West Virginia LTAP Snow & Ice Conference and Pre/Post Trip Inspections

On October 24th., I participated in Snow & Ice Conference held in Summersville, West Virginia hosted by West Virginia LTAP.  I spoke on two different subjects:  "Reactive versus Proactive" plus  "One Truck for All Seasons & All Reasons".  Plus I was last minute stand-in for a pre/post trip inspection demonstration.   Pre/post trip inspection process is a vital component of proactive fleet/equipment management so this was a suitable follow-up to my reactive versus proactive presentation.  I was not particularly concerned with reviewing every individual inspection item on a truck but more concerned with the most efficient and effective process for completing a pre/post trip inspection.  While I was at MDOT, our Kalamazoo Maintenance Equipment Evaluation team developed a guide which evolved into wall charts for pre/post trip inspections.  The team identified and labelled the inspection points, but more importantly laid out a "road map" which guided the driver in a logical precise manner ensuring a thorough inspection. A sample of the wall chart is shown above.  One point I emphasise is the actual inspection begins as you approach the truck; this is the opportune time to notice any oil spots underneath indicating a leak, any leaning indicating a spring or air bag issue, loose hanging wires & hoses, low tires, broken mirrors & lights, etc.  Once you reach the truck, the inspection begins in the cab, to engine compartment, to driver's side wheel area and circling around the truck in a counter-clockwise rotation and culminating at the passenger's side wheel area.  The chart in the photo details this process by numbering each inspection point. At first glance this might seem overwhelming, but once the habit is instilled it can be complete in about 10 minutes. MDOT, at one time, hosted snow plow roadeo's for their driver's which included in the competition a 10 minute test of truck driver pre/post trip skills whereby the driver's were required to locate defects which the judge had planted on the truck.  I was he judge for this competition for several years.  What I discovered was the competitors that used the format I just described would locate the defects almost 100% and complete the full inspection well within the 10 minute time limit. Frankly, this process is basically the same as process laid put in the CDL license study guide.  In the shop we used the same pattern & process for performing preventative maintenance inspections on trucks. This process has proven itself to be the most efficient and the most effective.  Trust me, I have been chastised by supervisors and driver's about their "need to get on their road right away and they could not devote time to a thorough inspection".  My response has always been "and how much time can you devote to repairing a broken down truck on the road"? Worse yet, an unsafe truck involved in an accident?  

All organisations have processes,some informal which just developed through habit and some formal which were developed by time studies and management.  These processes should ensure efficiency, productivity, continuity (especially as people change) to enhance results.  Results defined as better response and success in filling the needs of your customers.  Of course, processes should be evaluated and adjusted as needed so as not to become a barrier to delivery of your product or service. What I have noticed in government, far too many times the culture is process driven, not results driven.  This is backwards.  In my almost 30 year career at MDOT, I worked under one results driven Chief Operations  Officer.  Ultimately, he was driven out by a "process driven" department director.  I am not going to devote a lot of time to this, except to say;  if your pre/post trip inspections are "process driven" rather than "results driven", you are wasting your time.  

Example of process driven: A passer-by observed two workers;  one was digging a hole and the other was following behind filling in the hole.  The passer-by stopped and asked what they were doing. Their response;  they were a tree planting crew. The guy that plants the trees was off sick and being dedicated employees they felt compelled to do their jobs anyway.  Process remained mostly intact but the results were zero.

Have a fun Halloween!!!

Road Salt....less for more

http://news.yahoo.com/road-salt-supply-low-demand-high-winter-looms-161305822.html?soc_src=mediacontentsharebuttons

Guess last winter still has us in it's grip...............assuming there is road salt available..........you will pay up to double what it costs last year.  Might be a good winter for some "global warming".  Or relocation to a warmer climate.  

I have spent over a year developing an interactive self-guided diagnostic process for use by technicians when diagnosing and repairing hydraulic and/or electrical issues particularly as relates to ground speed oriented salt distribution systems used by entities responsible for keeping our roadways clear of snow & ice.  Hopefully, this process will reduce stress on technician by providing a logical and easy to follow diagnostic process allowing return of the snow & ice truck back into service quickly.  This diagnostic guide can be accessed at the link listed below.  There are no password or log-in requirements. You are welcome to review and evaluate the guide at your convenience.  You must use the arrow button on each screen for navigation as the guide utilizes many hyperlinks.  

http://www.ttspec.com/Education-and-Training

Jax Snowplow Grease used by many northern agencies

Truck & Trailer Specialties, Boyne Falls store, has several customers that use Jax Snowplow grease for lubricating Husting hitches.  The active lubricating ingredients in this product are:  molybdenum disulfide and graphite which are both excellent for lubricating  metal against metal sliding surfaces which is exactly the application when one is using a plow on a husting plow hitch.  Moly is more robust than graphite and tends to hang around longer.  This product is available in aerosol  can and many customers carry a can along with them on their snow plow routes and reapply occasionally.  It is also great for lubricating blade circles on both plow truck and graders, plus blade side shifts on graders, any other place where there are metal to metal sliding surfaces.

