Twenty-five years ago the goal for a winter road maintenance fleet manager was straightforward—keep highways safe for travelers and do not worry too much about the amount of salt applied to roadway surfaces. Automating key snow and ice control systems was not on any fleet manager’s short list of projects.
Fast forward to 2016. Fleet managers are now accountable for keeping roads safe for winter travelers, controlling costs and being environmentally responsible by reducing the amount of salt applied to roadways, and in some states, complying with legislated mandates regarding the amount of salt to apply per lane mile. Automating key processes has moved into the forefront of snow and ice control projects.