Ever Wondered What It’d Be Like To Drive A Big Giant Snow Plow?

I rode in a plow truck.... once.

When I was a kid, probably 5 or 6 years old, I took a ride in a friend of my mother's plow truck. Not one of the giant municipal-style trucks, but just a beat-up old Ford that the guy used to clear his quarter-mile driveway. About 30 seconds into the ride, he hit a bump and I flew out of the seat and smacked my face on the floor, getting a bloody nose in the process. It was the '70s, so seatbelts were mocked more than worn.

Aside from my traumatic experience as a kid, have you ever seen a big city plow go by and wondered what it might be like to be in the driver's seat, moving all that snow to and fro? Last winter, the Maine Department of Transportation gave you a neat way to get as close to it as you ever may get, via their Facebook page.

This video is absolutely awesome.

The reason I ever got in that plow truck in the first place as a kid was because of my intense fascination with construction equipment. I had all the full-sized Tonka trucks and all that, and to this day, I love to watch big machines do their jobs. So this video from the DOT fits that bill for me, even at my age. Check it out...

Mostly the video would like to address everyone staying safe when plows are around. They give you tips for staying out of their way, but to also do it as safely as possible. Really, like someone said in the comments, they're literally the unsung heroes of our state. These folks keep us going all the time. Imagine if we were all just snowbound all winter.

It's a long way from the old days of horses pulling giant rollers that just packed the snow down. to keep going. It's hard to imagine that too. But I for one, am glad that these brave souls get out in the crappy weather, just to keep Maine moving. Thanks to all the drivers in advance, who are going to be out this weekend. We'll be thinking of you.

Check out these supper cool photos...