Bulldozer Operators And Snow Plows

We are rapidly approaching that time of year when traffic on many of our roads stops to a crawl, or stops altogether. The cause? Snow! Bulldozer operators are often recruited to operate the snow plows used to clear roads. They are not the only operators called upon.

In some areas, trucks and/or farm tractors are fitted with a bulldozer type blades. They perform the same role as a bulldozer although not quite as effectively. Other areas use graders. These are particularly useful in areas where the snow has been compacted.

Technically speaking, a snow plow is the blade that is fitted to any vehicle. A rail car that has a blade fitted is also known as a snow plow. Rather than having heavy equipment experience, you require train driver training to operate these vehicles.

There are of course several specific purpose vehicles that have been built that also bear the name snow plow. When looking for employment as a snow plow operator, you need to clarify what type of snow plow is being used, otherwise you may find yourself operating unfamiliar vehicles with snow plow blades attached rather than specific snow plows.

Dedicated snow plows are very similar to bulldozers so a bulldozer operator will generally have a lot of the operational skills required to operate the machine. Using a grader on icy roads is very similar to using a grader on any other surface. Graders are popular since they can be set to very fine measurements shaving the road to within fractions of an inch of the sealed surface.

Looking to work as a snow plow operator? Start by undertaking a bulldozer or grader operator training program. ATS Heavy Equipment Operator Schools offer heavy equipment training programs that deliver skills in a range of heavy equipment – just what you need if you want to work as a snow plow operator.