Indy DPW prepares for a wet winter by welcoming new plow drivers

Indianapolis, Indiana – In central Indiana, winter is coming, even though it doesn’t feel like it outside. In the past, Hoosiers have experienced a particularly warm October. As a result, the Indianapolis Department of Public Works will have more time to prepare.

“It gives us the time to ensure that the employees are properly trained,” DPW Director Brandon Herget stated. “It reduces both our salt budget and our overtime budget.”

This year, extra time is even more crucial. For the winter, DPW is hiring 64 more plow drivers. The city’s new CDL program is partially to blame.

“It’s crucial to be able to invest in that talent in a way that will both meet our department’s immediate needs and have long-term professional significance for them,” Herget stated.

Given that America is at a crossroads, CDL drivers are in high demand, according to Herget. When it comes to hiring, the program has provided them an advantage.

Steven Quick, president of Union AFSCME Local #725 said, “They get their CDLs, they start out doing dry runs, and that way they actually get in the truck with the plows while there is no snow and no ice and learn what’s out there on the roads.”

Quick enough personnel will be provided by these additional plow drivers to ensure that the key routes are covered.

Everyone feels more at ease knowing that there are enough people for each route they need to cover because “if you don’t have enough folks, that means you’re going to have to double up on the routes for that day,” Quick stated.

It’s still unclear if these plow drivers will experience a lot of snow. Indianapolis has received less snowfall than usual during the last two winters, and the city is currently seeing an unusually mild fall.

“The weather has completely changed,” Quick remarked. “It appears that we are experiencing more warm seasons than we have in the past.”

An unfavorable situation for Hoosier roads arises when warmer temperatures break through our typically icy winter weather.

“Difficult pavement conditions may result from a significant freeze-thaw cycle, where the temperature of the pavement drops and then rises,” Herget stated.

Yes, pothole season is quickly approaching in central Indiana, and this one might be particularly difficult. This winter, according to the Weather Authority, will be wetter and milder.

According to Quick, they are able to fill potholes with cold asphalt mix as they go because of the mild weather in spurts over the winter months. Herget went on to say that, like in 2024, they hope to reopen the hot asphalt factories at record speed in 2025.

Quick wants to urge people to allow snow plows enough space and to slow down around them in the meantime.

Quick remarked, “That plow can be like a can opener.” “It can seriously hurt some people and peel a car back.”