By Jaree Hefner
Director of Communications
City of Dickinson
In today’s times, purchasing vehicles or equipment comes with quite the wait, but Heil of Texas delivered one year and 14 days after the order was placed. For the City of Dickinson’s Public Works Department, it was a long wait, but today H.O.T. rolled in with a state-of-the-art Grapple Truck to excited City crews.
Ordered back in 2021, this piece of equipment will allow City crews to pick up large debris in City right-of-way from illegal dumping, help to remove downed trees blocking roadways, and will be a crucial piece of equipment to have for debris pickup after a significant storm. This Grapple Truck is built to maximize speed, productivity, and stability.
This truck can lift up to 9,000 pounds and can hold almost 4,000 pounds of debris. It can extend from 6″ to 23′, and the boom can rotate a full 425 degrees.
“This new addition to our fleet is one we have been anxiously waiting on for just over a year,” said Public Works Superintendent Alexis Santiago. “If and when Dickinson is faced with an extreme weather event, my crews are now equipped to respond immediately, and I know all of us here in Dickinson can appreciate that.”
The crews spent several hours with the Vice President of Heil of Texas, Jeremy Davis, learning the ins and outs of operating and maintaining this new piece of equipment, and one by one were able to test out their skills.
“The Heil Of Texas Family loves being on-site getting our hands dirty training with great customers like The City of Dickinson,” said Davis, “and we know this machine will help keep the City beautiful!”
This new equipment was purchased through a lease contract that allowed the City to invest in four pieces of needed equipment. The Combo Vac Truck, a Bulldozer, the Street Sweeper, and finally, this boom truck. This particular piece of equipment costs the City $201,372 in a lease agreement that is to be paid out over five years from the City’s general fund.
“The City has invested heavily in large equipment since 2021 to help build out a fully functioning Public Works Department that can respond to the needs of a City our size and growing,” said Mayor Sean Skipworth. “We were able to do so by working with the Dickinson Management District to best leverage our tax dollars and are extremely proud of the work that is being done and how far the department has come in such a short time.”
