A sort of snowplow driving school is getting underway this week for hundreds of Iowa Department of Transportation workers who will be using those big orange machines to keep our roads clear of ice and snow in the season ahead. Craig Bargfrede, the DOT’s winter operations administrator, says trailers containing sophisticated snowplow simulators are being set up at many D-O-T garages across the state.
Ideally, a wide cross-section of DOT drivers will have brushed up on their snowplow skills before the snow starts to fall across the state.
Bargfrede has been in the simulators himself and says the experience is very close to being in the real thing out on the road.
Bargfrede says the goal is to have all winter crews and equipment ready for the roads by October 15th.
