Mahoning Valley ODOT preps for ice and snow
Staff photos / J.T. Whitehouse Trending
CANFIELD ---- The Ohio Department of Transportation's four mechanics went over every truck in its garage Tuesday as part of an annual tradition to ensure safe, fully-functioning trucks hit the road when ice and snow fly.
ODOT District 4, of which the Canfield Post is part, covers Mahoning, Trumbull, Ashtabula, Portage, Stark and Summit counties. In Mahoning County, the Post has 25 trucks, 29 drivers and four mechanics to cover 732 miles of state roadways.
The trucks were gone Tuesday over with a fine-tooth comb. Workers checked every bolt and nut, all the lights and the ever-important hydraulics.
"It's a 150-point inspection on each vehicle," said ODOT Public Information Officer Justin Chesnic. "The mechanics are the behind-the-scenes folks who keep our fleet running."
Some of the vehicles are fitted to handle liquid de-icer. During the 2025-26 winter, the Canfield fleet used 498,882 gallons of de-icer and 17,002 tons of road salt, a big increase over the three-year average.
As for manpower, the 29 drivers at the Canfield Garage put in a total of 23,027 hours covering 195,183 miles to keep state routes open and safe.
"To help protect the safety of Ohioans on the road, ODOT crews are preparing now to make sure the equipment needed to plow snow and dissolve ice is ready when winter hits," Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine said in a press release. "Safety is our top goal and Ohio will be ready to help travelers have a clear path on the roads."
Safety is also a responsibility of motorists when it comes to plowing snow. Last winter, in Ohio, 58 snowplows were struck. Chesnic said when a crash with a plow happens, it takes a vital piece of equipment off the road, forcing other plows to extend their routes to cover the damaged truck's route.
"We urge Ohio drivers to give crews plenty of room to work, which will result in safer roads for all," Chesnic said.
He also noted the annual Paint-A-Plow program is on again this year. He said there are normally 20 schools that participate by having a plow dropped off at the school for art students to paint with their own designs. The plows were picked up this month and brought to the garage to be installed on the ODOT dump trucks.
"Locally we had Austintown, Jackson Milton and South Range take part in the program," Chesnic said. "We will be photographing the finished plows and in November, post them on our Facebook page."
The winner of the contest will get a banner to display at its school.
The painted plows could be seen during the winter when the trucks go out. Some of the plows have art from previous years, along with the new art.