How Autocar’s Smart Battery Cable Is Redefining Refuse Truck Fire Safety

If you spend any time around refuse and recycling trucks, you know they’re some of the hardest-working vehicles on the road. These severe-duty machines grind through stop-and-go residential routes, handle unpredictable payloads, and endure tough weather day after day.  

But refuse trucks don’t just deal with wear and tear; they deal with another ongoing risk – fire. 

From overheated brakes to combustible consumer products and hydraulic leaks, there are many possible ignition points on a truck. One of the more common causes of refuse truck fires is damaged battery cables.  

These large, unfused power lines can rub, chafe, or wear down under constant vibration. A single short can escalate from sparks to flames, putting both the truck and its crew at risk. 

Why Battery Cables Can Involve Risk 

Put simply, a refuse truck is powered and wired the same as your own personal vehicle: when you go to start your vehicle, the battery sends power to the engine’s components (like the starter motor) that then gets the engine running. This current flows through a thick battery cable that is covered with insulation to protect the conductive core that serves as the pathway for the electricity.  

In a car, the cable is equipped with fuses that serve as a safeguard by breaking electrical connection when there’s too much current flowing through. 

The high amount of starting current required in a refuse truck, however, makes using fuses impractical. That means there’s no protection against excessive current or short circuit conditions. 

Due to the wear and tear a refuse truck endures, the battery cable’s insulation can wear thin, exposing the core of the cable. Once that happens, the electricity can arc – and result in a “thermal incident.” 

Even with regular inspections, a cable can fail in between checks. It only takes an instant for a worn cable to turn a spark into a total loss.  

Autocar engineers knew operators had to be alerted to a failed battery cable the moment it happened—and they set out to engineer a solution that could deliver. 

Introducing the Smart Battery Cable 

That’s where Autocar’s newest innovation comes in: the Smart Battery Cable. 

Designed for use in the Autocar ACX severe-duty refuse cabover, this technology (patent pending) takes one of the most basic but critical components on a truck and makes it intelligent. 

Here’s how it works: 

• The Smart Battery Cable is constructed with a conductive detection shield between the inner and outer insulation that sends a small current from end to end to create a circuit. 

• If the outer insulation fails, and the cable begins to arc, the circuit will break. 

• The operator is then notified via the Autocar “Always Up” smart display that the cable may be compromised and needs to be inspected as soon as possible. 

• Once the alert has been issued and the truck stops, it cannot be started again without an operator deactivating a vehicle crank interlock. 

In short, the Smart Battery Cable turns a passive piece of equipment into an active line of defense. 

Fire Safety in the Bigger Picture 

Of course, no single innovation solves every fire risk. Dealing with refuse truck fires takes a layered approach, starting with training and maintenance. Safety experts point to a few key practices that every fleet should reinforce: 

• Daily inspections: Look for worn hoses, frayed wiring, loose battery connections, and fluid leaks before and after shifts. 

• Proper DPF regeneration: Park regenerations can produce extreme exhaust heat. Always park outside, away from combustible materials, and never leave a truck unattended during regen. 

• Cleanliness matters: Oil-soaked debris or leaf litter in engine bays is fuel for a fire. A clean truck is a safer truck. 

• Wheel-end vigilance: Dragging brakes and under-lubricated bearings are well-documented sources of truck fires. 

• Onboard suppression: For high-risk environments, suppression systems can catch fires early and reduce damage. 

When combined with new technology like the Smart Battery Cable, these practices create a robust safety net for fleets. 

The Future of Refuse Safety, Today 

Currently, as we continue to develop the technology, we are equipping select configurations of our ACX, with the goal of making the Smart Battery Cable standard across all configurations by 2027. 

From ADAM™’s driver-assist capabilities to this new intelligent electrical safeguard, we continue to design solutions that go beyond compliance and address real-world risks head-on. 

By focusing on issues like damaged battery cables, we aim to help fleets operate more safely and reliably – protecting operators, communities, and the trucks they depend on.