The Iowa Department of Transportation recently began installing a snowplow guidance system following a season of testing that provides more precise by-the-inch vehicle positioning within pre-mapped roadway lane dimensions.
[Above photo by the Iowa DOT]
In a blog post, Iowa DOT said that guidance system – originally engineered by manufacturer John Deere for its tractor and motor grader products – provides its snowplow operators with real-time visualization and navigation of road boundaries, especially in challenging low-visibility conditions.
By applying John Deere’s agricultural satellite technology to Iowa DOT snowplows, operators can “see” their position relative to the road to enhance safety and operational efficiency, the agency said.
[Editor’s note: Other state departments of transportation are making investments in new snowplow systems as well, such as the Idaho Transportation Department, which is installing and testing upgraded lighting packages on its snowfighting equipment for this winter.]
Tina Greenfield, Iowa DOT’s winter operations administrator, noted in the blog post that such systems reduce the impact of bad visibility or deep snow on plowing efficiency, allowing operators to better keep up with conditions.
“But the biggest benefit is road safety,” she explained. “If we can operate without losing plowing frequency or stopping operations, we can maintain accessibility for emergency crews and reduce crashes and stranded vehicles. We estimate that each route covered by one of these units will be able to return to normal approximately six hours sooner. That’s invaluable time throughout a storm and cleanup.”
Key system componentry includes a satellite receiver that mounts on the cab’s roof and a display mounted inside the cab.
Snowplow operators “train” the system’s software by driving a route during clear road conditions and digitally marking the location of potential obstacles or transition points.
Using these stored navigation points during operation, the system will locate the position of the plow truck on a display of the route map and provide feedback to the operator if the vehicle deviates a set lateral distance from its programmed path.
She added that while the technology is available and installed, it doesn’t mean roads will not be shut down during hazardous conditions for the safety of the motoring public and Iowa DOT staff.
“The navigation system will keep our trucks on the road even when the road is closed and help us open them up a lot sooner when the conditions allow,” Greenfield added.
John Deere reached out to Greenfield in 2024 to gauge interest in testing their road mapping guidance system and its potential capabilities for snowplows while Iowa DOT and Iowa State University’s Institute for Transportation were in the midst of a research effort exploring ways to achieve greater pavement visibility.
Iowa DOT agreed to incorporate John Deere units on snowplows for the 2024-2025 winter season and the pilot test returned favorable results and reviews from field staff. Following that testing program, Greenfield developed a business case to purchase additional units and subscriptions to be integrated by the 2025-2026 winter season. Today, a total of 25 units are distributed across snowplow fleets in all six Iowa DOT districts.
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