By KEN CARPENTER
Great Bend Post
Two Barton County-owned dump trucks that are more than 25 years old will be getting new truck beds at a cost of more than $50,000 per truck. The purchase was approved at Wednesday's County Commission meeting.
County Works Director Darren Williams told commissioners what is included in the purchase.
“The new beds are 15-foot beds with a high lift tailgate, a new tarp system with a hand-crank, a certified hydraulic package to allow us to utilize for snow plowing and the salt spreader during our winter operations. It also includes new controls for inside the cab,” Williams said.
County Commissioners visited the county's Road and Bridge Department facilities in Great Bend on April 13. Commissioner Jon Prescott had the opportunity to see the need for the truck beds.
"That was a great opportunity to tour the Road and Bridge Department,” Prescott said. “It’s incredibly clean, and to see first-hand the need of those beds. Those beds are definitely in need of replacement. To be able to keep the truck and the chassis and just put in a new bed is a very economic way and a sign of good stewardship of taking care of equipment and then only replacing what needs to be replaced, not buying all new trucks.”
The truck beds, provided by FleetPride of Wichita, will be placed on two 1996 Peterbilt dump trucks.