Fox 40 got the chance to tag along with a snow plow driver from the NYSDOT Region 9 for a day on the road.

Jeff Carpenter is just one of 325 plow truck drivers hitting the roads today with the DOT covering seven counties in our region. 

He's been clearing the same routes for over 19 years.

"We are going to be doing what we call the city beat," said Carpenter.

He continued, "Court Street down to the city limits. Down around the ballpark, we're going to head up on the 363 out towards phelps street and then back all the way across the 434."

The schedules are divided into day and night shifts, each 12 hours long, and each route takes about an hour to complete.

When the department gets word of a storm, they get right to work preparing trucks.

"They'll call us in a little bit early to get the trucks loaded, do all our pre-trips and check the trucks out, go around, make sure all our nuts and bolts and everything are there and everything's in good, working condition. We also make sure all our fluids topped off so when the storm does come, we're ready to go," said Carpenter.

He says the job hasn't changed much over the years, but the trucks have.

Carpenter said, "Some of our old trucks, you'd have ten levers in it and now it's all joystick, which makes things a lot nicer. They're all automatic now. There's hardly any standards left, which makes it really nice. "

Remember to let the plow trucks do their job.

"My advice, if you come up against a plow truck, stay behind it. Definitely don't pass around it on the right. If you can get by on the left, go ahead, just take your time. If they see you trying to get by they'll let you get by," Said Carpenter.

Snow plow drivers are on call 24 hours almost every day when there is any inclement cold weather or storms.