It took two years of waiting, thanks to supply chain issues, but the Oconto County Forestry and Parks Department is finally getting its new tandem rear-axle dump truck.
Forestry and Parks Director Monty Brink reminded the Oconto County Board of Supervisors on Feb. 22 that it approved the purchase of the truck and dump body in February 2022 for $149,077. Packer City International Trucks of Ashwaubenon was awarded the truck chassis contract, and Olson Trailer and Body is providing the dump body. The original idea was to sell the old truck for about $19,000 to offset some of the cost.
The contract said that if the unit was not in dealer inventory — and it wasn’t — the purchase order pricing could not be confirmed until the truck was slotted with a firm build date, Brink said. Due to market and economic conditions, assembly of the International truck did not begin until January of this year.
In the meantime, the price of the truck has increased by $9,324. Also, county officials determined that the truck the new unit is going to replace is still in better condition than a couple of aging highway department dump trucks, so the plan to sell the old truck was scrapped.
“The good news is I’m going to get a 2024 truck, not a 2022,” Brink said.
The board voted unanimously to approve making up the $26,000 difference incurred by the increased price tag and moving the old truck into the highway department’s care.
wbluhm@newmedia-wi.com
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