I have worked the night shift at different stages of my life from working on three aircraft flight decks in the U.S.Navy, working on flight lines at two civilian air ports factory work on aircraft parts and brakes, a few security jobs from roving on foot, roving in car and K-9 both unarmed and armed. Over-the-road trucking across the USA and some Canada. I took all those jobs in stride and did not think much about the hours...all of them in good and bad weather....but now I work the night shift with the D.O.H. and it is a different animal all together. During the spring, summer and fall it is day shift with weekends off...come winter it is 3 shifts and I am on the graveyard. If there is a chance, no matter how slight of one it may be, we are on 12 shifts...then we get the trucks loaded up with salt and go stage on the highway and wait till that white stuff starts falling and then it is game time. If there is no snow sticking then we are salting the highway, I can make about 2 1/2 turns (about 50 miles) if I am not going crazy laying it down before I have to reload...but if the snow starts to accumulate the plow hits the road and the fun starts. We plow at about 35 to 38 mph and even at that speed sometimes you make a rooster tail, so you have to be careful not to throw it down on the road below or an a car or truck going by....heheheh....to which I am always very careful. Our trucks have a sign on the back telling you to stay back 100 feet and no matter what lane I am in and the other lane is clear, I will have anywhere from 3 to 15 cars and trucks behind me instead of going around....I will slow to a crawl to get them to pass but they just drop their speed to mine....I think that if I drove out into the medium they would follow...it has crossed my mind. So, if you are out on the highways during these wonderful times of us salting and plowing please do us a favor...pay attention to what we are doing, because we are doing it for you, and use common sense. If we are working in one lane and the other lane is cleared, because we made it that way, then safely go around us and do not "DO NOT" ride along side of us...just get around us and go on down the road. Thank you.
