You've moved to the country and gotten yourself a piece of paradise on a long country lane. The local snowplow guys call your road a "goat path" and give you a price of $100 a pass. So you buy a snowplow. Is that really all there is to it?
Driving Tips for Beginning Snowplow Drivers
Not so fast, Cowboy! Before you hit the road, here are a few tips to keep you out of the ditches.
- Choose the right plow for the job. A small driveway doesn't need the biggest plow out there. For light plowing, check out the personal plows on the market.
- Buy the best tires you can. Four wheel drive goes .anywhere, except on ice.
- Scout out the route before you plow it. Where is the snow going to go? You need permission to pile snow onto your neighbor's property, and you're not allowed to put your snow on city streets.
- Come up with a choreography. Each road is different, but if you're going to have to make multiple passes, start in the middle and work your way out.
- When you start pushing the show into where it will be stacked, go as far back as you safely can.. It's amazing how big a stack even a four-inch storm can made. When the next storm comes, you're going to need somewhere to put that snow, too.
- Go slowly. If you are plowing too fast and you trip the plow by kicking up some dirt or hitting a curb, a fast speed might wreck your rig. More mistakes are made by manuevering too quickly, or reacting too fast. In particular, when you're doing a lot of back and forth, be sure that you come to a full stop before you change gears. It's too easy to get careless about this.
- Plow in four-wheel drive, high gear. And no, plowing with a standard transmission is not a good idea. (You don't have enough hands and feet.)
- Plow with the storm: It's easier to do two six-inch passes than one twelve-inch pass.
- Tilt the plow when driving, epecailly at fast speeds on a highway: This lets air circulate around the grill, and avoids over-heating the engine.
- Always set the plow down when you aren't driving to take pressure off the front end.
- You are not Rambo, and your truck is not invincible. And yes, it can tip over. Take it easy out there!
Safety Equipment for Snowplowing
Have some equipment in the car in case you get stuck. Standard winter safety equipment (flares, a cell phone, first aid kit) is always a good idea. Beyond that, you'lll need:
- An ice scraper and a brush. You may need to knock snow off your rear window if you're plowing in a storm and the snow sticks.
- A bucket of sand.. A bucket of sand can get you out of places you would rather have not gotten into in the first place. Shoveling out excess snow, then sprinkling some right underneath your stuck wheels can extricate you from a slippery spot.
- Warm clothes, including gloves, a hat, and boots you can walk in (should the worst happen and you get stuck).
- A shovel. You know why.
Oh, and after all that, sit down an listen to Fred Eagelesmith's "Cumberland County" (the Canadian country singer's ode to a snowplow driver). And enjoy!
Karen Berger - Karen Berger is the author of 15 books. Please click on her name to read her full bio.
