Gary Lawson, who was recently named Gritter Driver of the Year at this year’s Grit and Glory Awards, has spent four decades keeping roads safe for Durham County Council. He spoke to LAPV about how the job — and the vehicles — have transformed beyond recognition.
- Over the course of a 40-year career in winter maintenance with Durham County Council, how have the vehicles used for gritting and snow clearance changed, particularly in terms of driver comfort, safety and technology?
When I first started, the fleet mainly consisted of older Bedford wagons. These were basic vehicles compared to what we use today. Over time, these have been replaced by modern Mercedes-based chassis fitted with Econ Engineering gritter hoppers. Econ Engineering produces the majority of gritters used by local authorities, with their equipment having evolved considerably over the decades.
One of the biggest differences is how snow ploughs are fitted and operated. In the earlier days, the plough had to be manually lifted onto the front of the vehicle and secured using pins and clips. Raising and lowering the plough was done using a hand operated hydraulic pump, which was much more labour intensive. Modern vehicles are far more efficient, with ploughs mounted hydraulically using a DIN plate system. This allows the plough to be attached more easily and operated directly from the cab using hydraulic controls.
The control systems for the gritters themselves have also advanced a lot. Originally, everything was operated using mechanical levers and cable systems. These controlled the conveyor and spinner that spread the salt, but the adjustment was quite basic. Today, these systems are electronically controlled and operate through electro-hydraulic systems. This provides much better control over the spread rate, spread width and the overall amount of salt applied to the road surface, making the process more accurate and efficient.
Modern gritters also benefit from far better in-cab technology. For example, newer systems allow drivers to control spreading patterns and other functions from inside the cab, sometimes with automated settings that optimise salt usage and improve safety.
Driver comfort has improved just as much as the technology. The older wagons were quite drafty and basic, with limited comfort for long winter shifts. Today’s vehicles have features such as heated windscreens and mirrors, which make a huge difference when working in freezing conditions. Seats are now air-sprung, providing much better support during long hours on the road. Modern trucks also have powered steering and air-assisted gear changes, making them far easier to drive and much less physically demanding than the older vehicles.
Overall, the progression from the early Bedford wagons to modern gritters fitted with specialist engineering equipment shows how much the industry has advanced. The improvements in hydraulic systems, electronic controls, and cab design have made winter maintenance vehicles safer, more efficient, and far more comfortable for drivers working long shifts in difficult conditions.
- A fleet improvement that has made a big difference to the job is the in-cab ergonomic and control systems. How have you found this?
With the SPARGO control box, everything is now controlled electronically from a single unit inside the cab. The driver can easily adjust the spread rate, spread width and conveyor speed using simple controls, and the system gives clear digital feedback on what the machine is doing. That makes it much easier to apply the correct amount of dry salt consistently across the route.
From an ergonomics point of view, having all the controls in one place inside the cab has made the job much easier during long winter shifts. The controls are simple to reach and operate without distraction, which helps drivers keep their focus on the road. Combined with improvements in modern cabs, such as better seating, heating and overall layout, it has made operating a gritter far more comfortable and less physically demanding than it used to be.
- Can you describe how training and support from your local authority fleet team has evolved, especially around health & safety and new vehicle technology?
Our training department supplies the NVQ Level 2 Diploma Winter Maintenance course to ensure the effective running of our winter maintenance vehicles. Vehicle technology is evolving constantly and with our five-yearly rolling procurement programme we make sure that as the fleet is replaced, it has the latest technology, including safety systems, such as Active Brake Assist 5 for emergency braking support, Attention Assist to monitor driver alertness, Lane Keeping Assist to prevent unintentional lane departures, and Stability Control Assist (ESP) for enhanced vehicle stability. Technology advances include Predictive Powertrain Control (PPC) for optimising fuel consumption, and telematic systems fitted with Auto Salting and Routing.
- In your experience what are the key maintenance or reliability challenges with winter service vehicles and how does effective fleet management help address them?
We are constantly looking at issues around salt erosion. This means fitting more stainless-steel pipes to our vehicles where appropriate, sealing hydraulic pipe ends with hard-wearing Denso Tape, and having extra chassis protection applied during production to protect from the salt. We regularly run out our gritters during the summer months to ensure all mechanical and electrical systems are operating correctly.
Our five-yearly vehicle procurement programme also ensures that we operate with vehicles that are as new and modern as possible.
Photo: Gary Lawson © Durham County Council.
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