 If interested; contact Lucky Baker at Truck & Trailer Specialties 888-603-5506.

History of the Folding Moldboard Under-body Scraper & the Michigan Connection

There are two basic under-body scraper designs:  Mop (trailing edge style) and folding moldboard (the old Root I-66 Interstate scraper).  By far the Mop style is most common and most versatile.  If an agency grades gravel roads with a truck mounted under-body scraper then the Mop style is by far the preferred method.  It has a rugged 1" thick solid moldboard and few moving parts.  With that being the case one must wonder why would you purchase any other design?  I would speculate Leo Tift had the very same thought going through his mind when he designed/invented the folding moldboard scraper (jack-knife or vertical under-body scraper) while working as equipment foreman in the Michigan Department of Transportation Hastings Maintenance Garage back in the 1970's.  

Plaque from roadside park on M-86 dedicated to Leo Tift

The disadvantage of a Mop style blade is it's design.  The one-piece moldboard is hinged at the top which causes the scraper to lower in an arc (think of a compass used for drawing circles) resulting in a variable attack angle (the angle between road surface and cutting edge).  Due to  the attack angle varying two factors result:  the cutting edge wears prematurely and the optimum attack angle for snow & ice removal is never achieved or only achieved for a short interval.  What Leo Tift accomplished was to imitate a front plow and fabricate a moldboard with a center hinge that folds when raising resulting in a scraper that maintains a constant attack angle.  With this design one can install a straight cutting edge with tungsten insert and, with a conservative driver,  can operate all winter season without a cutting edge change while still achieving optimum results.  The concept does work and works very well.  Trucks are removed from service much more infrequently for cutting edge changes allowing them to remain on their plow routes.  The optimum attack angle results in efficient and effective removal of snow & ice lowering the amount of chemical de-icers needed.  There are a few caveats:  1.)  optimum attack angle for snow & ice removal is a detriment to road grading/too aggressive and 2.) never use a curved cutting edge on a vertical style blade as to do so creates a very aggressive and dangerous attack angle which can result in snow plow truck roll-over.

Folding Moldboard Underbody Scraper

The Leo Tift designed folding moldboard under-body scraper was originally manufactured and sold by Root Spring & Scraper in Kalamazoo under the name of the LT-1 scraper.  It is now available from Root, Monroe Snow & Ice in Monroe, Wisconsin as well as others.

So there you have it;  a bit of snow & ice equipment history and the role of a Michigan citizen and MDOT employee in the development.  KUDOS to Leo Tift.

Video from City of Livonia Depicting Green and Amber Strobe Lighting in Snow Removal Operations

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WoorlVK5_N0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k0RxNV1nVlE 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N52DGqkUE34

DID YOU KNOW?

•Quick couplers are directional;  most quick couplers have an arrow denoting flow direction.  Generally the quick couplers should be installed so male (nose) section flows into female (body) section.

•Running oil the wrong way through quick coupler can cause excessive pressure drop.

Green Strobe Technology for Winter Snow Removal Operations

In a prior post I commented on use of green LED strobe lighting pilot being conducted by Ohio Department of Transportation on their snow plow trucks.  Ohio DOT was impressed and now use green strobes as standard component of their lighting package on their snow plow trucks.  The Ohio state legislature passed legislation which the governor signed approving and dedicating green lighting to snow plow trucks.  The use of green LED strobe lighting is being evaluated by some Michigan agencies.  The city of Livonia and Oceana County Road Commission are two which have them in use right now.  The City of Wixom has just taken delivery of trucks with green warning lighting.  The feedback I have received has been totally positive.  Livonia Fleet Manager has received positive feedback from drivers citing increased visibility especially in blowing snow. Oceana CRC Fleet Manager stated the green lights are visible even when they are covered by snow.  The green light cuts through snow clouds and fog much better than amber. As stated previously; the lasers used for wing plow operations are green due to their ability to be seen through snow clouds, blizzards, fog etc.  This is proving to be the case for green safety lighting.  Oceana CRC fleetmanager did share a  Michigan State Police officer told them the green lights are not "legal" but that he thought they are far superior to amber for visibility.  As for legality, I am not a lawyer, but I do know the Michigan Motor Vehicle Code does not address green lighting at all.  So what does that mean?  They are not legal because they are not approved?  They are not illegal because they are not banned?  The Officer did tell Oceana CRC he would not ticket them for use of the lights.  As a result there is a movement among some CRAM (County Road Commission Association) to get legislation passed in Michigan similar to Ohio.

