Curotto-Can Truck Financing

The Curotto-Can changed how single-operator routes work. Before it, an ASL body either served a neighborhood with carts or it did not, and the operator running a contract with mixed cart and manual-set stops needed two trucks or a second crew member. The Curotto-Can attaches to the front of the truck as an integrated collection can that the automated arm places and dumps into the front hopper, effectively converting a standard ASL cycle into a dual-collection platform. One driver, one truck, route density stays tight. That operational flexibility is why municipalities and private haulers running residential trash collection contracts have adopted the configuration broadly since McNeilus commercialized it.

Financing a Curotto-Can truck means financing a complete system: the chassis, the ASL body, and the Curotto front-end can assembly. These deals typically fall landing between $200k and $350k for new equipment, and our process handles that size comfortably. We work with private haulers, municipal sanitation departments, and established operators adding the configuration to an existing fleet.

McNeilus developed the Curotto-Can as a proprietary attachment system integrated with their automated side loader bodies. The can itself holds up to 4 cubic yards of material and is mounted on the front bumper of the truck. The driver activates the arm to dump the front can into the body's front hopper while simultaneously collecting from the side. On routes where stops include both 96-gallon carts and manually placed bins or bags, the operator can collect from multiple container types in a single pass without leaving the cab.

The practical result is higher stops per hour on mixed routes. A driver running a standard ASL-only route stops, dumps the side, repositions, dumps the side again. On a Curotto-Can route with a loaded front can, the math changes because each repositioning move serves dual collection. Route designers in cities with a mix of cart and non-cart service areas have documented measurable productivity gains, which is why the spec appears in municipal RFPs across the country.

From a financing standpoint, the integrated nature of the system means the body and can assembly are treated as a single collateral unit with the chassis. Lenders who understand refuse equipment recognize the Curotto-Can as a named, marketable configuration with a defined resale channel, not a custom modification that complicates collateral valuation. We see McNeilus Curotto-Can trucks as well-understood equipment with an identifiable secondary market, which supports financing across the credit spectrum.

A new Curotto-Can truck on a Class 8 chassis runs approximately $250,000 to $350,000 fully configured, depending on chassis brand, body spec, and options. Chassis selection matters here because the front can requires front GAWR capacity beyond what a lighter chassis provides. Autocar, Mack LR, and Peterbilt 520 chassis are common pairings because they are built specifically for severe-duty refuse cycles and have the front axle ratings the can system demands.

Financing terms for this range typically run 60 to 84 months. Monthly payment for a $280,000 note at current commercial rates over 72 months gives operators a manageable obligation relative to the route revenue a Curotto-Can truck generates. We do not quote rates here because they vary by credit, term, and structure, but we provide clear term sheets before anything is signed.

Structure options include a conventional refuse truck loan for operators who want full ownership at payoff, a dollar buyout lease that carries the same ownership intent with potential tax treatment differences, and a TRAC lease for operators who prefer lower monthly payments and flexibility at term end. Section 179 expensing can apply to purchased equipment, which some operators factor into their decision between a loan and a lease.

For Curotto-Can trucks landing between $200k and $400k, the deal often qualifies for application-only financing. That means we work from the credit application and three months of business bank statements without requiring tax returns or years of compiled financials. Credit decisions generally come back within 24 to 48 hours.

For deals above $400,000 or files that need additional support, we bring in the last two years of business tax returns and the most recent year-end financial statements. Operators running multiple trucks with existing lender relationships sometimes prefer to provide financials upfront because it can open access to better terms than application-only pricing.

B/C credit files qualify for review. A prior bankruptcy, a stretch of missed payments, or credit that does not fit a bank's matrix does not automatically end the conversation here. We look at whether the business has stable route revenue, a contract in place, and cash flow that covers the new obligation. Those factors carry real weight in our review alongside the credit score.

Operators evaluating a Curotto-Can truck often compare it directly to a standard automated side loader without the front can, particularly when the route territory is heavily cart-served and manual stops are rare. The standard ASL costs less up front, but on mixed routes the Curotto configuration earns the premium back in labor savings. The right answer depends on what the contract actually requires, not a general preference for one platform.

Fleets adding the Curotto-Can alongside existing rear-loaders sometimes use a Sale-Leaseback on older units to generate the down payment or reduce the financed amount on the new truck. This is a common capital strategy for operators who are cash-constrained but have equity sitting in depreciated equipment.

For operators financing multiple units simultaneously, we can structure fleet deals that cover several trucks under a single credit review, which reduces the documentation burden and speeds the overall funding timeline compared to separate applications for each unit.