DAVENPORT, Iowa — The first snow of the year isn't sticking to the ground, but crews across the Quad Cities are preparing their snow plows for the season.
Since Labor Day, Iowa DOT crews at the Davenport garage have prepared more than two dozen trucks for the first snowfall. That includes Highway Maintenance Supervisor Ben Petty. He and a staff of full-time and seasonal workers have been attaching plows, changing oil and taking refresher training.
"We got started putting on our plows, getting things ready, prepping equipment, so that’s what we’ve been doing this all this whole time since Labor Day, just working on getting everything prepped," Petty said.
In terms of staff, the garage has everything covered. They still have a few more openings for seasonal workers, though. Snow plow drivers need to have a Class A or Class B CDL license.
The garage's salt dome is also full with 9,000 tons. Statewide, the DOT has 265,000 tons. All that's left to do is wait for a storm.
"We'll be monitoring the storms that are coming in, determining the precipitation types," Petty said.
Once that snow falls, their priority is to clear interstates 80, 280 and 74.
"We will staff them 24/7 and we will not quit until the storm is over," Petty said.
Staff will also cover major highways. It adds up to nearly 500 lane-miles of road to plow.
If you come across a plow on the road, Petty asks drivers to give it space.
"I just invite motorists to put themselves in a safety situation," Petty said. "Slow down, put plenty of following distance between them and the vehicle in front of them."
He said all that prep work is to make sure people get home safe.
"Making lives better through transportation is what we're all about, and that’s what we do here," Petty said. "We’re here for the public and that’s my motivation every day here."
Quad Cities snow plow teams are also ready for the first storm. Crews on both sides of the river are fully staffed and have salt stockpiled. However, the Iowa DOT is still looking for about 300 seasonal staff across the state.