Funny story;  a lady motorist told the Oceana CRC fleetmanager that she liked the Christmas lighting on their plow trucks and hoped they would install it on all of them!

MDOT BOUNCE & SCATTER TEST

The Bridge Volume 27, No. 3 is available now.

http://michiganltap.org/sites/ltap/files/publications/bridge/Bridge_27-3_WEB.pdf

In this issue:

·  Refurbished and Multi-Use Trucks Reduce Fleet Costs

·  Update From the MDOT Load Rating Unit

·  Element Level Bridge Inspection Workshop

·  Minimizing Salt Bounce and Scatter

OOPS

INDOT snow plow truck overturned on State Road 45 in eastern Greene County early this morning.(Photo courtesy of the Greene County Sheriff's Department)

An Indiana Department of Transportation snow plow truck overturned early this morning in eastern Greene County while clearing icy roadways.

An INDOT owned 2003 Ford Sterling truck with a snow plow and driven by Rickey Laughlin, 58, of Odon, was traveling north on State Road 45 when it overturned near the intersection with Dotson Road about 12:19 a.m., according to a report from Greene County Sheriff's Department Deputy Jeff Brown.

Laughlin was trapped inside the truck from the seatbelt, but had no injuries.

"The truck did loose its load of salt from the rollover, Deputy Brown commented. "There was approximately 2 inches of snow at the time of accident,"

Assisting at the scene was personnel from the Greene County Ambulance Services and Center Township Fire Department.

Montana DOT Mowing Tractor Set-up

Roadside Mowing tractor in Montana

Probably everyone reading this post is going to think how "dumb I am", but I saw this Montana DOT mowing tractor with sidemount mower and toolbox mounted on three point hitch.  I am thinking what a great idea; the toolbox I mean.  If the three point hitch is available, why not mount a contractors box.  No matter how many tools you have on a mowing tractor, seems there is never enough; especially when you are miles from the shop.  You could carry extra blades, blade bolts, grease gun, sockets, end wrenches, etc.  Better put a good lock on it though or someone else may have your tools.  "Food for thought".

Montana Trip & Kudos to Upturn Solutions

Trip to Montana July 2013

Traveled to Montana to work with our new Software provider; Upturn Solutions in Kalispell.  While there the software folks took us on park tour of Glacier National Park.  I would heartily recommend a visit to this part of the country to everyone.  Words and pictures do not do it justice.

Thanks to Paulsen Palmer and Jaron West from Upturn Solutions for the tour and their hospitality.   I would also endorse Upturn Solutions for your asset management software provider.  Their Sprocket software is very flexible and they are excellent to partner with.  Never once did I hear the phrase "we cannot do that".  Great bunch of folks and very creative.  

http://upturnsolutions.com/

Glacier National Park

Glacier National Park

Snow in the Park July 17

Glacier National Park

Original Park Tour Bus;  1934 White Body.  

Original Body set on 2002 Ford Truck Chassis with gas V-8 engine running on propane

See the Mountain Goats?

Couldn't resist

View from road

View from road

City of Walker Hookloader Retrofit 

Hookloader Implementation in Municipal & Other Governmental Fleets

Testimonials:

