A leaf truck rented from Premier Truck Sales & Rental in action back in 2011 on the Old West Side in Ann Arbor.

The truck rental is an annual approval. The trucks are being rented in order to handle the increased volume of yard waste during the fall season. Based on the staff memo accompanying the resolution, the city has a fleet of three side load compost trucks, which have smaller “hoppers” designed for routine collection of a couple of compost carts per stop. The frequency of “packing” required for the truck – during which no waste can be added – depends on the hopper size. The rental trucks have much larger hoppers so “packing” is less frequent.

Overall, the city of Ann Arbor says it saves money with its current “containerized” leaf collection approach – which allows residents to use paper bags or composting carts – compared to its previous practice of inviting residents to sweep their leaves into the street for mass collection with front loaders and dump trucks.

The bid from Premier Truck Sales & Rental Inc. was just under that of Bell Equipment company – $11,880 compared to $11,920 per truck.

This brief was filed from the city council’s chambers on the second floor of city hall, located at 301 E. Huron. A more detailed report will follow: [link]