If you looked out the window this morning, you may have spotted some snow flurries. It’s just a sign of things to come.
Drivers for Wausau’s Public Works Department know that all too well. That’s why the got behind the wheel to shake off some of the summer rust.
We see it every winter, plow trucks out in force clearing off city streets and highways. But, most people don't know how much work it really is. To make sure drivers are prepared for the harsh weather, the public drivers are put through some serious training.
They spent their morning carefully making their way through an obstacle course, designed to ensure the drivers are ready for anything they encounter while on the road, especially in the harsh winter months.
Wausau Street Superintendent, Don Skare says, “There are alot of different things that you go through in this course. You have inside corners, outside corners, that is just a few. You have to get these trucks out of very tight areas. It has a tendency to help you out ahead of time, before you put yourself in that position."
There were also a few other stations where drivers spent their morning, including a yoga instruction, designed to help keep drivers calm while in the most hazardous conditions that come with winter.
The "rodeo" - as the drivers call it - has been going on for 20 years. The superintendent says the early practice helps. So much so that many of his drivers are in few crashes each year.
