The Ohio Department of Transportation conducted its annual inspection of its full fleet of 23 trucks and three loaders Tuesday ahead of the upcoming winter season. Transportation Administrator Rob Marra said comprehensive inspections ensure that every aspect of the fleet is in good order from the plow and road treatment systems to the trucks identifying any mechanical, electrical, or lighting issues. (Photo by Morgan Ahart)

LISBON–The Ohio Department of Transportation is preparing its fleet to ensure that roads remain safe for drivers in the upcoming winter weather season.

“Our mechanics have worked for a couple months so that when the snow comes our fleet is ready,” said Transportation Administrator Rob Marra.

The Columbiana County ODOT garage performed annual maintenance checks on its full fleet of 23 trucks and three loaders Tuesday ahead of the impending winter weather season. Marra said that each year it takes about two hours to do comprehensive inspections on each of the county garage’s vehicles identifying any problem areas, whether they be mechanical or electrical issues, or damage to equipment like the trucks’ plows, spinners, or wedding system to ensure the fleet is in top form.

“They check for any mechanical faults or lights out, they’re looking to make sure plows turn freely, that there’s no hose leaks and that the spinners are working. It’s a check of everything our drivers use to make sure the roadways are safe for the public,” said Marra.

Drivers line the trucks up to be inspected in stages beginning outside where the trucks’ plow systems are checked to ensure they can move freely from side to side and up and down and the salt spinners rotate without binding. The trucks’ wedding systems are also checked outside, which Marra said combines the road salt with ODOT’s liquid ice treatments which include brine and Beet Heat a type of beet juice mixture.

Once the exterior inspections are completed, the trucks pull into the county garage itself where ODOT’s district mechanics check for mechanical deficiencies, any issues with the frame or sub-frame, lights –and even the truck’s horn, working in teams to check to trucks simultaneously.

Marra said that once the district mechanics have completed their inspection the full report for each truck is turned over to the county garage’s mechanics to be repaired before winter comes. Marra also said that the department is constantly monitoring its vehicles to ensure that they stay in working order throughout the year with reports completed every day to identify any potential issues.

“Every day before drivers leave, they complete a pre-trip report, and they mark any deficiencies and give that report to the mechanics so we can keep up with maintenance throughout the year,” said Marra.

That emphasis is certainly warranted with the sheer volume of work the department’s drivers put into ensuring roads are clear and safe for drivers even during a mild winter. Marra said that during las year’s mild winter the department used 6,782 tons of salt, and 103,000 gallons of liquid treatment in Columbiana County. The drivers covered 87,346 miles during snow and ice responses alone.