City Invites Residents to Name Leaf Trucks in “Ultimate Truck-Naming Showdown”

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – The City of Bowling Green is putting a creative spin on this year’s leaf pickup season, and it’s asking the public to help.

As part of its “Name That Leaf Legend” campaign, the city is inviting residents to submit names for its five leaf collection trucks, massive machines known for rumbling through neighborhoods every fall. While they’ve been faithfully clearing leaves for years, officials say they’ve never had names, and that’s about to change.

“We’re looking for our citizens’ assistance in naming our leaf trucks,” said Deborah West, public information officer for the city. “We have a total of five trucks, and Public Works Director Andy Souza came to me and said, ‘Hey, I want to do a public naming for all of our trucks, make the leaf season a little more fun for everybody.’”

West said the campaign officially kicked off this week with a social media push on Facebook and Instagram. Each day for five days, the city is introducing a different truck with help from a familiar face, Public Works employee Austin “Rub” Jones, who volunteered as the campaign’s official “spokesmodel.”

“We’ve got him in all kinds of crazy poses with these trucks… and he had a good time,” West said. “I want our residents to have fun with it. I want them to have as much fun as we had shooting all of these pictures that will go with each one of the trucks and our spokesmodel.”

Suggested names can be silly, pun-filled, or sentimental, just as long as they’re family friendly. Examples shared by the city include “Hot Rod Sweet Sweeper” and “The Vette City McSuck Truck.”

Submissions must be emailed to Public Works Director Andy Souza (Andy.Souza@bgky.org) by 4 p.m. on August 15. Staff will review all entries and select 15 finalists, which will then go up for a public vote. The five most popular names will be unveiled in what the city promises will be “the most dramatic name reveal since your second cousin tried to name her baby ‘Waffle.’”

The winners will receive a matching custom-made sign featuring their chosen truck name and earn bragging rights every time their named vehicle rolls down the street.

“This is something fun for our residents to do,” West said. “We really hope the public embraces this opportunity to name our leaf trucks.”

The leaf pickup season begins Nov. 17 and will run through Dec. 19. Officials say the later start is a shift from previous years, aimed at making sure more leaves are actually on the ground before collection begins.

“Last year, we had an exceptionally wet, long summer, so the leaves stayed on the trees for a really long time,” West said. “When we started our leaf pickup season, there weren’t a whole lot of leaves to pick up. So this year, we’re going to start later and end a little sooner, and hopefully be able to get everybody’s leaves after they’ve fallen.”

Postcards detailing pickup zones and schedules will be mailed to residents, and the city will also share updates through its social media pages.

For more details or to submit a name, visit the City of Bowling Green’s Facebook page or email Andy.Souza@bgky.org.