Supply chain delays may cause concern about holiday present delivery, but the Coldwater Board of Public Utilities will face a two-and-a-half-year delay to replace two essential bucket trucks.
Electric Superintendent John Springhall said he needs two trucks because the purchase of one was delayed in the last year due to expenses of building the Butters Avenue substation and the fiber project. Both purchases total $527,000. Both trucks together are on budget.
“We’re getting to the point where we deem these trucks not reliable to be available during a storm,” he told the board.
“Once the new trucks are received, we will sell #141 which is a 2012 bucket truck. It is a larger truck with a 55 ft. working height used by the line crew,” Manager Jeff Budd reported.
Truck #26 was purchased in 2015, is a smaller truck with a 45 ft. working height. It is currently being shared with the telecommunications. It will eventually be used exclusively by the telecommunications department to support the new Fiber-to-the- Home project.
Like people waiting line for a new car, Springhall said CBPU is waiting in line for each new chassis. The big power companies like DTE and Consumers ordered their trucks first.
“We are at the end of the line,” Springhall said.
Usually, supplier Altec would build a truck in a year. Because of chip shortages and shortages or other parts for the specialty trucks “they are looking at supply chain shortages on that as well.”
Springhall said once these are purchased he is hoping to get back to the process where CBPU is not purchasing two of the expensive trucks in a year. They try to replace the smaller ones every seven years.
Springhall said it’s “a matter of reliability. You all are looking to have power when its cold or hot on a summer day.”
Final designs must be made and approved. Springhall said “we just pay when they deliver it.”
This article originally appeared on The Daily Reporter: Coldwater Board of Public Utilities facing delay in replacing essential trucks
