How to plow snow like a driver of a plow truck

It is fun to see a snowstorm from your home. There's also something magical about freshly fallen snow. It's soon enough to have to go outside and remove snow from sidewalks and driveways.

Snow shovels can be used for small areas. Snowblowers can quickly clear medium-sized areas that have been covered with snow up to six inches. A snowplow attached to your truck or ATV will quickly remove large amounts of snow from your property. However, plowing snow is not as simple as it seems. To make sure the job goes smoothly, here are some tips.

How to plow snow

Mark obstructions and boundaries before it snows with flags. This includes mailboxes, fire hydrants and exposed pipes. Consider clearing an area of your yard of shrubs in order to have somewhere to shovel snow in winter.

These are some helpful tips for driving a snowplow truck.

Get familiar with the controls in your car's cab. Before you start tackling your first snow pile, practice moving the blades up or down and changing their angles.

• To push snow in one direction, tilt the plow so that it is facing towards the other side. To avoid snow falling on your truck's opposite side, make sure the snow is not more than three-fourths of your blade covered.
• You may choose to tilt the plow so that the point faces the truck and collects snow, rather than pushing it to the sides.
• To push the snow straight ahead, place the plow in a straight position. Make a pile at its end. This technique is great for clearing parking lots.
• To remove snow that has piled up against a structure, use the "backdrag". Lift the blade and walk towards the snowbank. Then lower the blade about a foot from the building and drive in reverse. You will be dragging the snow along with you. Next, raise the blade and move the truck behind your snow pile to plow the snow to one side. To drag snow further down, raise the blade so that the blade is elevated.
• Lower the plow shoes when plowing dirt or gravel. This will raise the blade and prevent it from scraping loose road material. Before you start plowing concrete or asphalt, remove the plow shoes.

• Safety Tips for Snow Plows
• With a plow attached, don't exceed 40 MPH. Plowing should not exceed 14 mph.
• To ensure that the engine isn’t heating up, check the temperature gauge frequently.
• Use your seatbelt and keep your head low when driving.
• When driving in reverse, be sure to look over your shoulder for any obstructions.
• To ensure safety, you can lower the blade to the earth after you have finished plowing.