Denver advances $4 million trash-truck rental contract amid fleet repairs
City officials say the Big Truck Rental agreement is meant to prevent missed trash, recycling and organics routes while Denver works through fleet shortages and maintenance backlogs.
Denver City Council advanced a $4 million contract Monday to rent refuse trucks and maintenance services as a stopgap when city-owned trucks are out of service.
Committee records describe the agreement with Big Truck Rental LLC as a citywide contract running through May 31, 2028. The contract file says Denver is renting sideloading and front-loading refuse trucks, plus monthly maintenance for each truck and additional repair services if needed.
During Monday's council meeting, city staff described the rentals as an emergency fleet used when existing trucks are down for repairs or maintenance. In the meeting discussion, a Denver Transportation and Infrastructure representative said the rentals are meant to cover routes so the city is "not missing any routes" while the department works through fleet and maintenance backlogs.
The city's resolution request packet says the in-house fleet "is not sufficient" to maintain the collection program on its own and warns that missed or delayed trash, recycling and organics pickups can create complaints, erode public trust and pose health hazards.
The same packet says Denver is treating the current agreement as an emergency measure while it finishes procurement for a longer-term contract. The city published a new request for proposals on July 24, 2025, but award and contract negotiations have taken longer than expected.
One council member said during Monday's discussion that she understood Denver was renting trucks because it could not buy new ones or repair broken ones quickly enough. Staff generally agreed.
The public record reviewed for this story does not say how often rented trucks are deployed or how many collection routes they cover.