We have been using Hook Lift trucks since around 1995 when we built a truck that would haul an AMZ Patching machine. This piece of equipment was not used year around so we needed to have the capability of unloading it so we could use the truck for other things. We chose the truck mounted configuration because we did not want to pull a trailer in the tight city streets. In that case we would use the patching machine as needed and switch to a container box for hauling leaves or garbage when we were not patching. During the winter months we loaded a stainless steel salter equipped with a liquid pre-wetting system which enabled us to use the truck year round. We have replaced the truck several times and would not like to be without that configuration. The City of Jackson no longer uses the trucks for patching but we have four in our fleet at this time. We have two single axle hook lifts configured with large container boxes for hauling leaves. A shorter sided box for hauling garbage/debris and a flatbed equipped with a tank for anti-icing/dust control. There is also a flatbed attachment for these trucks for hauling materials for anything from highway repairs to trees.  We also have two tandem axle trucks equipped with large leaf hauling containers and short sided heavy boxes for hauling aggregates.  Both configurations of trucks still carry salters in the winter when we need them and can quickly be switched to haul snow in between storms. When we built the larger trucks we opted for the sliding jib to allow us to carry different length boxes and also had them plumbed to carry front plows. This enabled us to utilize the same truck for plowing as needed. We have single axle trucks that will sit idle all summer but these hook lift trucks are on the road daily, winter and summer.

Greg Lucas

City of Jackson, General Foreman

It is my belief that hook-loader equipped trucks are the future of municipal fleets. We can no longer afford under-utilized single purpose trucks. The City of Wixom owns two hook-loader equipped trucks. One is a Ford F550 the other is a Sterling L-line 5 yard dump. The F550 has one 3 yard salt box with pre-wet capabilities, one 3 yard stainless steel dump box with drop sides and four 9 yard boxes used for yard waste, compost, mulch…The Sterling has one 5 yard salt box with pre-wet capabilities, one 975 gallon anti-ice tank, and one 13 yard dump box. For a small department like ours these trucks are invaluable. Rather than having plow trucks that are parked 8 months out of the year we utilize these two trucks year round.

Mark Clancy

City of Wixom

City of Coldwater New Truck with Hook Loader

                 Fleet Creep; A Fleet Manager’s Headache

One hot topic in fleet management circles, especially governmental units, is "fleet creep", or in layman's terms the tendency for fleets to gradually increase equipment inventory over time.  Fleet creep often happens even when employee staffing is on the decrease.  There are many factors that contribute to fleet creep and no one single solution.  The essence of effective fleet management is identifying equipment by the operations it performs (i.e.: mission) and then determine if these operations/missions are “proactive” or “reactive” in nature.  Sometimes the lines separating “proactive” from “reactive” missions can be blurred which makes this process of mission defining more challenging.  As an example, I think we would all agree that winter snow & ice removal operations would be considered as “reactive” hence a piece of equipment used in this operation/mission would be considered “reactive”.  Plus snow removal is not an operation that can be delayed and rescheduled for a future date.  On the other-hand, an anti-icing operation would be considered “proactive” as you are making a chemical application prior to the predicted winter event.  If the anti-ice operation is not performed for whatever reason, there would be no resulting crisis such as there would be if trunkline snow removal operations were “skipped”.  Another factor to consider is:  could I obtain this equipment “as needed” through a short term rental rather than tie up precious equipment budgetary funds to purchase it?  Obviously, winter maintenance plow and salt trucks are not readily available as a short term rental, are used “reactively”, and in many cases, the majority of usage is seasonal; i.e. winter.  These trucks are "mission critical".   The challenge to the fleet manager is:  how do I maintain the numbers of plow trucks that are required for winter operations,  keep them busy year around for maximum utilization, all while staying within my dwindling equipment budget?  One option might be creating a multi-functional truck by adding a hook loader thus having the ability to use the same chassis in several different operations or missions. 

 A few examples of the various operations and missions for which one chassis could be utilized are:  water tanker trucks and/or liquid chloride tankers used for anti-ice applications, flatbeds and/or beavertails used to transport equipment to a job site, core drilling equipment, tool vans or tool trucks, crane trucks, salt spreaders, pothole patchers or bituminous distributor units, and many more.  

My point is this:  one truck chassis spec'd for your specific needs equipped with the correctly spec'd hook loader becomes a multi-functional truck which is capable of carrying multiple different types of attachments.  Mount your water tank or anti-ice tank, your salt spreader,  tool van body, truck crane, pothole patcher, bituminous distributor, flat bed, dump body, you name it, on a subframe and you are ready to go to work.  One truck now has the ability to perform all these functions.  Truck chassis wears out, no problem, transfer hook loader assembly to new truck chassis and retain existing equipment attachments and you are still in business.  You have the ability to efficiently extend the usable life of your attachments from chassis to chassis.  You have the ability to share low usage attachments with neighboring agencies in compliance with Governor Snyder’s initiatives for more intergovernmental cooperation and resource sharing..  You can virtually eliminate all low usage, mission critical, job specific type truck chassis without compromising your ability to perform these mission critical maintenance obligations.  There are several Michigan municipalities and County Road Commissions already incorporating hook loader equipped trucks in their fleet.  I challenge you to evaluate your fleet and see where a multi-functional hook loader equipped chassis could reduce your inventory of low usage truck chassis and save your constituents money.  

