A driver that goes to work at 8 a.m. will finish up at 6 p.m., but will come back in to work at 4 the next morning. When you work this job, you don't even get a lunch break. When you go in for a restroom break, you better grab something to eat on your way out. While the county uses metal plows on its trucks, the Greenwood trucks have to use plastic plows because of the number of manhole covers that would destroy the plow and streets. The road crews aren't the only people working around the clock.
Mechanics are also on call to service all of the vehicles.
Although the sand- salt mixture is cheaper than straight salt, there are times when it is more economically sound to use salt by itself, said Greg Owens, director of the Greenwood Street Department. You don't have to worry about the mess it leaves on the road and the price of the brooms and the wear and tear it causes on the equipment to clean it up. When we realize we're going to be in a plowing situation, we move to salt-sand combination. It helps with traction and it's easier to move to the side. When winter weather arrives, ice and snow aren't the only factors road crews have to battle.