Iowa DOT trains for winter driving before it arrives

STORM LAKE, Iowa (KCAU) — Every year, just before winter, Iowa DOT snowplow drivers are put to the test in a simulation to freshen up their skills.

The Iowa DOT contracts with L3Harris Technologies, a company that operates a variety of simulations, to get drivers behind the wheel of a snowplow without being on the road.

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“The seat that the operator sits in is very realistic in the fact that if you are drifting over to the edge of the road and hitting rumble strips, your seat is going to shake,” Craig Bargfrede with the Iowa DOT said. “The controls in the simulator are very, very similar to what you will actually see in the cab of one of our trucks.”

Over the course of two hours, drivers are put through a variety of simulations pf scenarios they could encounter this winter.

“Large areas where high volume traffic, where you have cars all around the truck to rural roads that, you know, you only have two lane type roads… they’ll throw in fatigue scenarios,” Bargfrede said.

Once the person finishes their simulation, the instructor informs them how they did and what they need to improve on.

“Every operator that comes through there is given a score, obviously, but those that may end up on the lower end of the spectrum are just operators that when we provide this feedback to the garage supervisors that maybe trigger some remedial training and the actual truck itself and go through some additional training,” Bargfrede said.

DOT officials say this training has worked wonders over the years, ensuring their drivers are prepared for what’s to come.

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“The gist of this is to get our folks back into the winter mindset,” Bargfrede said. “We do some refreshers on winter driving skills all in a very confined, controlled environment, where, you know, mistakes can be made and learned from and it’s better to do it in that simulator than out on the actual roadway.”

Bargfrede also wanted to remind people to give plows space once snow arrives to help prevent any accidents.

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