Battling Storms: A Day in the Life of a Roads
Crew Driver
By Anne De Craemer
 When
most of us are trying to get off the roads during
a winter storm, Jim Cameron, Dave Lee, Vaughn
Dedman and Tony Disano are just getting ready
to go on them. "Peel has trucks on the road
24 hours a day, seven days a week. We can’t
go home until the roads are all clear. We don’t
just clean the roads, we squeegee the roads,"
says Vaughn.
A 31-year veteran, Jim Cameron
is a seasoned professional at battling storms
on the rural roads in Caledon. "I like it
when it snows like crazy and we get it all cleaned
up before traffic," he says. "Getting
everyone to work in the morning is the best part
of my job."
Like a well-oiled machine, the
Victoria Yard team works in sync to load their
trucks and blast into action. Jim’s foreman
tracts the environment and sends out the crew,
certain of what the weather disturbance will develop
into.
While Jim handles the pressure
of the winter storm like a leisurely drive down
a Caledon country road, one look at his control
panel inside the truck reminds you that this is
no Sunday afternoon drive. A computerized sand/salt
spinner, hydraulic levers and an array of colourful
control buttons require that the driver’s
attention be focused both inside and outside the
truck.
It will be long past quitting
time before Jim can go home today. "Winter
is the hardest time of the year for me and my
family," he said. "I’ve missed
family gatherings, Christmas concerts and special
things because of the strict winter schedule."
Things are not much different
at the Copper Rd. Yard.
"The
expectation for us is to be committed and available,
at all hours, in all conditions throughout the
winter," says Dave Lee, a 25-year Truck Driver.
To ensure that drivers are accessible after hours,
each driver carries a beeper.
"When it goes off you’ve
got to go," says Dave. "What can you
do, it’s your job. We would feel very badly
if someone had an accident or an injury on our
roads."
When drivers aren’t on the
roads battling snow, freezing rain or icy conditions,
they might be repairing the road surface. Today,
Dave, Vaughn and Tony all arrive at the Copper Rd. Yard for a noon to 8 p.m. shift. With
some staff travelling to work from as far away
as Orangeville, each driver arrives for the shift
and is issued orders.
"You could be assigned ‘patrol’
where you patrol the roads in a smaller truck
and look for trouble spots such as sign damage,
lighting malfunctions and drainage problems,"
says Vaughn.
Sporting orange overalls, reflective
vest and red hardhats, the team sets off on Route
B to fill potholes, clear catch basins and ensure
that water caused by melting snow is draining
properly.
As Friday afternoon traffic begins
to pressurize roads in Brampton, the atmosphere
in the truck is calm, focused and patient. The
only rush of adrenaline comes from getting out
of the truck on a four-lane highway to fill a
pothole. With a high volume of cars travelling
the urban roads, a calm demeanor is necessary
for safety on the job.
In stark contrast to the crews’
demeanor is that of the average driver. Vaughn,
Dave and Tony agree that road work "can be
a thankless job. The general public doesn’t
really understand what we do, or the amount of
time we spend on the roads, so they can be quick
to judge."
So what keeps them coming back
day-in and day-out to battle storms? "You
get to see a lot of the world when you work outside,"
Dave said.
"I love it here. I’ve
loved it from day one. I enjoy working outside
and I love plowing snow," said Vaughn.
As for Jim, he says most of his
satisfaction comes from "knowing that he
helps people to arrive at their destinations safely."
Whatever the reason, Regional
Road Crews are ready to battle the toughest of
conditions!
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