• Home
  • News
    • Politics & Government
    • Business & Economy
    • Crime / Courts
    • Health / Medicine
  • Sports
    • High School Sports
    • Radio Iowa Poll
  • Affiliates
    • Affiliate Support Page
  • Contact Us
    • Reporters

Radio Iowa

Iowa's Radio News Network

You are here: Home / News / State snowplow drivers train in a variety of ways for upcoming weather

State snowplow drivers train in a variety of ways for upcoming weather

October 21, 2019 By Dar Danielson

Virtual training for state snowplow drivers.

The drivers of the state’s snowplows are in a sort of spring training mode as they prepare for the upcoming winter weather.

DOT winter operations manager, Craig Bargfrede, says just like athletes — plow drivers have to train to be ready when the real event comes. That includes strategy for plowing the new flyover bridge that opened this fall at the edge of Ames.

“The Ames garage will be going out and doing some training, doing some run through with the state that will be responsible for those routes. Just to familiarize themselves with that route — and to make sure that they understand the appropriate techniques for plowing when it comes to an interchange structure such as that,” Bargfrede explains.

There’s been construction going on all over the state this summer and some other types of new interchanges have also been installed. Bargfrede says they have to scout them out too. “Once that whole area is redone, we’ll be doing training and looking at the plowing techniques to ensure that we are doing it in as efficient and safe many was possible for the traveling public,” Bargfrede says.

He says they use several methods to teach drivers — including virtual training. “In a trailer that houses two simulators where they run through various scenarios that show our operators how to handle equipment without actually being out on the highway,” he says.

And then there is the first-hand training in the big orange trucks. “We actually go out and we do some preliminary runs to make sure we are aware of any obstacles, we’re aware of the route, and to make sure the operators are totally familiarized with the route they will be operating on,” according to Bargfrede.

The state has an arsenal of 902 trucks, 42 motor graders, 27 tow plows, and 11 heavy-duty, self-propelled snowblowers to attack the winter weather on the state roadways.

Share this:

  • Facebook
  • Twitter

Filed Under: News, Weather Tagged With: Department of Transportation, Transportation

Featured Stories

Testing finds 21 new CWD cases in deer

It may become a crime in Iowa to use fake urine in workplace drug tests

February trending 18 degrees below average temperature

Iowa House Education Committee votes to end tenure at UI, ISU, UNI

Man convicted of two Muscatine County murders dies in prison

TwitterFacebook
Tweets by RadioIowa

Key stretch begins for #9 Iowa

Drake’s Roman Penn lost for the season

Drake’s DeVries named to Naismith watch list

State wrestling opens with limited attendance

Iowa’s Wieskamp is B1G Player of the Week

More Sports

eNews and Updates

Enter your email address:

Delivered by FeedBurner

Archives

Copyright © 2021 ยท Learfield News & Ag, LLC