Truck Troubles Slow Progress Of County’s Road Projects

Dump trucks were a prime item of discussion during last Thursday’s Ste. Genevieve County Commission meeting.

Road and bridge foreman Scott Schmieder reported that four of his seven trucks were out of service due to mechanical issues. A 2003 International, a 2011 Freightliner, a 2005 International and a 2012 International all were sidelined with various mechanical problems.

The commission hopes a pair of grants will help pay for new trucks to replace a couple of the older trucks.

The county has already been approved for a Diesel Reduction Act (DERA) grant, which would pay 25 percent of the cost for a new dump truck.

In 2017, the Commission had applied for a Volkswagen Clean Air Act settlement grant for a new truck. While that didn’t work out, another round of grants is coming up. The Volkswagen grant would pay 75 percent of a new diesel truck.

“We need to order two trucks now,” Presiding Commissioner Garry Nelson said.

In fact, the commissioners agreed that buying a third might be worth considering.

With both grants, the trucks being replaced — the 2003 International and the 2005 International — would need to be destroyed, with holes drilled in the engines and the frame cut in half. Photos would have to be submitted proving that this had been done before the grant money would be released. Therefore, the county would be paying for the trucks up front then seeking reimbursement from the grant programs. …

The truck issue will probably cut the 2019 paving season short.

“We just don’t have the trucks,” Nelson said.

See complete story in the September 25 edition of the Herald.