The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) has announced the 2013 recipients of the MDOT Director's Award - the department's highest honor for outstanding service. For more than 20 years, the annual award has recognized those employees who exhibit leadership and exemplary public service.
"Each year, the Director's Award recipients represent some of the best of MDOT," said State Transportation Director Kirk T. Steudle. "Their hard work and dedication demonstrate a real commitment to quality, teamwork, integrity, and customer service. We are proud that these dedicated public servants are a part of MDOT."
The Director's Award program represents the various work categories within the department, representing the respective job responsibilities and levels. While MDOT employees nominate their peers, committees comprised of workers from each category make the final recommendations to the department.

I , Mark Lester, am proud to announce Janine Cooper, Assistant Region Engineer in Southwest Region, was the 2013 Director's Award Recipient in her respective category.  Janine is the example of "what is right with government and specifically with MDOT".  Definitely well earned. Congratulations Janine!

Accolades and rewards are few and far between in governmental agencies; seems as if there cannot be a ribbon cutting ceremony attached to an event then politicians are not interested.  The Director's Award is the venue for well deserved recognition from one's counterparts, supervisors, and the Director within Michigan Department of Transportation.  There is no monetary reward and no expense to the taxpayer, but rather a very visible show of appreciation to those that go above and beyond the "call of duty".

I have been blessed to have been honored with the Director's Award in 1997.  My former MDOT supervisor and very good friend, Dave Budd, was director's award recipient in 1999.  Three well deserving MDOT Southwest Region Paw Paw Central Repair employees received the Director's Award;  Pandy Chiddister in 2001, Sandy Aernie in 2006, and Mark DeVries, the current Southwest Region Fleet Manager, in 2010.  My wife, Robin, was Director's Award Recipient in 2002.  Janine joins a very distinguished and dedicated group.  Excellence begets excellence.  Congratulations!  Now, let's party!

Truck & Trailer Specialties Howell Store Crew with Genessee County Tri-Axle Truck they built.

Genessee County Tri-Axle Winter Maintenance Truck

The new Truck & Trailer Specialties branch in Howell is turning out truck build-ups.  Pictured is the second of 5 tri-axles they are building for Genessee County Road Commission.  This is a "sweetheart" of a truck.  Has front steerable tag axle that is mounted so as to slide forward for summer operations providing a 9 foot axle spread.  By re-positioning the tag axle for summer operations (i.e. chip seal, gravel hauls, paving/asphalt transport, etc.) this truck can scale almost as much as a quad axle.  Truck & Trailer Specialties has similarly built trucks at Kalamazoo County Road Commission.  This truck has a midmount patrol wing, reversible front "mouse-ear snow plow", and stainless steel dump body.  This is a well designed unit for productivity, efficiency and long service life.  As always, this truck displays the quality craftsmanship of the Truck & Trailer Specialties talented buildup personnel which our customers expect and which separates us from the competition   

Rocky Branch; southern Indiana treasure- 4-wheeler excursion 2013

 Rocky Branch on the Asdell farm in southwestern Indiana.

 Mariah Sutton with dog Skunk followed by Dave Budd traveling up Rocky Branch

 Mark Lester leaning on "stripper pole" tree in front of large rock out cropping

 Mariah Sutton and Skunk the dog next to "stripper pole" tree,

 Coming down into Rocky Branch

 More Rocky Branch pictures

 Uncle Kenny Asdell, owner of Asdell farm and Rocky Branch.  Soon to be 86 years old and leading the 4 wheeler excursion through Rocky Branch.  WW II Navy veteran and 50 year member of Ironworker Local 22 in Indianapolis.

 Dave Budd, retired MDOT Southwest Region Road Maintenance Superintendent.  Former boss and friend.

 Lookout

 Kenny Asdell and Skunk

Mariah Sutton and Skunk

Blast from the Past

Green warning lighting for snow removal vehicles.

