Loop truck driver David Gleeson on his way to farmland in Mansfield, Washington with a load of biosolids.
Seattle area traffic can be a nightmare. We have drivers battling Seattle, and then crossing the state to deliver truckloads of biosolids to farm and forestry customers. All that poop-turned-to-biosolids, known as Loop®, is a precious commodity that has to get somewhere.
But there are limits, including federal limits, on how much we can ask of the drivers – a max of 11 hours drive time to be precise. So, King County Wastewater Treatment Division (WTD) came up with a solution. It closed down Loop’s vehicle operations center at a site near SeaTac (the lease was ending anyway) and moved the roadshow over to a newly built site on County-owned property in North Bend, Washington.
The Loop Vehicle Maintenance Facility, more popularly known as the ‘Loop Truck Shop’, is modern, spacious, and is even applying for LEED certification for its green building and landscaping features (more on that to come!). At 12,500 square feet, it accommodates large truck bays, parking, and has a meeting space.
Most importantly, the Loop Truck Shop works for the drivers. Approximately 200 trucks have departed from the facility since its opening in January, and every day more are making the easy jaunt onto I-90 and then points East. It’s the final step on the journey from your toilet to the earth.
For more information about Loop® and WTD’s Resource Recovery program can be found here: https://www.loopforyoursoil.com/who-uses-loop/
Mechanic Tito Manterola with the “yellow toolbox” containing tools and equipment needed to service and repair Loop trucks.
Exterior of the Loop Vehicle Maintenance Facility in North Bend, Washington.