It was a two-for-one weekend for the Wyoming Department of Transportation. Two snowplow trucks were struck and damaged in southeast Wyoming, taking them off the highways during a snowstorm.
The first occurred around 6:30 a.m. on Saturday on U.S. 30/287 north of Laramie. An SUV was driving south on the northbound lane when it struck a WYDOT snowplow.
The driver of the SUV was taken to a hospital for injuries sustained in the crash. The plow truck driver was uninjured.
WYDOT spokesperson Doug McGee said the SUV’s impact was so destructive that the snowplow was totaled and the truck's frame was damaged.
“That truck could be out for an extended period of time,” he told Cowboy State Daily. “With frame damage, there’s a chance it’s no longer in service.”
Later that morning, a plow truck driving eastward on I-80 near Lone Tree was rear-ended by a semi-truck. No injuries were reported, but the sander on the back of the truck was “extensively damaged.”
There have been nine snowplow strikes in Wyoming this winter, resulting in totaled plows and extensively damaged commercial vehicles. WYDOT hopes more drivers realize that these impacts impact everybody.
“A plow in the shop is not plowing snow,” McGee said. “It seems silly to say, but it’s important to remember.”
Serious Sandy Situation
There is no shortage of snowplows throughout WYDOT’s districts, but a damaged snowplow is still a serious hindrance to winter operations. Replacing the totaled plow in Laramie will take time and resources when plow trucks are needed most.
“We have a budget for repairs and parts,” said WYDOT spokesman Cody Beers, “but we’ve had to put more money into those budgets just to keep our trucks operational. Everything’s more expensive nowadays, whether it's bolts, oil, or whatever is needed.”
While a damaged plow on the front of a truck can be replaced with a spare, replacing a sander is much more complicated, if any are available. Beers said WYDOT doesn’t have a surplus of sanders ready to switch out if one gets totaled.
“There’s one sander per truck, and we have hardly any spare sanders in the state,” he said. “If you run into the back of a truck and damage the sander, that truck probably won’t have a sander for a while.”
Ordering a new sander is easy enough, and WYDOT’s mechanics can get a new sander installed without difficulty. However, there could be a lengthy period of time between order and installation.
“It’s not like we’re going to call Amazon and have one in three days, postage paid,” Beers said. “It takes time.”
Fortunately, a spare sander was available at the Laramie shop to replace the one damaged by the semi-truck. That sander has been installed, and the truck should be operational by the end of the week.
“We lucked out,” McGee said. “It’s an older sander, but it will operate.”
The damage sustained by a semi-truck after read-ending a WYDOT snowplow truck on I-80 Saturday morning. The costs to repair and replace the damaged sander will come from the driver's insurance. (Courtesy: WYDOT) 
The "extensive damage" sustained by a WYDOT sander after the truck was hit from behind by a semi-truck. WYDOT doesn't have a surplus of sanders in its workshops, so replacing these units takes time when they're needed to keep highways clear of snow and ice. (Courtesy: WYDOT) 
The SUV that crashed into the front of a WYDOT snowplow truck on Saturday morning. The driver was taken to a nearby hospital for injuries sustained in the crash, which totaled the snowplow. The WYDOT driver was unharmed. (Courtesy: WYDOT) 
A WYDOT plow truck after being hit by an SUV traveling the wrong way on US 30/287 north of Laramie on Saturday morning. The plow at the front of the truck was totaled, which could cost around $26,000 to replace. (Courtesy: WYDOT)
A Near Miss
Another incident was narrowly avoided on Monday morning. A WYDOT snowplow truck was traveling west on I-80 when a commercial vehicle failed to yield or slow down to the truck.
The WYDOT driver had to use “evasive maneuvers” to avoid an impact, which caused it to collide with the guardrail on the right side of the road. No one was hurt, but the snowplow and the guardrail sustained minor damage
Over three days, three snowplow trucks in southeast Wyoming were taken out of commission when they were needed on the highways. It’s one of the many ways these impacts directly impact everyone driving on Wyoming’s highways.
