ARCOLA - The Arcola Co-op staff has been eagerly waiting for its new fuel truck, which finally arrived last week.
Matthew Almey, manager at the Arcola Co-op, said the truck was ordered in April 2023. It was organized through Federated Co-operatives Ltd. in Regina and the truck was purchased from Warner Industries.
The board had decided to update the chassis of the fuel truck, as the 2012 freightliner had served a substantial number of people over the years, and needed to be updated because of the many hours and kilometres it has seen.
There was debate on the right chassis to fit the needs of customers and to give the best return to the members; after all, this was an exceptionally large investment and they wanted to make sure that they were making the right decisions. They went with a 2024 Western Star.
Almey said they were able to utilize the fuel tank from the previous truck as it was still in decent shape, and they would have it refinished for the new unit. This would save time and cost the members as well by not having to purchase a new tank.
During the time that the truck was out of commission, the Stoughton Co-op rented a delivery truck to Arcola, so that people would still receive fuel.
This new investment helped the Arcola Co-op stay current with delivery unit technology now and for many years to come.
The board has chosen to keep the old truck chassis and will install a flat deck bed onto the frame so it can be used for the delivery of fence posts, feed, fuel and water tanks and lubricants.
“These investments will give our fleet more flexibility and reliability to serve our members for many years to come,” said Almey.
The new fuel truck officially hit the road on Dec. 12, and they are pretty proud of it.
