Good afternoon,
And just like that August is halfway over. The summer is really flying by.
On Tuesday, Adam provided a detailed fleet and facilities update to our board at their working session.
Overall, the fleet is in a much better condition than it was just a few years ago. While we still have a lot of equipment overdue for replacement, we have made steady progress. Unfortunately, we are seeing extremely long lead times on new equipment, including the 11 heavy trucks we ordered in 2021 (delivery now expected in 2023) and light/medium duty pick-up trucks.
On the facilities side of things, we have a mixed bag. We have some facilities that are almost-new (NESC) and we have other facilities that are pretty tired. Given this situation, we are planning a combination of preventative maintenance and reconstruction investments over the next 18 months. The biggest ticket item is a new salt barn at the Main Yard. We are working through the design and permitting process, hoping for a 2023 build.
We will share a lot more about our 2023 fleet and facilities investments as we work through the budgeting process this fall.
Budgeting is always a balancing act. We strive to strike a responsible balance between investments in our people, our fleet, our roads, our facilities and all of our other financial obligations. Please let me or Adam know if you have any specific questions about our fleet or facilities.
I hope you have a great weekend.
Take care and stay safe,
Sheryl
