INDIANAPOLIS - Snow plow drivers are a common sight when powder is falling onto central Indiana roads but even on a clear day, you might still see plow drivers out and about.
INDOT yellow snow plows spread out across the Indianapolis metro Monday morning even with the clear skies.
The drivers were doing a dry run of their assigned routes. FOX59/CBS4 shadowed a driver throughout the morning test drive.
The day shift of INDOT plow drivers starts with a safety briefing where they're assigned their plow truck and told what route they'll be responsible for.
From there, it's a full check-up of their plow truck. Snow plow driver Kathy Porter took us around her truck showing us what she checks every time.
”We're going to check our oil, we're going to check our dipstick for our transmission fluid," Porter said as she pushed open the huge hood covering the truck's engine.
Porter then made her way around the truck checking fluids, tires and the road salt spinner that dispenses the salt onto the roadway.
”You want to make sure you have all this stuff the right way before you get on the road," Porter said.
Once all the checks have been made, Porter gets in the truck and gets in line to the salt barn. Each driver gets out of their truck and loads several tons of road salt into their vehicle. Since there was no snow Monday morning, Porter just simulated the load.
Porter then hits the roads. Her route is the new I-69 on the south side of Indy. She salts the roads from the I-465 interchange all the way south to County Line Road.
Porter drives 12-hour shifts when the snow is hitting the ground. She said this isn't like an easy-going road trip. Snow plow drivers have to always be aware of their surroundings when they're behind the wheel.
"Making sure there's nobody real close to you, if somebody is flying up behind you," Porter said. "You have to be sure you're looking at all of our surroundings, your front, your sides, your back."
These dry runs help Porter get acquainted with her new route and she gets a chance to figure out where to stop for fuel and where she can do a mid-drive check on her truck.
As she did the practice plow on Monday, several cars were driving too close or speeding around her plow. If there had actually been snow on the ground, Porter said that would be dangerous. It's behavior she sees often out on the road.
”Drivers need to look out for us as well because we're clearing the roads," Porter said. "We're making it better for them in the long run."