New trash truck on the job in Marion

New trash truck on the job in Marion

‘ Just what we needed,’ says Street Supervisor

news@theeveningtims.com Marion’s new automated garbage truck is a hit with the sanitation crew, and thanks to its bigger size, is cutting trips down to the landfill in half.

The city purchased a 2018 Peterbilt automated right side steer truck with a 28 yard loading capacity to replace its other automated garbage truck, which was totaled in a wreck on June 12.

“It’s already in operation,” said Street Department Supervisor Gordon Floyd. “

We’ve put it right to work.

It’s a really nice truck. It seems to be just what we needed.”

The new truck cost $273,000 and was obtained from the factory in Ft.

Payne, Alabama.

“It literally came straight from the assembly line,” Floyd said.

The new truck also has more loading capacity. The old truck was a 2016 Freightliner could hold 22 yards compared to the new one which holds 28 yards.

Mayor Frank Fogleman asked whether the new truck is able to pick up the whole city in one trip.

“Is it a single trip per day?” Fogleman asked.

“With that truck, yes,” Floyd answered. “It’s basically saving us a trip a day.”

Floyd had been studying different truck models and had considered upgrading to a 28 yard packer because their other truck was due to be turned in as part of a guaranteed buy-back program.

He told the council that the city had to go with a 28 yard packer and a right hand steer vehicle because their finance company isn’t buying back anything smaller.

“It’s a more expensive truck,” Floyd said. “But that’s the reason we went to the bigger and upgraded truck — so we can be on the buy-back program.”

City Councilman Bryan Jackson, who chairs the sanitation committee, said the new truck also has a new feature which helps cut down litter when it dumps its load at the landfill.

“It has a higher cage and it is a lot better than what we had,” Jackson said.

Blowing litter from unbagged trash has become a problem in Marion.

Floyd recently has his crew put stickers on every trash container in the city advising residents that all trash must be bagged. They also put a similar message on the water bill.

“That should help,” Floyd said. “We also put that message up on city’s web page.”

Floyd said they should hear back soon from the insurance company on their claim. The truck overturned on Broughm Avenue while running the garbage route.

“We’re waiting on the adjuster to give us some numbers,” Floyd said.

On a related matter, Floyd said two new knuckleboom trucks which they ordered in April will arrive in the city this week.

The trucks cost $142,000 apiece.

“We’ll clean our old ones up and give them back on the buy-back program,” Floyd said.

By Mark Randall