Just in time for winter, some new trucks Pottsville bought for its streets department are rolling in.
There are five and all are outfitted with salt spreaders and plows, Thomas W. Whitaker, Pottsville’s superintendent of streets, said Wednesday.
“We have three new pickup trucks and two new dump trucks. The pickup trucks should last 10 to 15 years, probably longer. The dump trucks, 20-plus years. The dump trucks will replace two trucks that are at the end of their useful life,” Whitaker said.
“They were needed. It was overdue,” Josh Barnhardt, a mechanic at the city garage, said.
In July, the city council borrowed $4,560,000 for municipal projects. In all, there were four parties which took loans through the bond issue: the city, $1,727,438.75; Pottsville Housing Authority, $1,956,790; Pottsville Parking Authority, $500,000; and Pottsville Fire Department, $375,771.25.
“The last time we had a purchase like this was the last time we had a bond issue, which was 2004,” Whitaker said.
New trucks
The city used part of the money to buy vehicles for the streets department.
Two are 2017 GMC Sierra 2500. The city bought them from Star Buick GMC Cadillac, Quakertown, Bucks County. With salt spreaders and plows from Lancaster Truck Bodies, Lancaster, the total for each came to $50,746.
One is a 2017 GMC Sierra 3500 from Star Buick GMC Cadillac. With a salt spreader and plow from Lancaster Truck Bodies, the total for it came to $51,955.
On Wednesday, the three GMCs were sent back to Lancaster Truck Bodies.
“It’s just a modification to a hydraulic line on the salt spreader,” Whitaker said.
Those lines were too low to the ground and Whitaker and his staff wanted them higher.
Two are 2017 4200 International dump trucks. The city bought them from Five Star International LLC, Harrisburg. With salt spreaders and plows from Lancaster Truck Bodies, the total for it came to $133,786.
“When they get equipped it’s called upfitted,” Whitaker said.
When the new trucks arrived, two vehicles were taken out of service, a 1990 International dump truck and a 1992 International dump truck.
“They are out of service. They will be sold in early 2017,” Whitaker said.
But the city council has not yet taken action on the matter.
Fleet
With those two trucks out of service, the streets department now has 19 vehicles in its fleet. Besides the three new pickup trucks and two new dump trucks, the fleet includes:
• A 1997 International dump truck.
• A 1998 Chevrolet StakeBody (Bicentennial float truck).
• Three 2004 GMC Sierra trucks.
• A 2004 Ford F-550 4X4 chassis cab. Whitaker was hoping to replace this vehicle in 2017 but, when calculating the budget in November, the city council realized it could not afford to.
• A 2004 Ford truck F-Series.
• A 2008 Ford F-550 Super Duty.
• Two 2011 Ford F-350 trucks.
• A 2003 Ford F-250 pickup used by the parks department.
• A 2004 Ford F-350 chassis truck.
• A 2001 GMC C-3500 bucket truck
• A 2005 Chevrolet van.
The streets department also has a collection of trailers and other equipment, which includes the following:
• 1975 flatbed trailer.
• 1976 Gindy storage trailer.
• Two 2004 Hudson Tag Trailers.
• 2003 Dynapac tandem roller.
• 2003 Leeboy 7000LD paver.
• 1999 Case loader/backhoe.
• 2003 John Deere skid steer loader.
• 2017 Elgin Pelican P street sweeper.