Ed rust snow plow
What’s desirable? Trujillo says it’s a matter of personal preference, but he prefers to stay away from the dense East Side. Seniority is also how plow routes are assigned. Mine didn’t have the same suspension system and after an hour I was sold on the desirability. Apart from less of a chance of breaking down, what’s the benefit to Trujillo? “A lot smoother ride,” says the 11-year city veteran, pointing at his seat with built-in suspension. It lacks that new car smell, having been driven for many other uses besides snow plowing, but is clean. He’s driving a brand new truck this year, having been able to pick it with his seniority. We climb aboard, and apart from the height and control panel, the cab of the vehicle doesn’t feel much different than any other pickup truck.Īging equipment isn’t a direct problem for Trujillo anymore.
#Ed rust snow plow drivers#
Aging equipment that breaks down, inexperienced drivers and staffing shortages were cited by DPW as the source of the problem.
The cold-weather problem became a hot-button issue last winter as the Common Council grilled members of the department over what it said was poor performance. I’m along for the ride to get a first-hand look at how the city tackles snow removal. But Trujillo, who works as a DPW equipment instructor when it’s not snowing, will get some company for the first hour of his shift.
#Ed rust snow plow driver#
The round-the-clock snow removal operation is usually performed in solitude, with just a driver and the vehicle’s radio.
A number of private contractors, many in end-loaders, work to clear sidewalks and hard-to-access spaces, while three different DPW maintenance facilities work to keep the city’s aging fleet operating as best they can. when enough snow had fallen to ensure the heavy vehicles wouldn’t destroy the streets. The day crew will start on the arterial streets before shifting into what DPW calls “districts.” There they will find their work supplemented by 120 plow-mounted garbage trucks, “packers” in DPW parlance, which have been out on the side streets since 4 a.m. Trujillo’s shift starts at 9 a.m., relieving the crew that has been working overnight as the snow continued to fall. Across the city in synchronized 12-hour shifts, Trujillo and his coworkers are getting ready to head out on 103 plow-mounted salt trucks. He’s in the process of signing in alongside approximately 30 of his Department of Public Works (DPW) colleagues as the city’s two plow teams switch over. It’s one of six such sites where the city dispatches plow drivers to clear its 1,475 miles of streets. I meet Nabor Trujillo Saturday morning at a nondescript building on the city’s southwest side. Nabor Trujillo operates a city salt truck.