HomeMy WebLinkAbout(03) TRASH-TRUCKS SINGLE OPERATOR VS DOUBLE OPERATOR CITY OF PORT ARTHUR
Public Works Department
MEMORANDUM
TO: Stephen B. Fitzgibbons, City Manager
FROM: Ross E. Blackketter, P. E., Director of Public Works e/j_
DATE: 13 September 2011
RE: Trash Trucks — Single Operator vs Double Operator
Safety
During the current fiscal year, we have had two worker's compensation claims involving
employees in the Solid Waste Division/Trash. On June 28, an employee had a leg injury
climbing down the ladder from the grapple. On the double operator trash units (tractor /trailer
rig), an employee will climb up and down the ladder to the grapple at each stop. There is no
ladder on the single operator truck. The employee missed a number of days of work and the
cost of this worker's compensation case is over $33,000.
On August 9, another employee was injured when a truck stabilizer came down on his toe.
While this employee was only off work for a few hours, a similar accident in 2009 resulted in an
employee missing five weeks of work. On the single operator truck, the employee will operate
the stabilizer jacks from the working platform on the truck and is not near the stabilizers.
Another issue is that the trailers are very unstable when they are raised to dump at the landfill.
We have had more than one instance where the wind caught a trailer and tipped it over while it
was being dumped. Luckily, no one has been hurt when this has happened. This is an issue
only for the trailers because of their length and the lack of support when raised.
We also receive regular complaints from citizens about the operators "riding" the ladder or the
grapple on the tractor /trailer units. In fact, we have received two complaints about this issue
within the last two weeks. The operators persist in this behavior as a time saving measure in
spite of repeated warnings to stop.
Operating Costs
In 2006, the City purchased the two single operator trucks that are currently in the fleet and
two tractor /trailer trash trucks (double operator units) that are still being used on a regular
basis. Since their purchase, the two single operator trucks have driven a combined 206,040
miles with a total maintenance cost of $127,383. This yields a combined maintenance cost of
about $0.62 per mile. In the same time, the two tractor /trailer units have a total of 166,521
miles with a combined maintenance cost of $310,302 for about $1.86 per mile. This is triple
the per mile maintenance cost of the single operator units, and has a significant impact on our
ability to pick up trash due to the amount of time these trucks have been down for repairs.
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I believe this is due in large part to the increased complexity of a tractor /trailer assembly, which
requires a more complicated boom assembly and hydraulics to allow for the pivoting action of
the trailer, and the additional systems required for the trailer, such as the additional brake
system, axles,, tires, etc.
In addition, the single operator trucks do make more trips to the landfill due to their smaller
size. In the month of August, they made 110 trips to the landfill, while the two tractor /trailer
units made 103 trips. The number of relative trips will vary, for example, one of the single
operator units made 15 trips in the week of August 29, while a double operator truck made 10
trips.
Other Issues
The grapple operating stations of the tractor /trailer units are high, with the booms riding on top
of the trash -- above the side of the trailer. This has resulted in several instances where low
hanging utility wires were pulled down by the trucks passing underneath them. We have five
accident reports of this nature since the summer of 2010. We also had an occurrence where
the boom of a trash truck struck the railroad underpass on Memorial Boulevard. These
incidents cause a great deal of inconvenience to the citizens as well as posing a danger to the
employees.
Conversely, the operating station of the single operator trucks is behind the cab and is not
above the truck body. The booms of these trucks rides inside the bed and cannot catch low
hanging wires and cause this sort of accident.
I believe the purchase of these single operator trash trucks will result in substantially lower
operating and maintenance costs, a higher level of safety for the operators, and more reliable
service to the citizens.
Please call me if you have any questions.
cc: John A. Comeaux, P.E., Assistant City Manager /Operations
Rebecca Underhill, CPA, Assistant City Manager /Administration
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