How LRS uses automated front load technology to improve safety, efficiency, and workforce stability.
For large regional haulers, automation in waste collection has become a practical requirement. As residential routes grow denser, safety expectations increase, and labor challenges continue, the ability to collect more material with fewer risks and fewer resources increasingly defines operational success.
For LRS, automation has been a deliberate strategy, not an experiment. The company has standardized nearly all residential collection around automated front load technology, built on Heil refuse bodies paired with The Curotto-Can automated carry can system.
A Company Built for Scale
Headquartered in Chicago, IL, LRS operates across a broad Midwest footprint that includes the Chicago metro area, Minneapolis, Michiana, Indianapolis, Western Illinois, Iowa, and the Quad Cities, where the company also operates a landfill. Chicago alone accounts for approximately 60 percent of total operations.
LRS was formed in 2013 through the merger of post collection and collection businesses. Growth accelerated steadily through a combination of organic expansion and acquisitions, particularly during 2021, 2022, and 2023. Today, LRS employs approximately 1,900 people, operates a fleet of roughly 1,300 trucks, and runs more than 1,000 routes per day across its service area, generating approximately $630 million in annual revenue.
That scale has shaped how the company approaches equipment decisions. As operations expanded across multiple regions, LRS leadership recognized that consistency, efficiency, and reliability would be essential to maintaining performance.
An Automated First Residential Strategy
Approximately 80 percent of LRS residential collection is fully automated. Only a limited number of manual routes remain, and municipalities served by LRS have largely embraced the companyâs automated first approach.
Nearly all automated residential routes are serviced using the Curotto-Can automated front load system mounted on Heil equipment. âOur partnership with Heil and the CurottoCan has been central to building a safer, more efficient, and more stable residential collection operation. By standardizing on automated front-load technology, weâve reduced risk for our drivers, improved route productivity, and created a work environment that helps us attract and retain top talent. This collaboration allows us to scale confidently while delivering consistent, high-quality service to the communities we serve,â said Tony Cincotta, Chief Operating Officer at LRS.
LRS exclusively purchases Heil bodies for residential operations, citing durability, maintenance advantages, and consistent support as key factors. The decision was based on field performance and how the equipment consistently held up on real routes, day after day.
Why Automated Front Load Performs Better at Scale
LRS places a strong emphasis on driver safety, comfort, and visibility. Compared to automated side loaders and traditional rear loader setups, the automated front load configuration offers significant operational advantages.
From the cab, drivers have clear visibility into material entering the Curotto-Can hopper. That visibility helps reduce contamination, identify hazardous materials before they enter the body, and lower the risk of truck fires. Collecting from the front also reduces physical strain and repetitive motion, dramatically improving ergonomics over the course of a route. Drivers consistently prefer automated front load trucks over ASL equipment, citing comfort, speed, and visibility. That preference matters in an environment where driver retention is increasingly competitive.
Operationally, LRS has found that automated front load systems outperform traditional rear loader and ASL combinations in several key areas. Fewer pack cycles translate into faster routes. Reduced wear contributes to longer truck floor life. The ability to collect both carts and bulk material with a single truck often eliminates the need for a rear loader chase vehicle, reducing fleet size, labor requirements, and overall operating costs.
Internal analysis, supported by external studies conducted in markets such as Las Vegas, NV, confirmed that while automated front load systems may carry a slightly higher upfront cost, they deliver stronger long-term return on investment through improved productivity and reduced operating complexity, yielding what is known in the industry as lowest total cost of collection.
Enhanced Automation Through Digital Vision Technology
As LRS continues to scale automated front load operations, digital systems such as the 3rd Eye® safety and productivity platform have significantly strengthened the companyâs ability to manage safety, verify service, and improve route performance. The system provides realtime visibility into driver behavior, service accuracy, and site conditions, allowing managers to proactively address risks and inefficiencies before they escalate.
LRS pairs its automated front load equipment with 3rd Eye digital tools that monitor realtime driver behavior, confirm safe operation, and identify hazards that could otherwise go unnoticed. This digital oversight reinforces LRSâ safety-first operating culture and helps reduce risk across highdensity residential routes.
