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School district recommends replacing five aging maintenance trucks; most bids from local Ford dealerships
Summary
Facilities staff told the committee several district maintenance vehicles are past useful life or cannot be driven; the administration recommended awarding five truck purchases (Ford models) with expected 2026 deliveries, and to auction an old box truck.
Facilities staff presented a fleet‑replacement plan and recommended awards after soliciting competitive bids. The district’s maintenance fleet includes pickup trucks, dump trucks and a box truck used for in‑district deliveries and equipment hauling; several vehicles are rusted, failing inspection, or unable to be used for winter plowing.
Administration recommended awards to local dealerships (Sands Ford of Red Hill and Zanz Ford) for five replacement vehicles: a 2026 4x4 stake‑body/plow truck for grounds and plowing, an enclosed service‑body 4x4 with plow for HVAC specialists, a 4x4 ground truck with plow, a 4x4 dump truck with plow capability, and a 16‑foot box truck with liftgate for warehouse deliveries. Where a truck had trade‑in value the administration included that offset in the net award value; for the box truck the administration recommended auctioning the old vehicle to maximize return.
Delivery estimates from the vendors run into early 2026 (January–April 2026). Facilities staff said they attempted to broaden the solicitation but most responsive bids came from Ford dealers; staff also noted the reality that many vendors no longer keep heavy‑duty work trucks in dealer inventory and many replacements are built to order.
Committee members asked about undercoating practices (district uses an undercoating product on plow vehicles), whether bed‑liners would be included (to be added on new vehicles as appropriate), and whether vehicle selection could be phased so the district does not replace many vehicles in a single year. Administration said the district is developing a multi‑year replacement plan to spread costs and avoid large one‑year purchases going forward.
If the board approves the recommended awards, the district will accept the low bids and schedule manufacturing/installation; several of the purchases include plow packages and specialized service bodies.
