FREEZE: IT’s time to talk about snow

Snow can be a real pain for any driver, so to keep Prime trucks safe, clean and running on schedule, the three main Prime terminals use a variety of techniques to keep the bays clear of snow and ice.

BY MARY ELLEN CHILES

Salt Lake City:

Mike Seidel is the Maintenance Supervisor at Prime in Salt Lake City, and with the mountains not far off, he is always ready for snow storms. Luckily, he says snow has been less of a problem recently. “The last couple of years, we’ve only had two or three major storms where we spent all day plowing,” Seidel says. “It’s been kind of dry but we still get our share.”

To make life a little easier for the team when snow does come around, the Salt Lake terminal was designed to have oors that slope slightly, so melted snow funnels into drains by the doors. Outside, Seidel and his team use a Polaris Ranger to keep the yard clean. “It’s a UTV with a small plow that we use for tighter spaces in the yard,” he says.

Springfield:

t the Prime head uarters in pringfield snow removal is overseen by Director of Maintenance Mark Piley. Here, the team has many ways to keep snow at bay including a mix of radiant heat and forced air heating systems to help melt snow at all the docks.

“We have our local landscaping contractor do all our major snow plowing and major ice melt treatment on an as-needed basis,” Piley says. “They are available for callout on a 24-hour, 7-days-a-week basis.” If the snow is light enough, the facility maintenance team will grab the shovels and scrape ice off sidewalks, stairs and entrances. They work together to quickly make the spaces clean and safe. “When a snow or ice event occurs, it is all hands on deck,” Piley says.

Winter Driving Safety Tips:

1. Carry extra blankets or a heavy-duty sleeping bag.

Pittston:

In Pennsylvania, snow can be frequent and intense. Terminal Manager Rick Yarborough says the team in Pittston has lots of tools to keep the bays safe, including plow trucks with salt spreaders, a loader to move snow at the training pad, and push gasoline snow blowers.

“We remove dirty and piled up snow with backhoes and dump itinourretention ponds,” Yarborough says. They also rely on heated oors in the wash ays and detail bays, and shovel by hand in small areas near gates and doors.

2. Keep extra food and water in your vehicle. You never know when you’ll need it.

3. Pack a snow shovel in case you need to dig yourself out of the snow.

4. Keep a portable phone charger with you.

5. Keep snow tire chains on your truck during the winter. States have di erent requirements for chains, so be sure to be aware of the rules. For instance, Colorado requires drivers to carry snow chains September through May.