The Value of Fleet Standardization
As LRS expanded through acquisitions, fleet standardization became increasingly important. A uniform residential fleet simplifies maintenance, reduces parts inventory, and shortens training time for new drivers and technicians.
Standardization also benefits swing drivers, who can move between routes without adjusting to different layouts or controller configurations. When LRS acquires new operations, fleets are typically converted to the automated front load configuration to maintain consistency across the organization.
Fleet standardization at LRS extends beyond physical equipment. Digital consistency is equally important. By equipping the automated front load fleet with 3rd Eye camera systems, LRS ensures every vehicle provides the same level of visibility into service performance, driver behavior, and route safety. This uniformity accelerates training, simplifies incident review, and ensures that managers have consistent operational data across all regions.
At LRSâs scale, those efficiencies compound quickly, reducing maintenance complexity, minimizing downtime, and lowering overall operating costs across the organization.
Workforce Impact and Retention
Automation plays a central role in how LRS recruits and retains drivers. Automated front load collection reduces in and out manual labor, lowers physical strain, and improves overall safety by keeping operators safely in the cab. Drivers can concentrate on operating the truck instead of frequently exiting the cab, which boosts productivity, lowers driver fatigue, and greatly decreases injury risk.
The 3rd Eye platform also plays a role in employee development and retention. By providing objective driver-behavior insights and real-time coaching tools, supervisors can support drivers with constructive feedback rather than reactive correction. Drivers appreciate that when incidents occur, onboard video protects them from false claims and provides an accurate account of events.
Route consistency further improves job satisfaction. Drivers prefer running the same route with the same truck each day, and reliable equipment helps make that possible. In a tight labor market, LRS views its investment in automation and equipment quality as a competitive advantage that directly supports recruiting, retention, and long-term operational stability.
Benefits for Municipal Partners
From a municipal perspective, automated front load systems deliver significant advantages. Improved visibility allows drivers to identify contamination in real time and communicate issues more effectively. Safety improvements benefit operators, residents, and surrounding communities.
Digital verification tools provided by the 3rd Eye system strengthen municipal accountability. With clear visual confirmation of service completion, municipalities receive transparent documentation that improves trust, reduces disputes, and enhances contract performance metrics.
Perhaps most importantly, the ability to service routes with one truck instead of two reduces operating costs while maintaining service quality. That efficiency has helped LRS remain competitive in municipal bids, supported by dependable equipment performance and strong manufacturer support.
One notable example is the City of Indianapolis, INâs collection contract, which is fully serviced using Heil automated front load systems equipped with Curotto-Can technology.
Automation with Purpose
For LRS, automation is not simply just a pilot program or a response to short term pressures. It is a long-term operational strategy designed to support growth, improve safety, and deliver consistent performance across a complex, multi-region organization.
âWorking with LRS demonstrates whatâs possible when a fleet fully embraces automation with purpose. Their commitment to safety, efficiency, and workforce stability aligns perfectly with our mission as a solutions provider. By combining Heil refuse bodies with the Curotto-Can system, LRS has built a model that improves operator safety, simplifies fleet management, and delivers measurable long-term value. Weâre proud to support their vision for automated collection at scale,â said Pat Carroll, President of Environmental Solutions.
By standardizing residential collection around automated front load technology, integrating digital safety systems, and selecting equipment partners that support that strategy, LRS has built an approach that scales with the company, supports its workforce, and delivers measurable value to municipal partners. At the scale LRS operates, those advantages are key to maintaining efficiency, safety, and competitive performance, not incremental improvements. | WA
(ES) encompasses industry-leading brands, such as Heil®, Terex® Utilities, Terex® Services, 3rd Eye®, Soft-Pak®, Parts Central®, Marathon® Equipment, Bayne Thinline®, and The Curotto-Can® to create a premier, fully integrated equipment group serving the environmental, utilities, and transportation industries. Through extensive voice-of-customer outreach, in-house engineering and manufacturing capabilities, a wide-reaching service network, and proven industry expertise, ES is focused on solving customer problems through environmentally responsible products, innovative technology, and world-class support. For more information about Environmental Solutions, visit Terexesg.com, the ESG Facebook page, or the ESG LinkedIn page.