ADAMS TWP — After doing some research, Mars Area School District’s marching band boosters said they need to stick with a box truck for hauling equipment in the future.

The marching band was previously using a box truck, but had to decommission it due to falling out of inspection and becoming too expensive to maintain. Discussion began among the school board on whether to purchase another box truck or look instead at a trailer that could be hauled by a district pickup truck.

But several band boosters united behind a single message at the Wednesday, April 8, school board meeting: a trailer would not be feasible for a number of reasons.

Rachelle Rankin, president of the marching band boosters, gave each board member a compiled list of reasons why a trailer would put the band at a disadvantage compared with another box truck. Chief among those concerns was the need for a CDL driver for the necessary weight-rated trailer the marching band would need.

“We would need a CDL driver because anything over 10,000 pounds needs to have a CDL driver. So our four volunteers that drive the truck now have said they are not comfortable hauling a 32-foot trailer,” Rankin said.

She said the marching band used the truck for 600 hours in the past year and found the least-expensive dedicated CDL driver would cost $50 an hour — a total of $30,000 a year in driver wages. On top of that, the truck driver would need to work odd hours or even overnight for certain events.

A number of other band boosters also spoke, highlighting concerns over space available compared with the box truck and maintenance.

Marching band director Austin Pengilly expressed his concern that if the trailer is hauled by a district truck that can be used for other purposes, like snow plowing, it could shorten the life span of the truck.

“I’m just telling you right now, a plow is going to destroy that double axle. It’s going to destroy that frame. You’re going to take five years off the life of that truck. You’re not going to be able to reliably haul $144,000 worth of equipment,” he said.

Pengilly said he understands that the district has a plethora of financial responsibilities, hence his desire to keep as much of the work to volunteers as possible.

Ultimately, the school board decided it would research into a box truck and aim to get a new one for the marching band by their July 4 event. The purchase of any possible truck would be placed on a future board agenda for approval.