The City of Lathrop’s vehicle fleet just got some new additions. 

Earlier this month the Lathrop City Council approved a staff request to authorize the purchase of five new vehicles to replace aging vehicles within the fleet and supplement existing inventory. 

The $136,071.27 needed for the five Chevrolet pickup trucks – including two 2019 Chevrolet Colorado 4WD trucks for the construction division, a 2019 Chevrolet Colorado 2WD for the Streets and Utility Division, a 2019 Chevrolet 1500 2WD for the Streets and Utility Division, and a 2019 Chevrolet 2500 4WD for the Streets and Utility Division – was already approved in the city’s existing budget. 

An additional $10,000 for equipment necessary to perform the type of work that the vehicles will be used for – including boxes for truck beds, light bars, and lift gates – was also approved by the council. 

The city will purchase the vehicles from Steve’s Chevrolet in Oakdale that honors the General Motors Government Assistance Bid Program that provides discounted vehicle purchases similar to the California Multiple Award Schedule that establishes guidelines for government purchases. 

With each truck model, the city managed to complete the purchase – with tax and other additional costs – for close to if not below the manufacturer’s suggested retail price. Each of the vehicles came with discounts of thousands of dollars. The 2019 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 2WD pickup, for example, has an MSRP of $32,200, but the city will pay, out the door, less than $26,000 to add the truck to its existing fleet. The savings on the 2019 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 4WD vehicle is even more pronounced – with a sticker price of more than $40,000, the city will save roughly 25 percent by paying just over $30,600 for the truck. 

To contact reporter Jason Campbell email jcampbell@mantecabulletin.com or call 209.249.3544.