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Commissioners cite heavy commercial trash trucks as damaging county roads; options include county-run service or contracts
Summary
County commissioners raised concerns about 60,000-pound commercial trash trucks damaging county roads and discussed potential remedies, including county-managed trash service or contracting models used by cities; no action was taken.
Van Zandt County commissioners raised concerns about large commercial trash trucks damaging county roads and discussed possible remedies, including the county taking over trash service or contracting for collection.
A commissioner said the county has "5 to 6" heavy trash companies operating large front-loader vehicles that weigh about 60,000 pounds and described them as "very destructive to our county roads." Commissioners discussed the difficulty of regulating private haulers without assuming responsibility for providing trash service; one option cited from other jurisdictions was for a local government to contract and collect for service through a local tax or utility billing model.
Court members questioned enforcement options, such as requiring bonds from trash companies; the meeting record shows uncertainty about practical enforcement (for example, how to prove damage was caused by a specific truck). The court tabled the matter for future study, saying staff should investigate how other counties and cities have addressed heavy commercial haulers and the associated road damage.
No ordinance, contract action, or budget allocation was proposed or adopted at the meeting.
