Foreman says selling, buying trucks would improve mix.
By Gail Geraghty
Staff Writer

OXFORD – Road Foreman Steve Brown wants selectmen to consider selling off four of its eight trucks in the highway fleet.

At Thursday’s meeting, he said the town should invest the sales proceeds in a bigger, seven- or 12-yard dump wheeler truck that would be able to haul more gravel and cut down on the time spent laying sand and salt.

“I think you’ll see a big savings in sanding and salting over time,” Brown said. In addition to buying the bigger dump truck, Brown also wants the town to acquire a 550 dump truck, which would be used as a fifth truck, mostly for salting roads.

Selectmen tabled action until their April 17 meeting. Brown and Town Manager Michael Huston said they need direction on which way to go to upgrade the highway fleet so they can award contracts by May, for delivery by the fall.

Under Brown’s proposal, the town would sell its 1993 one-ton dump truck, two 1990 International Harvester dump trucks and a 1986 Ford dump truck.

Huston said the sale proceeds would be added to around $67,000 in other available funds toward the purchase of the two new trucks.

“There is a good argument to be made of acquiring a 12-yard dump wheeler, especially as we look down the road,” Huston said.

Many other towns are using seven- or 12-yard dump wheelers, Brown said. Since the town does not have its own gravel pit, it has to haul sand in the smaller trucks. That can present a problem in staying within legal weight limits for hauling, he said.

The newer trucks have calibrated equipment for dispensing sand and salt, Huston said. enabling the town to be more precise and economical in spreading those substances on the roads.

Selectman Dennis Sanborn questioned whether it made sense to sell the 1986 Ford, when the town recently invested $15,000 in it.