Cookeville Public Works Department Has Two New Garbage Trucks In Service

Cookeville Public Works making good use out of its two new garbage trucks.

Director Blake Mayo said the department was very fortunate to be able to get the trucks easily after requesting them in February. Two other city departments have had to go through two contracts to try and obtain new vehicles due to supply chain issues.

“The service life of some of the older trucks were getting to the end of their life span, it was beginning to be an exorbitant cost to be able to repair these trucks,” Mayo said. “There are a lot of moving parts, there are a lot of heavy moving parts.”

Mayo said the new trucks keep the total fleet number of 5 trucks of each type. He said these were budgeted items, with the sideload costing $296,000 and the frontload costing $273,000.

Mayo said the sideload truck was delivered two weeks ago, and the new frontload truck was delivered Tuesday and has already been put into service.

“It’s been going well so far, ” Mayo said. “A little learning curve with the sideload because it’s different than any of the ones we have, but the drivers have taken it out and are doing a great job with it.”