The Dallas County Secondary Roads Department was recently approved to purchase a new piece of equipment that will make unloading materials easier.

The Board of Supervisors approved the purchase of a belly dump trailer, which is used to transport materials and dispense them from the center, or “belly,” of the equipment. County Engineer Al Miller said the department hasn’t ever used this type of tool, but he’s heard from other counties that it simplifies many of their projects. He sought bids for the trailer, receiving three. The low bid was from Jim Hawk Truck Trailers of Des Moines, for a Construction Trailer Specialists 40-inch cross-gate bottom dump trailer that costs $40,252. The money to pay for it will come from the Roads Department’s Special Equipment Fund.

Miller said the trailer should be delivered within the next seven weeks. He added, one of the benefits to the belly dump trailer is its longevity, as it can continue to be used as a normal trailer long after its dumping mechanism malfunctions, which doesn’t typically happen until after ten or more years.