News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
Supply chain issues are creating difficulties for several Cookeville city departments to purchase vehicles.
Cookeville Leisure Services Director Rick Woods said that his department received notice of a canceled order after the city council approved the purchase of a single-axel dump truck through Sourcewell. Woods said the discovery of a new contract available through the state provides an opportunity to get the truck, but at a higher cost.
“There’s potential that they could come back and say no we’re not going to be able to get these trucks,” Woods said. “They’ve told us that they can hold two trucks for us, one for our department and one for the water department. They’re just manufacturing fewer trucks, is what we’ve been told.”
Water Quality Control Department Director Ronnie Kelly is experiencing the same issue. He said their purchaser received noticed that the manufacturer Freightliner said that instead of 150,000 vehicles manufactured next year, they would make only 1,500.
Woods said that the new contract through the statewide purchasing contract increases the truck price by $10,000 to a total of $121,549. Kelly said that the statewide contract increase the cost of his department’s tandem dump truck by about $19,000.
Electric Department Director Carl Haney said that his department is also feeling the effects of supply chain issues. He said that while the department’s 66′ digger derrick truck is built and ready to be delivered, it comes at a cost.
“Because of the economic situation like what Ronnie and Rick were talking about, there is a letter in the packet that explains it from the manufacturer that with supply chain increases and such they’re adding a cost recovery to that of $36,621. We’ve looked at other options, saying ‘do you put it out for bid, and what are the other options for that?'”
Kelly said that some truck manufacturers are saying to rebid would put the truck out for delivery in another two years in addition to rising costs.
City Council had previously approved all of the truck bids, and will consider the new purchases at their Thursday night meeting.
