St. Louis Faces Refuse Truck Shortage
Of the City of St. Louis' 84 refuse trucks, only 40 to 45 are operable on an average day.

After years of deferred vehicle replacements, the City of St. Louis is facing a shortage of refuse trucks. Although the refuse fleet includes 84 trucks, only 40 to 45 are fit to hit the road on an average day, and as a result the city is struggling to cover its 55 daily trash routes, reports the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
The average age of the city’s refuse trucks is 10 years old, with the oldest trucks reaching 18 years, reports the Post-Dispatch.
Last year the city increased its monthly trash fees, and half of the revenue was used to purchase 13 new trucks. A 10-year plan proposed to the city would call for 76 new trucks.
Cara Spencer, an alderman for the city, posted a photo of an overflowing dumpster on Facebook, calling attention to the need for fleet funding.
“We need to make room in our annual City budget for basic equipment [maintenance]. A decade of deferred [maintenance] does not smell good,” the post read. “Unfortunately we can only do so much with so much of our fleet inoperable.”
Related: Ind. City Debates In-House Refuse Collection
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