In a prior post, I shared information concerning a test evaluation by Ohio DOT seeking to determine if green strobes were more visible in snowy conditions or fog than the amber strobes currently in use universally.  I have no contacts in Ohio Dot so have not seen the results of the evaluation.  Truck & Trailer Specialties provided a green strobe light to Gary and Buzz at the city of Livonia awhile back.  Evaluation of this light has been limited to the parking lot at the Livonia DPW, but early indications are promising.  Per Gary, Livonia will be receiving two new snow plow trucks this year which will be equipped with both green and amber warning lighting, which will allow for a true determination to be rendered.  It will also be interesting as to how visible these lights are during summer road maintenance operations?

There is another obstacle hanging out there before agencies could utilize the green lighting and that is legality.  Michigan Motor Vehicle Code limits Michigan agencies engaged in snow removal or road maintenance operations to amber lighting only.  On a positive note, green warning lighting is not mentioned in the Michigan Motor Vehicle Code so it has not been designated to other agencies.  Stay tuned for more details............

A good friend of mine sent me this picture of a snowblower at high pass close to Yosemite.  Locals told them the snow gets so high you cannot see over it whole driving.  Reminds me of the 1978 blizzard in Michigan.  Some roads were drifted over cab high on pickups.  

A little self promotion is in order today.  I updated and revised my Blue Collar Fleet Management publication.  I have shared my 30+ years of experiences in the equipment repair and fleet management arena in just 90 pages of easy and entertaining reading. I totally understand the feeling one gets when on Friday they are the employee responsible for repairing and maintaining the equipment and the next Monday are the manager responsible for the equipment and those charged with the repair and maintenance.  Talk about being moved out of your comfort zone!  I wrote this book in order to help you attain success in your new position.  It is filled with simple yet effective techniques which have a proven successful track record.  I keep the book simple and inexpensive.  I don't want you to become bored or broke.  You may obtain your copy from www.lulu.com.  Thanks

Revision Blue Collar Fleet Management

I found some grammatical errors in the first edition of Blue Collar Fleet Management so I removed it from the marketplace while I fixed those errors and cleaned up some verbage.  Once I receive a copy to proof, the book will be released for distribution,  If you have already purchased a copy, don't fret, I really made no changes that impact the subject matter.  And if you feel strongly that he first edition copy is unacceptable, contact me and I will trade the new version for the one you purchased.

I did write and publish another book.  It is simply titled "Mom".  It is tribute to my mom and has quite a few photos.  This book is published in color so as to do justice to the photos.  However, color ink does significantly add to the cost.

And of course there are two other books available that I wrote and published.

http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/mlesteratttspecdotcom.  My "author's spotlight where you can preview all the books I have published at Lulu publishing.

http://www.lulu.com

Check out my books.  You can find my Blue Collar Fleet Management Book and my newest, the tribute to my mom, titled quite appropriately "MOM".

My books are all available on Amazon but you will get better pricing at Lulu.

What do you think of this baby?  1,300 gallon liquid capability, 650 gallon each side.  Dual wing plows.  Accu Place zero velocity salt application unit mounted under auger.  Brown County Dual Wing Expressway Truck.  Even has dual auger hopper.  

Towplow:  Below are my responses to an engineering student from Western Michigan University who was looking for Towplow information as he was doing a term paper on the economics of using A Towplow on I-94 and US-131 in the Kalamazoo, Michigan area.  I doubt my response was what he anticipated. 

 Michigan Department of Transportation has already proven the most economical and efficient method(s) for snow & ice control:  lower speeds for salt applications, prewet material,use anti-icing when possible, higher payload trucks equipped with mid-mount wing plows and underbody scrapers, ground speed oriented salting systems,  concentrate salt application on centerline (band application compared to broadcasting), allow salt enough time to "work", and continuous operator training.

1.)  Except for a very short section of I-94, both US-131 and I-94 are four lane interstate (two lanes per side).  If you plow with a TowPlow, you will block both lanes.  What speed do you suppose they plow using the TowPlow?  35 m.p.h?    So all traffic behind the TowPlow is held to 35 miles per hour during the entire plow route?  What about "user delay costs" (and there have been studies that do provide a cost for user delay)?  

Someone (or ones) will attempt to pass the TowPlow on the shoulder of the road creating a hazardous situation.

2.)  Does TowPlow have a trip mechanism in case it hits something (manhole cover, raised joint)?   So what gets damaged? 

3.)  If TowPlow hydraulic system fails or truck hydraulic system fails or truck engine stalls, the road is blocked until help arrives.

4.)  TowPlow is constructed of mild steel.  It is equipped with hydraulic cylinders with chrome rods.  Mild steel is prone to corrosion when used around chlorides.  You can purchase a TowPlow with a liquid application system or granular, both of which spread chlorides.   Life expectancy will depend largely on after storm clean-up.  Point to ponder, ever wonder why most agencies purchase stainless steel salt hoppers and in some cases, dump bodies?

