Loveland Deploys Garbage Truck Snowplows

Loveland, Colorado residents experienced a somewhat strange site recently. They looked to their streets to find that snowplows were working to make the roads manageable again. However, what they saw was a good deal different from what they expected. With plows attached, the city had deposited a number of garbage trucks to deal with the recent snowfall.

This is not the first time the city of Loveland used garbage trucks converted into snowplows. A pilot program was carried out in 2009. The following year, the city added several more garbage trucks to the plan. The results have been extremely encouraging so far, with the trucks being used in the event that six inches or more has fallen. The city says that the trucks are generally only used once or twice a year since they are only deployed in the event of a serious snowstorm. There are eleven trucks that utilize a plow and then there are an additional four pickup trucks that utilize a plow in a cul-de-sac.

After the Solid Waste Fleet deploys, the cost to the city is around thirteen grand per day. This crew runs trash pickups and they are rerouted to a regular plow schedule while maintaining their own routes.