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Humboldt County plans to buy truck chassis now, delay snow equipment to address 14—18-month lead times
Summary
Facing long lead times for fully fitted dump trucks, county staff proposed purchasing two truck chassis now and contracting snow/ plow equipment next year; supervisors authorized staff to solicit quotes for chassis to shorten total delivery time.
County staff told supervisors that truck vendors are quoting 14—18-month lead times for fully fitted dump trucks and that staggered procurement would reduce total wait time. The recommendation: purchase two truck chassis in the current fiscal year and contract for snow equipment (box, plow, sander) next year so the county can have chassis ready for fitment when vendor schedules allow.
"What I'm proposing is the money that I've got set aside for a dump truck fully fitted, I buy two chassis and then next year I'll buy the snow equipment because it'll end up falling in next year," staff said, explaining the practical advantage of securing the chassis now.
Supervisors authorized staff to request quotes for two chassis and asked that delivery timelines and guaranteed delivery dates be included in vendor responses. Staff said typical current pricing puts a chassis around $160,000—180,000 with snow equipment adding a comparable amount, producing total per-truck estimates near $315,000.
Board members discussed whether counties reuse boxes or swap used boxes onto new chassis, the merits of stainless-steel or aluminum boxes, and warranty/maintenance considerations; staff will return with vendor quotes and proposed delivery dates.
