Why Road Crew Safety Training Fails in the Classroom, And How to Keep Their Attention

If you have ever stood at the front of a room full of highway or public works crew members with a PowerPoint clicker in your hand, you already know the feeling, you are not just competing with short attention spans, you are competing with a lifetime of classroom fatigue. For many road workers, tradi…continue

Rainy Days Are Safety Days

Rainy Days Are Safety Days: Why Every Highway Superintendent Should Keep a Training Binder Handy As every highway superintendent knows, no two days in the motorpool are alike. Some days the crews are out patching potholes or clearing culverts; other days Mother Nature keeps them in the garage watchi…continue

Safety Training Binder Checklist

Safety Training Binder Checklist General Workplace Safety Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) selection and use Lockout/Tagout procedures Proper lifting and ergonomics Slips, trips, and falls prevention Housekeeping and garage safety Fire extinguisher use and fire safety Hazard Communication (HazCom…continue

Handling Roadkill: The Glamorous Side of Highway Maintenance

Ah, roadkill, the unsung mascot of every highway department. It doesn’t matter if you’re running a sleepy rural township or managing a busy county road crew, sooner or later, your phone will ring with that inevitable complaint: “There’s a dead something-or-other in the middle…continue

Dealing with Big Mouths, Bigger Egos, and the Rest of the Crew

If you’ve been in this line of work long enough, you know the type. The loudmouth. The guy (or gal) who never misses an opportunity to make themselves the center of attention at the shop. Who constantly peppers meetings with “Well, that’s not how I would do it” comments. Who …continue

Recruiting for the Highway Department: It’s Not All About the Paycheck

Let’s be honest, recruiting good people for highway department jobs isn’t getting any easier. You’re often competing with private contractors who can offer higher wages, especially when it comes to drivers with a Class B CDL in their pocket. Civil servant pay? It’s not exactl…continue

Why Your Crew Needs Proper Flagging Training

When it comes to road work, setting up cones and waving a flag might seem like the simplest part of the job, but it’s also one of the most dangerous. As a highway superintendent, you already know that your team’s safety and the traveling public’s safety depends on well-run work zon…continue