MINTO – It cost more than hoped, but Minto Fire is upgrading its truck fleet with two purchases approved by town council on Feb. 15.
Council approved the purchase of a tanker truck from Safetek Emergency Vehicles at maximum cost of $390,000 excluding HST.
A report from director of five services Chris Harrow notes a $350,000 purchase of a new tanker truck was approved for Minto Fire in the town’s 2022 capital budget. The truck is to replace a 1989 Ford tanker still in service.
The new truck is slated to go to the Harriston Station with its tanker being moved to the Palmerston Station, where the 1989 Ford truck would be taken out of service.
A request for proposals (RFP) resulted in six bids from four companies.
“This response was better than previous RFP processes” conducted recently, Harrow noted in the report.
The bids ranged from $328,200 to $452,900.
“The trucks were all fairly similar, with more options on the more expensive ones,” the report states.
Staff recommended accepting the low bid from Safetek Emergency Vehicles in the amount of $328,200.
The report notes there are some modifications staff would like made to the truck, including the addition of a small pump to aid in grass fires and the modification of one rack to accommodate more suction hoses.
The total price of the truck with modifications is estimated at $390,000, excluding HST.
“Staff feel with the modifications, it is still the best option of the six bids. In the current market, the pricing for trucks is volatile and hard to predict and prices are expected to increase again in the next few months,” the report states.
Deputy mayor Dave Turton noted the Safetek bid was for a 2021 truck, where as others were for 2022 or 2023 vehicles.
“Does that mean anything?” asked Turton.
“We’ve talked to a lot of truck guys and that’s not an issue. I think that’s one of the reasons why this one was so much cheaper than the other ones, because they have a supply of 2021 chassis still that they’re able to build on where the other ones don’t,” explained Harrow.
Council approved the report and authorized acceptance of the Safetek bid. Council also agreed to amend the 2022 capital budget to include an additional $50,000 for modifications.
Pickup purchase
Council also approved the purchase of a pickup truck from Harriston-based Leslie Motors.
Harrow noted Minto partnered on a tender with Centre Wellington, which was looking to purchase three trucks, and Wellington North which was looking for one, with the idea of saving money by purchasing in bulk.
“Again, we were caught up in the lack of supply. There are only three dealerships that actually bid,” he explained.
“And Leslie Motors actually only bid on the Wellington North and Minto trucks because they didn’t know how many they could get.”
He added, “As everybody knows, it’s just a crazy market out there right now.”
The report notes the Leslie Motors bid of $46,709 for a Ford F-150 was slightly higher than the low bid of $46,363 for a Silverado from Barry Cullen Chevrolet, but the minimal price difference “would be offset in savings in travel-related expenses for warranty and maintenance appointments.”
The report also indicates a third bid from Winegard Motors was originally submitted as $54,380 and corrected to $44,380 after the process had closed.
