The City of Muscatine, Iowa, repurposed two old trucks to build a new one. Two of the Public Works Department's trucks were deemed unusable — a 1995 dump truck and a 1997 Vactor flusher truck. The dump truck's frame has rusted through, and the Vactor unit on the flusher truck was damaged beyond repair. 

Instead of disposing of the units, Street Division Manager Randy Howell came up with the idea of replacing the Vactor equipment with the dump box to create a usable truck. The completed vehicle was inspected by the Iowa Department Transportation in April and approved for over-the-road use. 

In addition, the department decided to paint the dump truck lavender to symbolize all cancer awareness.

“This truck shows the resourcefulness of the Public Works Department,” Public Works Director Brian Stineman said in a statement. “To create something out of nothing is a tribute to the hard work and dedication of our staff. It also stands as a symbol of resiliency for all those affected by all types of cancer. We hope that this effort brings awareness to the community of what we can accomplish with hope and perseverance.”