylor, Sales and Marketing Director, Dennis Eagle, said: ‘We’ve worked hard with the team at Birmingham City Council to support its needs with dependable, versatile and safe trucks. Our purpose-built refuse collection vehicles ensure bins are collected week in and week out from homes and businesses across the city. We have an excellent working relationship that has spanned over 30 years, and we would like to thank Birmingham City Council for trusting Dennis Eagle to continue to support the delivery of its services.’
Procuring these vehicles supports the Council’s broader goals of improving waste management and environmental sustainability. By introducing modern equipment, Birmingham City Council is enhancing its ability to deliver consistent, high-quality services while aligning with its long-term strategic objectives.
The Elite+ refuse collection bodies and final assembly of the Orus truck –will happen at Dennis Eagle’s Warwick factory, in the same county where the company first began producing specialist vehicles in 1907. Today, with that unrivalled experience, it manufactures over 1,000 vehicles in the UK annually, with the truck cabs produced in Blackpool. With significant new contracts awarded in both the public and private sectors, 2024 has seen increasing demand for Dennis Eagle’s purpose-built trucks.
‘Together with local technical service and aftermarket support, Dennis Eagle offers UK operators a proven service they can trust,’ concluded Richard.
