Serving Whitman County since 1877
Serving Whitman County since 1877
The town of Garfield has bought a used garbage truck from Salt Lake City.
With the purchase approved at the Nov. 20 city council meeting, the question then became how to get the truck to Garfield.
In discussion, the council decided to look into the cost of shipping it compared to the mayor and public works superintendent going down there to drive it back.
Mayor Jarrod Pfaff directed city Clerk/Treasurer Cody Lord to look into what the cost would be to ship the 2002 Mack from West Valley, Utah to Spokane.
Later that week, Lord talked to two heavy haul trucking companies which go nationwide. He never did get an estimate.
“They said it would be far more than you’d be willing to pay, so they weren’t willing to give a number,” Lord said of the two companies, Ludtke Trucking of Bellingham and K.C.P.K. Trucking of Deming, Wash.
Part of the cost, they indicated, was that to put a truck that size on the back of a flat-bed semi, it would require pilot cars and police escort in some areas.
“It depends on the regions that you go through,” Lord said.
Thus shipping it has been ruled out and plans began to drive the garbage truck to Garfield.
As winter takes hold, the town’s existing old International garbage truck is having problems.
“There are several mechanical issues with it,” Lord said.
“The box compactor unit operates but it’s just wore out,” said Johnson. “Everything’s just wore out.”
As far as the new truck, Lord said costs are being estimated for driving it from Utah, including diesel fuel and temporary oversize vehicle licenses for Montana and Idaho. The Idaho license, Lord has found out already, will cost $60.
Mayor Pfaff indicated to the Gazette that he and Johnson would drive down in his truck, stay overnight and drive the two vehicles back.
“We want to have two people drive (the garbage truck) back just in case anything happens,” said Lord.
For transport, the truck’s curotto can on front – a dumpster-like mechanism – has been dismantled and put in the back.
The city of Garfield put a bid notice out for a garbage truck for a 14-day bid period in early November.
The only response they got was from West Valley, Utah. The total cost of the garbage truck was $63,500.
Pfaff said it might take two days to get it to Garfield. He hopes to leave Thursday to drive to Utah, after details are finalized at a Garfield council meeting Tuesday night.
“Depends on the weather,” he said.
Pfaff concludes his term as mayor Dec. 31.
Garth Meyer is a former Whitman County Gazette reporter.
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