The Guam Power Authority (GPA) is adding two new bucket trucks to its operations ― the first additions to its fleet of bucket trucks since 2006.

The new units, 2013 International/Altec Bucket Trucks, will be immediately utilized for preventive maintenance (PM) and infrastructure improvement work throughout GPA’s island-wide transmission & distribution system. Twenty-two out of its 26 existing bucket trucks are operational, with the remaining four undergoing extensive repairs.

GPA services approximately 300 units, which includes forklifts, trailers, and SUVs. In total, more than 400 employees are authorized to operate some sort of vehicle or heavy equipment in the fleet. According to GPA, all operations employees are required to take defensive driving courses prior to vehicle operations. Specialized operators also hold certifications for certain vehicles. For the new trucks, MidPac Far East has provided GPA personnel with extensive training on operations and maintenance.

“These new bucket trucks are capable of reaching upwards of 60 feet and cost approximately $236,000 each. The trucks will be assigned to the line crews to continue ongoing PM and capital improvement work,” stated Melinda Camacho, P.E., assistant GM of Operations. “You’ll be seeing these trucks on the road and in the field providing more support to other line crews – with these additions, GPA can continue ongoing maintenance and capital improvement work including streetlight repairs, outage response, and service calls.”

Vehicles are generally replaced every five years depending on funding availability, which is why much emphasis is placed on proper operations and maintenance, according to the utility.

GPA is also focused on keeping costs down. Several years ago, it made the switch to ultra low sulfur diesel (ULSD) to lower parts and maintenance expenses. Other cost-saving strategies include piloting vehicle tracking to gauge speed, time of idling, and route programming to improve control of fuel usage and dispatching, as well as safety as a performance metric for division managers.