Manual/automated side loader

A refuse vehicle, comprising:

• (a) a chassis having a lowered portion;
• (b) a body conforming to said chassis and including a storage compartment having a floor and a receiving hopper having a roof and floor wherein said receiving hopper floor is level but dropped lower than said storage compartment floor and supported by said lowered portion;
• a ramped transition floor between said receiving hopper floor and said storage compartment floor and further comprising a packer situated in said receiving hopper wherein material loaded into said receiving hopper is moved up said ramped transition floor and into said storage compartment by said packer situated in said receiving hopper;
• (d) container unloading including side-extensible telescoping boom disposed in a forward portion of said receiving hopper for loading material into said receiving hopper and a container manipulator
• (e) offset mounting member for mounting said container manipulator to and offset from said extensible boom so that said container manipulator deposits material closer to the center of said hopper yet allows for optional manual loading next thereto without interference from said boom.

A side loading waste material hauling vehicle, comprising:

• (a) a chassis carrying a truck cab and a truck body;
• (b) said truck body being mounted on said chassis, said truck body including a storage compartment defining a storage volume and having a roof and a floor and a receiving hopper having a floor, wherein the floor of said receiving hopper is flat and dropped to a lower level than the floor of said storage compartment, said receiving hopper having a side material receiving opening;
• (c) a ramped transition floor between said receiving hopper and said storage compartment and further comprising a packer situated in said receiving hopper wherein material loaded into said receiving hopper is moved up said ramped transition floor and into said storage compartment by said packer situated in said receiving hopper;
• (d) a linearly extensible mechanized container addressing and emptying system including means attached to the vehicle for accessing, lifting and emptying a container into said receiving hopper through said side material receiving opening;
• and
• (e) wherein the lower level of said floor of said receiving hopper relative to the floor of said storage compartment enables said side material receiving opening to be at a level sufficiently lower to accommodate optimal manual loading and to permit the use of manually addressed container tipping devices to tip containers resting on the ground.