Cartoon
Trash Truck (TV series)
The story
Trash Truck is an American animated television series created and written by Max Keane. Each episode revolves around the adventures of a young boy named Hank and his best friend Trash Truck, who is a garbage truck.
Co-produced by Glen Keane Productions and Netflix Animation Studios, the series premiered on November 10, 2020 on Netflix. A second season premiered on May 4, 2021. A Christmas-themed special, titled A Trash Truck Christmas, was released on December 11, 2020. In April 2026, a third season was announced.
Voice cast
Henry Keane as Hank
Glen Keane as Trash Truck and Grandpa Mel
Olive Keane as Olive, Hank’s sister
Max Keane as Dad
Megan Paul as Mom
Lucas Neff as Donny, a raccoon
Brian Baumgartner as Walter, a bear
Jackie Loeb as Ms. Mona, a mouse
Production
The series was first announced in 2018.
The concept was inspired by Keane's son Henry's fascination with garbage trucks; Keane first developed it as a bedtime story about a boy whose best friend was a trash truck. Glen Keane, Gennie Rim, and Angie Sun later helped develop the idea into a preschool series. Keane chose computer animation to give the vehicle a tactile, grounded quality while retaining flexibility for a television production schedule.
Production began in March 2018. Dwarf Animation in France produced the computer animation, while Chromosphere handled production design.
Release
Trash Truck debuted on Netflix on November 10, 2020. A trailer was released on October 20, 2020. The series was followed by a Christmas special on December 11. The 16-episode second season was released on May 4, 2021. Netflix renewed the series for a third season in April 2026, ordering 28 episodes and a Halloween special. Angie Sun joined Keane as showrunner for the season.
Reception
Common Sense Media reviewer Ashley Moulton described Trash Truck as a slow-paced, "gentle" buddy series, praising its imaginative premise, emphasis on kindness and creative problem-solving, and portrayal of a sensitive boy protagonist.
Accolades
At the 2021 Daytime Emmy Awards, the series was nominated for Outstanding Preschool Children's Animated Series and Outstanding Writing Team for a Preschool Animated Program. It was also nominated at the 48th Annie Awards for production design.
At the 2022 Kidscreen Awards, Trash Truck won Best New Series, Best Animated Series, and Best in Class, while A Trash Truck Christmas won Best Holiday or Special Episode. Later that year, editor Sally Bergom won the Children's and Family Emmy Award for Outstanding Editing for a Preschool Animated Program.