All 902 plow trucks operated by the Iowa Department of Transportation now are on a new G-P-S system. Craig Bargfrede heads winter operations for the D-O-T. He says this new system allows vehicles to gather all sorts of data, which the D-O-T will now be able to use for clearing Iowa’s roadways of snow and ice more efficiently.
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The new system cost about 850-thousand-dollars, but Bargfrede says it will pay for itself as the D-O-T can now be more targeted with how it deploys plow trucks, how it uses road salt and anticipate if a vehicle is having mechanical issues. Bargfrede says he’s excited to analyze the new information the G-P-S system will provide.
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Bargfrede says a previous system used by the D-O-T was cellular, and therefore data wasn’t as accurate due to dead spots. The Iowa D-O-T clears more than 24-thousand miles of snow and ice during the winter months.