5.)  Indiana DOT has a TowPlow evaluation underway in the Fort Wayne area on the bypass.  I traveled down there and visited with their forces and scrutinized their TowPLow.  It is equipped with a salt hopper.  The hopper on the TowPlow distributes material off a spinner (broadcast).  The frame of the TowPLow was covered in salt.  That means the plow frame is being attacked by salt that never made it to the trunkline, neither scenario a good situation.

6.)  The truck towing the TowPlow had a hopper and was distributing salt directly on tongue of TowPlow.  Once again, the TowPlow was being attacked by salt that never made it to the trunkline.  Plus the salt that did hit the road surface was "bounced and scattered" by hitting  tongue first.  How much does salt usage increase because of the inefficient method of distribution?  Anyone tracking that?

7.)  Michigan DOT applies salt in a band (windrow) application on the centerline or high spot of road (outside shoulder on banked ramps).  Their equipment is designed for that type of application.  Their MAXIMUM salt application rate, controlled by a microprocessor in each truck) is 450# per lane mile.  Their salt application equipment is not compatible on a TowPlow or the towing truck.  And, in Indiana DOT they were only controlling output of one hopper with their microprocessor, the other hopper was being ran at a preset hydraulic flow rate (no control over application really).  There is only one company that manufacturers a salt control system (microprocessor) that can control two separate hoppers in a ground speed oriented operation and it is Bosch RexRoth.

8.)  InDot employees told me they had to install double cutting edges on TowPlow because they kept breaking out sections because the TowPlow would "chatter".(remember the No-trip feature).  A flame hardened cutting edge (most economical style you can purchase)  3/4" thick by 6" wide cost $14.00 a foot.  TowPlow is 22' wide.  One set of cutting edges is $308.00 plus plowbolts plus labor (or downtime) and if you have to double them up then you are talking $616.00.

How often do they break?  That makes a huge difference when you figure cutting edge costs. 

9.)  InDot operator did share with me they had a truck breakdown on ramp while towing TowPLow and the ramp was blocked off until a mechanic got the truck back in service.

10.)  TowPlow use on any MDOT trunkline is in violation of MDOT policy which forbids the use of a wing plow in a driving lane (shoulders only).  Why do you suppose that policy was created?  Because motorists ran into them.  Of course they run into the rear end of plow trucks too.

The manufacturer of TowPlow makes a claim that you can "plow faster".  And maybe you can, although it would be pretty difficult to plow any faster with a plow than one can with an underbody scraper.  My concern is:  so you plow faster; what about salting at higher speed?  MDOT has just posted a study that proves applying salt at higher speed causes more salt to bounce and scatter which puts more salt into the ditch and less on the slab.  Not only does that waster salt (which costs in excess of $60.00 a ton) but it also causes an environmental issue.

The manufacturer of TowPlow makes a claim that you will save fuel by using one less truck:  On the surface this does seem logical and you probably will save some fuel.  The truth is, the truck pulling the TowPlow will use significantly more fuel than an identical truck equipped with just a mid-mount 9' wing plow.  The deeper the snow the more fuel it will consume.  

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Monroe Accuplace Zero Velocity Salt Distributor Video

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/58638059/AccuplaceVideo/AccuplaceVideo.m4v

Wing Plow training video produced by Michigan Department of Transportation.  Very well done! 

  http://vimeo.com/8310293

http://vimeo.com/8310293 )    

Review the photo:  

4 plow trucks/one equipped with TowPlow.  Total swath for each pass by all 4 trucks = 50 feet.

4 plow trucks/if all were equipped with wing plows:
Total swath for each pass by all 4 trucks = 56 feet.

Total Costs:  

1 Towplow:  $100,000.00+
4 Wingplows:  $40,000.00

Towplow versus WingPlows:

TowPlow requires dedicated truck; if it goes down the Towplow cannot be utilized.
Towplow can only be used on multi-lane roadway.
Towplow equipped with liquid or granular distribution system requires a salt distribution control system capable of operating two different hoppers simultaneously.

If all 4 trucks are equipped with wing plow, one truck out of service results in loss of ability to plow 14' swath only.  You retain ability to plow 28' swath with other two trucks.
Wing plow equipped trucks can be used on any type of roadway:  single lane or multi-lane.
No special salt distribution control system required.
Trucks with wing plows can cover separate routes when not gang plowing.

