Little Rock officials plan to add over two dozen new trucks to the city’s solid waste fleet while phasing out older, high-mileage vehicles with maintenance issues. The Little Rock Board of Directors has authorized the purchase of 29 vehicles for a total of more than $9 million.
In addition to residential garbage pickup, solid waste crews handle the collection of bulky items and yard waste. Eighteen of the new vehicles will be side-loader garbage trucks, which use a mechanical arm to grab curbside trash carts and dump their contents into the truck.
At its Tuesday meeting, the Little Rock board approved a measure ratifying the approximately $6.2 million purchase, which had been executed four days earlier, according to board documents. By agreeing to trade in four of the city’s older vehicles, officials received an $800,000 credit that offset some of the cost.