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Commission directs staff to seek options for diagnostic readers for highway department vehicles
Summary
Commissioners discussed purchasing diagnostic code readers for county vehicles and heavy equipment; they asked staff to gather multiple proposals, including lower- and higher-cost options, and to clarify what equipment each reader would service.
Commissioners discussed whether to purchase diagnostic code readers that would allow highway department staff to perform vehicle diagnostics in-house instead of sending vehicles to Bismarck for interpretation and testing.
Staff said shop employees believed in-house diagnostic capability could reduce trips to Bismarck and associated labor and transport costs; an example was given where taking a vehicle to Bismarck and back required two employees and added expense. Vendors had reportedly suggested a range of equipment: lower-cost readers suitable for pickup trucks and light vehicles and higher-cost systems that can interface with graders, tractors and semis. One price discussed in the meeting transcripts was substantially higher than typical consumer-level readers, but commissioners asked staff to obtain multiple options with itemized capabilities and prices.
The board asked staff to return with at least a few quotes: basic units for light vehicles and more capable systems for heavy equipment, with clarification of which types of vehicles and equipment each reader would cover. Commissioners noted that a code reader might pay for itself if it avoided repeated trips off-site and allowed staff to diagnose and, in some cases, perform repairs more quickly. No purchase decision was made; staff were authorized to pursue pricing and bring options back for a future meeting.
