New Phila buys diesel garbage truck from Battle Motors
NEW PHILADELPHIA (WJER) – Officials are making a big fuss about the city’s newest garbage truck.
That’s because the 20-yard, Diesel-powered truck came from Battle Motors, the company that took over and expanded the former Crane Carrier facility on Reiser Avenue. Service Director Ron McAbier says it came time to retire one of the city’s older garbage trucks, they couldn’t think of anyone better to replace it.
“We usually try to purchase a new garbage truck once every couple of years, and naturally with the expansion of Battle Motors and the commitment they’ve made not only to the surrounding area but to the City of New Philadelphia when it came time it was a sure, easy investment to make with them.”
The cost was around $165,000, which McAbier says is in line with what they would have paid for a similar truck from a different manufacturer.
“As a matter of fact, when we looked Battle was just a little north of that number and Mike Patterson said, ‘Hey, I’ll match that number. We want to do business with you.’”
The new garbage truck has already been delivered but hasn’t gotten much use so far.
“They’re trying it here and there but trying to keep it nice because it’s gonna be in the First Town Days Festival so I don’t know that it’ll see much service before then. I think we’ll try to blend it in after that Fourth of July parade.”
This isn’t the only locally produced vehicle in the city’s fleet. McAbier says their last vacuum truck and the current one came from Gradall, and they also have an order in for one of the company’s street sweepers.