Step into the shoes of your local snowplow operator!

This winter, you’ll see snowplows clearing up roads after a snow or ice event. So what’s it like driving a snowplow? These dedicated county road agency employees spend their early mornings, late nights and all the hours in between, battling snow and ice.

How does one prepare for an important job like this? Well, these drivers have CDLs (commercial driver’s licenses) which means they go through special training to operate large, heavy vehicles and have drug-free testing.

It’s because of their special training, dedication to their community’s safety and long hours that our roads are clear and safe to travel on during the winter.

Here are some fun facts about snowplows!

•  While most counties have their own dedicated snowplow trucks, plow blades are also often attached to other large vehicles such as tractors, dump trucks and additional maintenance vehicles.

#DoubleDuty.

•  A fully equipped snowplow truck can weigh as much as 15 times more than the average car!

•  Snowplows usually travel much slower than the posted speeds, which makes them more effective with clearing roads. The force of thrown snow makes them seem like they’re moving faster!