AASHTO Journal - MnDOT Hosting Snowplow Operator Training Sessions

The Minnesota Department of Transportation plans to host several intensive two-week Snowplow Operator Training or SPOT sessions August 17-27 – one at its Mankato facility and a second at its Rochester garage – to prepare new operators for the upcoming winter season.

[Above photo by MnDOT]

Approximately 12 new snowplow operators from South Central Minnesota will take part in the Mankato training, with 17 participating in the Rochester training session. Both sessions combine classroom instruction with hands-on training experience, the agency said, covering snowplow operation, safety procedures, equipment maintenance, and effective plowing techniques.

[Editor’s note: The American Association of State Highway and Transportation produces a regular podcast for its AASHTO Winter Weather Management technical service program that provides a host of information on those topics as well.]

While snow may be months away, the training will focus on essential skills for safely operating large plow trucks and using advanced tools to help operators make informed decisions on proper treatment materials and quantities based on real-time road and weather conditions.

“Our snowplow operators play a vital role in keeping South Central Minnesota’s highways safe each winter,” said Scott Morgan, MnDOT’s assistant district engineer for maintenance operations, in a statement. “This training will ensure they are ready to respond safety and effectively to Minnesota’s unpredictable winter conditions.”

“Our snowplow operators are the heart and soul of our winter operations,” added Drew Fischbach, MnDOT District 6’s east maintenance superintendent, in a separate statement.

“Getting them behind the wheel and paired with experienced, safety-focused supervisors and trainers is an important step to continue building that safety mindset in how to operate the equipment and be as effective as possible on the snowy highways,” he said.

Participants in those sessions also practice navigating trucks equipped with snowplow blades and wings through a obstacle course in MnDOT parking lota before transitioning to driving on local state highways to help operators refine their maneuvering and decision-making skills in a controlled environment.

MnDOT added that it employs more than 170 snowplow operators in South Central Minnesota who operate 83 trucks and maintain 3,236 lane miles of state highways each winter, alongside more than 200 snowplow operators in southeast Minnesota who operate 101 snowplows on 3,698 lane miles of state highway.