Front Plow with midmount Patrol Wing:
Total Swath:  14'
Wing Cost:  $10,000.00


Front Plow with TowPlow:
Total Swath:  22'
TowPlow cost:  $100,000.00+

Towplow requires special truck set-up.  Towplow requires special salt application control system if equipped with hopper as one controller is needed to operate two different salt hoppers.  If not set-up correctly, salt usage will increase.  Towplow can only be used on multi-lane roads.  

Can be used on single lane roads, multiple lane roads.  Each wing plow equipped truck has 14' snow removal capability and can cover different plow routes..  No special salt application control system required for salt applications.  You need to DO THE MATH!

Joint Initiative with Spaulding Manufacturing

I visited the home of Spaulding Manufacturing in Saginaw this past week to inspect the 4 ton R.M.V. Road Saver apshalt storage heater & recycler which they manufactured specifically to be mounted on Truck & Trailer Specialties hook loader equipped demo truck.  For those unfamiliar with Spaulding Manufacturing, they are a first class manufacturer of asphalt patch heaters, recyclers, and crack sealers under the capable leadership of Linda Kwapis.  I was a Spaulding customer for many years and will attest that they build quality equipment, and even better, provide excellent customer service.  If  you encounter a problem with one of their machines, they  absolutely make it right and use your experience to improve their products during the design phase.  For more information, visit their website @ http://www.spauldingmfg.com/.  The unit I inspected was a 4 ton asphalt patch heater & recycler mounted on a hookloader subframe for use on a hookloader equipped work truck, which in our case is a 2011 Ford F-550, 19,500# GVWR.  This asphalt heater is oil jacketed (uses heating oil to heat the product rather than just air), diesel fired, has hydraulicly operated hopper door & loading doors, fully self-contained, and is equipped with fold down shovel pan.  The unit can be loaded with product while still setting on the ground prior to loading onto hook truck and the hook loader provides the dumping capability.  Loading height is not an issue.   Just "rough numbers", I was informed that this same unit, trailer mounted with dumping feature, would cost the customer about $4,000.00 more than a hookloader unit.  Think about it, $4,000.00 upfront savings on purchase price and no trailer maintenance (tires, hitch, wiring, lights) ever and no trailer licensing!  And on top of all that, the hook loader addition to a standard work truck chassis transforms that truck into a multi-functional work truck capable of any task you can envision for which you can mount the tool on a subframe.  You have the ability to replace the truck chassis and the attachments separately and on different replacement schedules.  You can adjust your depreciations schedules, rental rates, etc. to accomodate replacement and usage flexibility.  Hook trucks are "transformers".................
Think about it!!!                 www.ttspec.com.    "Home of the transformers"

You can learn more about our demo trucks under the demo truck section on our website,  We would love to sell the Ford F-550 hook loader truck complete with the new Spaulding R.M.V. Road Saver unit.

Contact us to arrange for a demo.

Truck And Trailer Specialties - Wing Comparison

New exciting project at Truck & Trailer Specialties!!  We have been collaborating with Spaulding Mfg. from Saginaw, MI on joint venture whereby they are incorporating one of their 4 ton Asphalt Reclaimer/Storage Heater units on a hookloader subframe for use on our hookloader equipped Ford F-550 demo truck.  This asphalt unit is diesel fired and uses oil jacket for heat transfer from burners to product rather than transferring heat via air which is totally more efficient and causes less damage to metal structure.  Just for comparision purposes, MDOT had two crack sealer units purchased in late 1980's equipped with oil jacket for heating that were still in the fleet and still operational when I left in 2011.  Spaulding is installing a fold up shovel tray beneath the door on the unit for easier pothole patching operations.  And of course, with the hook loader, the unit has dumping capability.  Even better yet, the unit can be loaded with asphalt will setting on the ground and then loaded on the truck by use of the hook loader feature on Ford demo truck.  The ground loading feature will allow the use of smaller skid steer loader or tractor mount loader for material loading.  We are anxious to calculate the final cost figures but believe there could be $2,500.00 to $3,500.00 savings when compared with the same unit on a mounted trailer with dumping capability. 

We are now scheduling demonstrations on this unit combining Sapulding Mfg. personnel and Truck & Trailer personnel whereby we can demonstrate the features & benefits of the Spaulding Asphalt unit and the hookloader combination.  Visit the website at"  www.ttspec.com.