Loaders Take on Louisville’s Toughest Trash

Chester Denny knows the value of reliable loaders when handling tons of trash every day.

Tough jobs require durable equipment. Nobody understands that better than Chester Denny and Earl Beason, long-time employees of the City of Louisville.

Denny recently retired as fleet procurement analyst. He purchased more than $150 million worth of vehicles and equipment during his 28-year career. Twenty-year employee Beason, the sweeper shop supervisor, and his crew have maintained and repaired many of those machines.

Ten Bobcat® skid-steer loaders, purchased from Bobcat Enterprises, are working on the front lines of city business five days a week. Nine 863 (now S220) loaders are used on regular trash pickup routes and an S300 moves material at the city incinerator.

Accompanied by dump trailers, the 863s pick up trash throughout Louisville. “We provide this service because we don’t want people dumping trash wherever they please,” says Denny. “The loaders are very maneuverable, working between cars, trees and other obstacles.”

The work, adds Beason, is not easy. “Trash pickup is the type of job that would tear up an M-1 tank,” he says. “Our crews work in all kinds of weather, on all types of terrain. One of the biggest problems is concealed items. For example, a loader will remove a pile of brush. Under the brush will be concrete, then more brush and finally a home appliance or two. Once you starting digging in a pile you never know what you will find.”

Earl Beason

The same is true at the city incinerator where the S300 works all day. “That machine is used constantly,” says Beason. “Residents bring their trash (wood, glass, appliances, furniture, etc.)—generally the same type of items we pick up on our regular citywide routes. The loader at the incinerator works in a real difficult environment.”

Adds Denny: “None of our Bobcat loaders do cream puff work. They are constantly challenged and they have held up well.”

Preventive maintenance by Beason and his team is one reason the city gets maximum performance out of the skid-steer loaders. “We service the older machines every 200 hours and the newer ones every 400 hours,” he says. “Easy engine access is very helpful when maintaining these units. We keep our loaders for six to eight years before trading, so preventive maintenance is very important for keeping them productive for this long.”

For the City of Louisville, Bobcat loaders have proven that when the going gets tough, these tough machines keep going.