PHOTO: The City of Victoria Environmental Services recently purchased two replacement trucks for its fleet. Trucks are replaced on a routine basis as they reach the end of their lifespan.
The City of Victoria Environmental Services recently replaced two trucks in its fleet with new trucks, improving the department’s ability to complete trash and recycling pickups in a timely manner.
Environmental Services Director Darryl Lesak explained that the department’s trucks endure significant wear and tear as a result of being on the road 10-12 hours per day.
“These vehicles have many different moving parts that can break down,” Lesak said. “In some cases we can maintain them by replacing individual parts, but the trucks themselves need to be replaced every 7-9 years.”
The department follows a rotating schedule to replace the trucks in its fleet, purchasing one or two new trucks at a time as the old ones reach the end of their lifespan.
Although the trucks are ordered on a routine basis, supply chain issues this year caused the delivery of the trucks to be pushed back, which contributed to recent recycling pickup delays.
Lesak explained that whenever the department has fewer trucks available due to equipment problems or absent staff, the department works strategically to complete as many pickups as possible and minimize inconvenience to residence. For example, staff might work longer hours to complete pickups the same day, or trucks might be re-assigned to different routes.
“Garbage can be a nuisance if it isn’t collected, so we sometimes prioritize garbage pickup over recycling if necessary,” Lesak said. “If we are unable to complete our pickups, we assign crews to finish them the next day.”
As a reminder, residents should leave their trash and recycling on their curbs by 7 a.m. on scheduled pickup days.
To look up your pickup schedule for trash, recycling and yard waste, visit www.victoriatx.gov/environmental-services.