Two of Offutt AFB's 1960 Ford F-600s with Cobey Liftainers in 1967 I served in the United States Air Force as an equipment operator from 1965 to 1969. Stationed at Offutt AFB in Omaha, Nebraska in 1967 & 1968, one of my job assignments was operating one of Offutt’s three [Cobey Liftainer] dumpster hauling trucks. There were three routes, with all the collected trash ending up at the on-base landfill, a dragline-dug series of deep trenches surrounded by tall wire fences. I-beams kept us from going too far back when we dumped the containers, as seen in one of the photos. Periodically, when the piles in the trench got large, the trash was spread and compacted by an old D8 Caterpillar dozer. Previous AF versions were mounted (if I remember correctly) on GMC 630's with 6-cylinder engines, which I would assume were big and clumsy to operate. The trucks in use when I was there were 1960 Ford F-600s with V8s. Sports cars in comparison to the GMCs. We had one crazy SOB who had his truck cornering on the gravel haul road on two wheels more than once. Before I left that assignment, one of the Fords had been replaced with a brand new AF blue 1966 Chevy C60. Because of the C60's soft suspension with high center loads, we all preferred the older Fords; so after one or two days with the Chevy, the new truck went to the least senior driver! 
Bill McConville and Roger Nelson with sports car-like Ford F-600s. The lift control handles are visible through the windshield 
Roger Nelson with a 12-yard Dumpster at the base landfill 
The bottom drops out to discharge the refuse. An I-beam stop prevents backing into the pit 
4/19/20 (revised 7/6/20) Photos courtesy of Roger Nelson Logos shown are the trademarks of respective manufacturers |