RALEIGH, N.C. — Work is underway for North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) crews as they prepare for the winter months.

Workers started loading and testing trucks and conducting dry runs for the upcoming winter season earlier this week. 

Holt Willis, a Wake County maintenance engineer, said it’s been a long time coming for some of these machines.  

“They’re putting spreaders on the trucks, getting the plows on, making sure everything is hooked up, works properly,” Holt said. “We didn’t have any snow last year. So the equipment’s been sitting for two years. “

The crews know clearing the roads during a snow storm is an important job. 

“We have several contract trucks that help us with the brining. Most of your brine trucks, we run interstates. They are low boys. They are hauling about 5,000 gallons of brine. Our trucks haul anywhere from 1,600 to 2,000 gallons of brine,” Willis said.

NCDOT says it proactively plans for winter weather and has crews on standby to clear roads. It does still warn, however, that driving during rain, ice or snow can still be dangerous.