When the going gets rough, plow drivers keep on going
CRANBERRY TWP — When the snow starts falling and road conditions worsen, motorists are often warned to keep off the roads. But for some, the roads are where they work.
Snow plow operators from the state Department of Transportation stockpile in Cranberry Township worked through the night Wednesday to keep roads clear for morning commuters.
Using four plow trucks in 12-hour shifts, more than 87 tons of a 50/50 salt and anti-icing mixture were used on the 701 miles that were logged after a winter storm blanketed roads.
PennDOT equipment operator Ron Bier of Cranberry, who plowed through the night, said drivers did not give him a break as he pushed brown slush from the roads.
“You have to be real careful because people will cut you off,” Bier said. “People don't give you a break when you are just trying to do your job.”
He also has to pay attention to mailboxes, fire hydrants and pedestrians on the side of the road as he runs his routes.
Bier, who has been with PennDOT for 15 years, operates an eight-gear, MAC Granite truck that pushes its way through the snow, slush and ice with a 2,500-pound plow on the front and a smaller wing plow on the passenger side.
Bier plowed 194 miles and used 20 tons of the 50/50 mixture during his midnight to noon shift.
The powdered snow is lighter and easier to plow than the heavier slush that sometimes makes the truck harder to operate, he said.
Bier had to lift the wing plow on the secondary streets during the day because there was too much traffic.
Sometimes the plow operators drive through the night and do not have time to eat, Bier said.Bier often listens to music while driving, but most of the time he does not hear the radio because he is focused on his work.Bier's route, which he drove repetitively during his shift, started at the Butler/Allegheny county line on Route 19. He then plowed northbound to a gas station near the southern outskirts of Zelienople.At the gas station, Bier turned around and headed southbound as he sent the brown slush flying over guardrails and mailboxes on the way to Glen Eden Road.After Bier revisited Glen Eden Road, he proceeded to Rochester Road where he plowed to the Butler/Beaver county line.Bier made his way back to headquarters after he turned around at the county line and cleared the other side of Rochester Road.Once back at the stockpile, Bier completed his routine paperwork that tracked the miles plowed and the weight of the materials used.Bier emptied the bed of his truck and completed several minor duties before he could hang his coat up and get some rest before his next shift.
