LIMA, Ohio (WLIO) — As winter approaches, the Ohio Department of Transportation is making sure its fleet is ready to tackle whatever the season brings.
Crews across the region are conducting ODOT’s annual winter equipment inspections — a process that ensures every plow, spreader, and salt truck is ready before the first snowflake falls.
Mechanics perform what they call a “1,000-point inspection,” checking everything from hydraulics to lights and brakes before the trucks hit the road.
ODOT’s northwest Ohio region has 230 trucks ready for snow and ice operations. Last winter, those trucks drove 2.4 million miles and spread more than 100,000 tons of salt across the area.
“With winter coming, there are times when our trucks will run 24 hours a day,” said Brian Rader, transportation administrator for ODOT in Allen County. “Depending on how long the storm lasts, it can go two to three days. It’s just a good time for them to go through, from the summer work we’ve done, and make sure everything’s correct — better now than when it’s cold and blowing and a truck breaks down outside.”
Mechanics perform what they call a “1,000-point inspection,” checking everything from hydraulics to lights and brakes before the trucks hit the road.
ODOT is reminding motorists of Ohio’s Move Over Law, which requires drivers to move over or slow down for any vehicle with flashing lights along the roadway — no matter the color or season.
Last winter, ODOT plow trucks were struck 54 times while clearing snow and ice. Drivers are urged not to crowd the plow and to always dim headlights when following.