“We have a total of 22 plows in the Laramie district,” McGee said. “That may seem like a lot, but we have large portions of I-80 and US 30/287 to cover. Three snowplows are 14% of our vehicles and workforce out of service.”
At Your Expense
When a snowplow truck gets hit and its equipment is damaged, one thing WYDOT doesn’t worry about is covering the cost. That’s covered by the insurance of the driver at fault, which will be the case in both incidents in southeast Wyoming on Saturday.
The semi-truck driver who rear-ended the sander on I-80 was issued a citation for the incident. The injured driver of the SUV that totaled the plow will also be liable for the plow totaled in the impact they caused.
“If one of our trucks gets hit by a vehicle and they have car insurance, we're able to get the stuff ordered right away because it becomes a repair that we can charge to the person's vehicle insurance,” Beers said.
Getting a $26,000 snowplow repair charged to your insurance isn’t a great way to keep premiums low. WYDOT hopes drivers exercise more caution when maneuvering near a snowplow truck.
However, safety is the top priority for WYDOT and everyone on Wyoming’s highways in winter. Hitting a plow truck at a significant speed can cause injuries, which the SUV driver learned the hard way.
“Plow trucks are big,” Beers said. “They're full iron, and there's no give. Is it worth crashing to pass a snowplow to make up five minutes on your trip? I would say no.”
The Sum Total
WYDOT’s snowplow trucks are fitted with various tools to clear roads during snowstorms at a cost of $275,000 and 380 hours of work per truck. Plow blades, sanders, hydraulics, and dump boxes are installed to ensure roads and highways get and stay clear.
While the trucks are rarely damaged in these incidents, the equipment they’re fitted with can be damaged beyond the point of repair.
When a snowplow was struck by a Honda CR-V near Dayton on Jan. 3, its front plow was totaled. WYDOT estimated that replacing it would cost around $26,000.
WYDOT has its own rigging shop in Cheyenne, where it outfits and repairs all of Wyoming’s plow trucks. This cost-saving enterprise ensures that every truck is rigged to WYDOT’s standards and can be quickly tended to when plowed into.
“We typically build around 25 rigs a year,” WYDOT spokesperson Jordan Young told Cowboy State Daily. “We take the chassis and add all the equipment that we need — the sander, controls, everything like that. It’s a unique process we do in-house to save costs.”
WYDOT also hires mechanics to be stationed throughout its districts. These mechanics perform everything from routine maintenance to major repairs on the department’s vehicle fleet.
“They do a great job keeping us on the road,” said Beers. “But if a truck gets damaged, it’s going to be down for a while, and that crew’s got to find a way to get the job done with one less truck.”
Please Don't Plow Into Plows
Collisions with plow trucks can cause tremendous logistical issues for WYDOT and the Wyoming Highway Patrol. If a driver sees a snow cloud hurtling towards them, they should anticipate the snowplow behind it and drive accordingly.
“Those snowplows throw up a cloud of snow, much like you'd encounter if you drove into pea soup fog,” he said. “If you see a snowplow coming, slow down and don’t make unnecessary movements with your steering. Keep it straight and tight, and realize you'll lose vision for a few seconds.”
When driving through a snowstorm, the safest place is behind a snowplow, even if it means moving at a slower speed. However, Beers said plow truck drivers usually accommodate the drivers behind them.
“Our guys are running between 35 and 50 mph, but they will allow you to pass when it's safe to do so,” he said. “If you're impatient and try to pass, you take a chance. It's very difficult to see past the front of a snowplow to oncoming traffic.”
Beers added that Wyomingites should never attempt to pass on the right side of a snowplow. Many WYDOT plow trucks have wing plows on their right sides, which aren’t visible to drivers coming up from behind on a multi-lane highway.
The key to plow truck etiquette is to take precautions and let the trucks do their jobs. The risks are rarely worth it, and they interfere with WYDOT’s goal of clearing the roads as quickly and safely as possible.
“We can't get those parts turned around as quickly as we need to get a truck back on the road,” Beers said. “We need those trucks to do our jobs in the winter.”
Andrew Rossi can be reached at arossi@cowboystatedaily.com.
