Public works crews had been working around the clock to clear 28 debris-jammed basins before the next storm hits the area tonight. Crews suspended their 24-hour operation this week, limiting their runs to daytime and early-evening hours for seven days a week, he said.
Many of the truck drivers were hired on a contract, but he said the county still assumes responsibility.
Residents also wanted assurances that the drivers had licenses, and that the trucks had passed safety inspections.
County employees, he said, keep records of how long each driver has been on the job and how many loads they’ve hauled. Trucks may carry about 7 cubic yards of debris and mud only, Pestrella added.
Truck drivers with bad driving habits, he said, would be pulled off the job.
“We do kick people off the job routinely,” Pestrella said.
Glendale police have been citing truck drivers for speeding, failing to yield at stop signs and other equipment violations, Sgt. Tom Lorenz said.
Residents have also complained to police about the trucks driving in front of Dunsmore Elementary School during school hours and for not using a Jacobs Brake — a compression braking mechanism installed in diesel trucks — in residential areas, although failure to do so isn’t illegal, he said.
“We are monitoring on a 24-hour cycle when we are not on other calls for service,” Lorenz said.
On Thursday morning, a dump truck collided with a van on the Foothill (210) Freeway at Pennsylvania Avenue, according to the California Highway Patrol.
Passengers complained of pain and were taken to local hospitals, officials said.
So far this year, 14 truck drivers have been cited on suspicion of having tires without traction, uncovered loads and no fire extinguisher, medical certificate, mud flaps or license plate, Lorenz said.
Another 10 to 15 trucks were stopped for spilling mud and water onto the road, but the drivers were not cited, he said.
At the same time, drivers have also expressed frustration to police and county officials over getting tickets, Lorenz said.
Other residents were worried about the truck route, which they said seemed to be centered on several streets, including Foothill Boulevard, Markridge Road, Santa Carlotta Street and Dunsmore, La Crescenta, Boston and Pennsylvania avenues.
The hauling route was posted on the Public Works website Thursday.
Crews and residents will also get a break from the runs this Sunday, Pestrella said.
He encouraged residents to call his department if they have any problems with the trucks.
