N.M. City Criticized for 'Poorly Maintained' Refuse Trucks

The City of Santa Fe, N.M., is under fire after a local news report claimed that the city's fleet of "poorly maintained" refuse trucks are a danger to public safety.

by Staff

November 16, 2016

1 min to read

The City of Santa Fe, N.M., is under fire after a local news report claimed that the city's fleet of "poorly maintained" refuse trucks are a danger to public safety.

KQRE News 13 went through 1,400 maintenance and inspection reports for the city's refuse trucks, going back six months, and found that Santa Fe refuse department supervisors ignored a number of serious safety hazards. One truck’s engine, for example, would die out while in operation. The truck was kept in service for another six months without evidence of major repairs.

Santa Fe Mayor Javier Gonzales told KQRE that an outside agency will be called in to examine its refuse fleet and report back with recommendations.

Topics:Aging Fleet Refuse Fleets Elected Leaders Maintenance

More Maintenance

Maintenance•by Nichole Osinski•July 1, 2026

Reducing Long-Term Maintenance Costs and Downtime

Downtime is rarely caused by a single surprise failure but rather by an issue that builds over time through setbacks ranging from deferred maintenance to poor replacement planning. So what's the fix?

Promotional graphic for a Utilimarc guide titled Beyond Utilization Rates: How Data-Driven Fleets Are Rethinking Vehicle Replacement, featuring a report cover with fleet vehicles, key benefits, and a call-to-action to download the guide.

Beyond Utilization Rates: Smarter Fleet Replacement Decisions

Vehicle replacement decisions affect every aspect of fleet performance, from operating costs to asset availability. This guide explores how fleet leaders use integrated data, benchmarking, and lifecycle analytics to determine the right fleet size and optimize replacement timing with greater confidence.

Maintenance•June 29, 2026

The Future of Government Fleet Technicians with Mike Cleary

Insight on preparing for hybrid and electric vehicle service, what fleets need to know about recruiting technicians in a competitive market, and how to make the most of limited training budgets.

Graphic featuring the headline "Predict Failures Before Breakdowns" over a warehouse background with a vehicle maintenance work order on a clipboard, illustrating the role of maintenance data in preventing fleet downtime.

Maintenance•by Lauren Fletcher•June 22, 2026

Work Orders Are More Than Records. They're a Roadmap to Fleet Availability

What if your work orders could predict failures, uncover hidden costs, and boost fleet availability? Here's how leading fleets are using the data.

White cargo van driving on a paved road with trees and greenery in the background.

Maintenance•June 1, 2026

Drive More Profit with Greater Fleet Uptime

Fleet downtime costs money. JASPER helps keep vehicles on the road with quality remanufactured components, fast nationwide delivery, and reliable solutions that boost uptime and profitability.

Cover of a whitepaper titled “The Hidden Costs of Departmentally Assigned Vehicles on Your Fleet” featuring a black fleet vehicle driving on a road at sunset. Subheadline reads: “Discover how your fleet can reduce costs and minimize risk by implementing vehicle sharing.” The document focuses on fleet optimization, vehicle sharing, cost reduction, utilization tracking, and risk management for fleet operations.

The Fleet Efficiency Gap: Where Budgets, Utilization & Risk Collide

Departmentally assigned vehicles often create hidden costs through underutilization, poor visibility, and increased administrative burden. This whitepaper explores how shared motor pool strategies help fleets reduce costs, improve accountability, and optimize vehicle utilization.