Problem: After the fiscal crisis of the 1970's, New York City's sanitation department suffered from extremely high out of service and failure rates for garbage trucks. This led to uncollected garbage and expensive overtime pay. Proposed Solution: The primary focus of improving the garbage truck repair process was the development of a management plan and team for the repair facility that incorporated advice and participation from the mechanics who actually work with the trucks. In one example, mechanics developed an engine shut-off device to prevent burnout due to low oil. The mechanics were incorporated throughout the planning and decision-making process. Evaluation: Both out of service and failure rates for garbage trucks have decreased dramatically. While the number of vehicles has increased, the improvement in efficiency has enabled the department to operate with fewer mechanics. The research and development group has developed equipment which improves the performance of the vehicles as well as earning royalties for the department. Contact: Roger Liwer, Deputy Commissioner for Support Operations, New York City Department of Sanitation, 125 Worth St, Room 819, New York, NY 10013. Phone: 212-788-3956. Citation: "Innovations 1992." Governing Magazine, Volume 6, October 1992, p. 36. David Osborne and Ted Gaebler. Reinventing Government: How the Entrepreneurial Spirit is Transforming the Public Sector. New York: Plume, 1993. Keywords: sanitation, garbage collection, vehicle maintenance