Abstract: The vehicle mounted highway refuse collector gathers discarded refuse from roadway surfaces at normal highway speeds without slowing down. The refuse collector can gather discarded tire treads, or pieces of furniture, and even dead animals at normal speeds safely. At normal highway speeds, the impact with refuse provides centrifugal force sufficient to gather and rotate debris up and onto a storage shelf allowing the continued operation of the refuse collector until it is full. At less than highway speeds, motor assistance provides the means to gather in, and rotate debris onto the storage shelf safely for operation at slower speeds as in city streets. The cleanout when full is facilitated by pull-pins that drop down the storage shelf so as to be easily unloaded.