Snowplow Turn-By-Turn Routing

If you are planning your snow removal routes on paper maps, you already know that it is a very cumbersome task. It takes weeks or even months for your operators to learn and master the designated routes. When you have staffing turnover or your operators are out sick, that really puts you in a bind. Do you ever wonder if your current routes are designed to be the most optimal and efficient?

These are just a few issues you’ll face if you don’t have a proper snow removal plan in place. Wightman’s GIS team works with organizations to develop optimized snow routes so they can take on a snow event with confidence. They transform your paper routing maps into voice-guided turn-by-turn directions compatible with a phone or tablet. Your operators stay on route, minimizing the number of missed streets and citizen complaints.

GIS-based solutions provide many benefits including:

• Less training time required to learn routes
• Capture the knowledge base of seasoned operators
• More flexibility with staffing
• Increases safety of operators and motorists
• Staying on predefined routes:
  • Increases operator efficiency
  • Reduces material usage
  • Reduces fuel costs
  • Reduces wear and tear on equipment
  • Reduces citizen complaints

Wightman  partnered with the Road Commission of Kalamazoo County (MI) to convert their paper snow route maps into a turn-by-turn GIS system. For more information about the successful project,  WKZO provided an informative article. Or, check out Wightman GIS Manager Ryan Miller's post on LinkedIn. This project garnered RCKC an IMPRESS Award from the County Road Association (CRA) in 2021. Wightman was proud to partner with RCKC on their snowplow route project and congratulates them on this award!